Why has non-religion risen, and how have religious traditions responded?
Examine the reasons for the rise of non-religion in the contemporary world and analyse the responses of religious traditions to non-religious worldviews
A focused answer to the rise of non-religion dot point of the Religion and Non-Religion study in Studies of Religion II. Covers secularisation, science, individualism and disaffiliation, and analyses how religious traditions have responded to non-religious worldviews.
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What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to examine why non-religion has risen in the contemporary world and analyse how religious traditions have responded to non-religious worldviews. This is a Studies of Religion II topic (not in Studies of Religion I). Treat both non-religious worldviews and the religious traditions fairly and respectfully, and support your account of the rise of non-religion with reasoning rather than assertion.
The answer
What the rise of non-religion is
Across many societies, including Australia, the proportion of people identifying with no religion has grown substantially since the mid-20th century. Census data shows a steady rise in those reporting no religion and a decline in some forms of traditional religious affiliation. Non-religion includes atheism, agnosticism and a broad group who simply do not identify with any religion.
Reasons for the rise
- Secularisation. As public life, government, education and welfare have become organised on secular rather than religious lines, religion has become less central to the structures of society, and identifying with a religion has become less expected.
- Science and reason. Confidence in scientific explanation has led some to regard religious explanations of the world as unnecessary, contributing to a worldview that seeks meaning without the transcendent.
- Individualism and choice. A wider cultural shift toward personal autonomy in belief means people increasingly choose their worldview rather than inherit it, and many choose none.
- Disaffiliation and distrust. Disillusionment with religious institutions, including responses to scandals, has led some to leave or never join a tradition.
- Pluralism. Living among many worldviews can relativise inherited belief and make non-affiliation an easy option.
How religious traditions have responded
Religious traditions have responded to non-religious worldviews in several ways.
- Engagement and dialogue. Many traditions engage seriously with the questions raised by non-religion, articulating the rational and evidential basis of faith and entering public debate.
- Renewal and relevance. Some communities have sought to make their teaching and worship more accessible and to show the continuing relevance of faith to meaning, ethics and community.
- Apologetics. Religious thinkers have offered reasoned defences of belief and responses to arguments such as those of new atheism.
- Cooperation on shared values. Traditions and secular worldviews sometimes cooperate on shared ethical concerns such as justice, charity and care for the vulnerable.
Analysing the responses
Analysing the responses means weighing how effectively traditions have addressed the reasons for the rise of non-religion. Engagement and dialogue address the intellectual challenge; renewal addresses relevance and disaffiliation; cooperation builds common ground in a pluralist society. The effectiveness of these responses varies, and the trend toward non-religion has continued in many places, but the responses show religious traditions actively grappling with a changed landscape rather than ignoring it.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
2022 HSC1 marksWhich of the following could account for increasing secularism in Australia? A. The growth of political activism. B. The rise in denominational switching. C. The rise of individualism within society. D. The growth of environmental awareness.Show worked answer →
The answer is C. The rise of individualism within society.
Secularism is the declining influence of religion in public and personal life. A key driver is the rise of individualism: as people increasingly prioritise personal autonomy, choice and self-fulfilment over inherited religious authority and communal belonging, religious adherence falls and secularism grows.
A, political activism, is not in itself a cause of secularism. B, denominational switching, is movement within religion, not away from it. D, environmental awareness, does not by itself reduce religious influence. The factor that best accounts for increasing secularism is C.
2021 HSC1 marksWhich of the following best accounts for the rise of new religious expressions and spiritualities? A. Social media platforms that support scientific progress. B. Disenchantment with scientific progress in society. C. Strengthening of traditional religious practices. D. Searching for a sense of belonging.Show worked answer →
The answer is D. Searching for a sense of belonging.
As traditional religious adherence declines, many people still seek meaning, identity and community. New religious expressions and spiritualities (such as New Age movements) rise because individuals are searching for a sense of belonging and personal fulfilment outside established institutional religion.
A is wrong because new religious expressions are not driven by support for scientific progress. B, disenchantment with science, is not the main driver of these spiritualities. C is the opposite of what is happening, since traditional practice is weakening, not strengthening. The best account is D.
2024 HSC1 marksWhich of the following is NOT a main reason for the rise of new religious expressions? A. People are trying to improve their material wealth. B. People are trying to clarify their role in society. C. People are searching for personal fulfilment. D. People are seeking ethical guidance.Show worked answer →
The answer is A. People are trying to improve their material wealth.
The question asks which option is NOT a reason. New religious expressions rise because people seek meaning, belonging, personal fulfilment, clarity about their place in society, and ethical guidance, so B, C and D are all genuine reasons.
A, improving material wealth, is the opposite of what motivates new religious and spiritual movements; these typically arise from a search for the spiritual and the meaningful rather than the material. So the option that is NOT a reason is A.