Secularisation: Bruce's Supply-Demand Model
Steve Bruce argues that religious decline results from reduced demand (people less need religion for meaning) and disrupted supply (religious institutions lose coherence in plural societies).
Real World
Church of England attendance halved between 1980 and 2020, even as the number of competing worldviews — from New Age spirituality to secular humanism — expanded dramatically, consistent with Bruce's argument that pluralism erodes religious monopoly credibility.
Exam Focus
Challenge Bruce by citing Davie's believing-without-belonging data; showing two sociologists disagree demonstrates the critical evaluation examiners reward.
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