Judaism: Religion and secularisation

This topic explores the complex relationship between Judaism as a religious tradition and the forces of secularisation that have shaped modern Jewish life. You will examine how Jewish communities have responded to the challenges of modernity, including the rise of secularism, assimilation, and the redefinition of Jewish identity outside traditional religious frameworks. Key thinkers such as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and sociologist Peter Berger provide theoretical lenses for understanding these dynamics.

Secularisation refers to the process by which religious institutions, practices, and beliefs lose their social significance. In Judaism, this has manifested in diverse ways: from the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) in the 18th century to contemporary debates about Zionism, intermarriage, and the role of halakha (Jewish law) in a secular state. Understanding this topic is crucial for AQA A-Level Religious Studies because it connects core themes of authority, identity, and modernity, and it challenges simplistic narratives of religious decline.

The topic also requires you to engage with empirical data, such as surveys on Jewish identity in the UK and Israel, and to evaluate theological responses to secularisation, including Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform perspectives. By the end, you should be able to critically assess whether secularisation leads to the erosion of Judaism or to its creative transformation.