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A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications

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A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2020 A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications Jolive R. Chavez Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Chavez, Jolive R., "A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications" (2020). Dissertations. 1745. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/1745 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT A STUDY OF NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE USA IN LIGHT OF SECULARIZATION THEORY, WITH MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS by Jolive R. Chaves Adviser: Gorden R. Doss ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological SeMinary Title: A STUDY OF NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE USA IN LIGHT OF SECULARIZATION THEORY, WITH MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS NaMe of researcher: Jolivê R. Chaves NaMe and degree of faculty adviser: Gorden R. Doss, PhD Date completed: NoveMber 2020 The growth of those who declare theMselves to be Nones, or religiously unaffiliated, in Brazil and the USA has been continuously higher than that of the general population. In Brazil, they are the third-largest group in the religious field, behind only Catholics, and Pentecostal evangelicals. In the USA, they are the second largest group, after Protestants as a whole. The Nones, in their diverse groups, are more represented aMong the youth in both cultures, and reflect the modern and postModern influences of conteMporary secularisM, being a product of the process of changing human thought. This work studies the Nones, in both countries, based on selected eleMents that characterize the theories of secularization used within the sociology of religion. In the absence of a direct biblical text related to the Nones, as they are a phenomenon much later than the biblical period, a suggested biblical fraMework for mission with the group was chosen based on biblical narratives describing the missio Dei aMong what the Bible calls foreigners. In the fifth chapter, the study proposes eight areas considered sensitive for the Missional relationship with the Nones in both Brazil and AMerica: The Identity of God, The Bible as the Source of Truth, Institutionalized Religion, Need for Relationships and ComMunity, The Social Role of Religion, Cross-Cultural Barriers, Cultural and Religious Plurality, and Mass ComMunication/Technology. Some of these can be considered critical, and others as an opportunity for mission. The characteristics of Nones related to each area were presented, and then, missiological and sociological principles were suggested to fill the gaps in the respective areas, forMing a bridge of contact with the Nones. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological SeMinary A STUDY OF NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE USA IN LIGHT OF SECULARIZATION THEORY, WITH MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS A Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillMent of the RequireMents for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Jolivê R. Chaves NoveMber 2020 A STUDY OF NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE USA IN LIGHT OF SECULARIZATION THEORY, WITH MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS A Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillMent of the RequireMents for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Jolive R. Chaves APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _________________________________________ ___________________________ Faculty Adviser, Gorden R. Doss Director, Ph.D./Th.D. ProGrams Professor Emeritus of World Mission John W. Reeve _________________________________________ _________________________________ Petr Cincala Dean, SDA TheoloGical Seminary Assistant Professor of World Mission Jiří Moskala _________________________________________ _________________________________ WaGner Kuhn Date Approved Professor of World Mission ______________________________________ Tevni Grajales Professor of Research and Statistical Methodology _______________________________________ Wilbert Shenk, Professor EMeritus of Mission History & ConteMporary Culture Fuller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 Background to the ProbleM .................................................................... 1 StateMent of the ProbleM ....................................................................... 6 StateMent of Purpose .............................................................................. 6 Research Questions ................................................................................ 6 Scope and DeliMitations ......................................................................... 7 Conceptual FraMework .......................................................................... 7 Methodology .......................................................................................... 8 Chapter Outline ...................................................................................... 9 II. SELECTED ELEMENTS THAT CHARACTERIZE THE THEORIES OF SECULARIZATION ..................................................................................... 11 Introduction ............................................................................................ 11 Sociology of Religion ............................................................................. 15 EleMents of Secularization Theories of Weber and Followers ....... 17 Max Weber (1864–1920) ......................................................... 17 Bryan R. Wilson (1926–2004) ................................................. 22 Thomas Luckmann (1927–2016) ............................................. 27 Roy Wallis (1945–1990) .......................................................... 33 SumMary of Weber and Followers .......................................... 37 EleMents of Secularization Theories of DurkheiM and Followers . 38 EMile DurkheiM (1858–1917) ................................................. 38 Rodney Stark (1934– ) and WilliaM Bainbridge (1940– ) ....... 46 Grace Davie (1946– ) ............................................................... 51 Laurence Iannaccone (1954– ) ................................................. 54 SumMary of DurkheiM and Followers ..................................... 61 Elements of Secularization Theories of Independent Scholars ....... 61 Peter Berger (1929–2017) ........................................................ 61 Charles Taylor (1931– ) ........................................................... 67 Talal Asad (1932– ) ................................................................. 70 SumMary of Selected Independent Scholars ............................ 75 SumMary ................................................................................................ 75 iii III. NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE UNITED STATES IN LIGHT OF THE SECULARIZATION THEORIES ........................................................ 78 Introduction ............................................................................................ 78 SumMary of Religious Scenario and Profile of Nones in Brazil ........... 79 SumMary of Religious Scenario and Profile of Nones in the United States .................................................................................................. 84 Category 1: Religious DisenchantMent .................................................. 90 SumMary of the Topic ..................................................................... 90 Relating the Topic to the Nones in Brazil and the United States .... 91 SumMary of Category 1 .................................................................. 99 Category 2: Weakening of the Public Influence of Religion ................. 99 SumMary of the Topic ..................................................................... 99 Relating the Topic to the Nones in Brazil and the United States .... 100 SumMary of Category 2 .................................................................. 111 Category 3: Religious PluralisM in a Market Environment ................... 112 SumMary of the Topic ..................................................................... 112 Relating the Topic to the Nones in Brazil and the United States .... 114 The Foundations of Religious PluralisM ......................................... 115 Effects of Religious PluralisM ........................................................ 119 Market Religiosity ................................................................... 120 EMphasis on Spiritualizing Religion ....................................... 137 SumMary of Category 3 .................................................................. 152 Category 4: The Changing and Permanent Nature of Religion ............. 155 SumMary of the Topic ..................................................................... 155 Relating the Topic to the Nones in Brazil and the United States
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