The widest cause of secularization may be the steady change of thinking so that there is the expectation that reason and a consideration of cause and effect will help with explanations. Supernatural power began to be removed from explanations of the process of life or society in the seventeenth century, and although there may be a nod towards astrology or the crossed finger today, superstition is not seriously used in decision making....

Writing in Humanism: An Introduction, Jim Herrick continues:

Scientific thinking, which similarly developed in the seventeenth century, has been influential in bringing this change. We now see that tornadoes and earthquakes have rational explanations in terms of climatology and seismology rather than as divine punishments. Most people when deciding whether to take a new job, embark on a divorce, or simply plan a holiday will not seek divine guidance, but rather discuss with themselves or others the issues of cause and effect.

Politically and socially, secularization is the creation of institutions that are independent of the authority of churches and various religious groups. In the past, religious figures held the authority to govern, deliver medical care, and educate for example; in the modern era, however, such tasks have been taken over by non-religious authority figures who deliver the services independent of church structures.

Herrick, though, is addressing the process of secularization on a much more personal level: the process by which individuals have gradually shed their reliance on religion for explanations, understanding, and structuring their lives. However much of a role that religion continues to play in people’s lives, it’s clear that it plays much less of a role than it used to. As Herrick notes, it’s uncommon today for people to consult religion for explanations of storms, to decide about a trip, and so forth.

Certainly this personal secularization played a role in the wider secularization of society. The more people are able to think, reason, and make decisions independently of religion, the more receptive — if not welcoming — they will be of secular institutions. Science has played an important role in this, I think, because it has so effectively demonstrated the power of secular processes. This has not, however, kept people from resisting secularization and seeking a return to a religious way of living.

At the same time, though, I wonder if perhaps Herrick is not overstating his case a bit. It may be true that things like astrology are not consulted like they once were, but they do remain popular. There are millions of people who continue to turn to psychics, astrologers, palm readers, and other “consultants of the supernatural/paranormal” when making a variety of decisions in their lives. Perhaps the numbers are lower in Britain, where Herrick lives, but they remain high in America.

Read More Book Notes from the Book Reviews on this site.