ABSTRACT
In many parts of the world, religious traditions are thriving. Authoritative beliefs and practices informed by tradition hold sway-whether it be Buddhism and Hinduism in Sri Lanka or Islam in Pakistan. The situation is very different, however, in the great majority of late modern advanced commercial societies. Here institutionalized traditions (most especially the churches, chapels and cathedrals of Christianity) have been eroded by the forces of secularization (see Chapter 13). Life after tradition, it is often claimed, is therefore taking the form of atheism, agnosticism or simply indifference to what the religious realm has to offer. Religion, it is claimed, is giving way to secularity.
