The social authority of Religion in Canada : a study of contemporary death rituals

The social authority of traditional organized Christian religion has changed dramatically over the twentieth century. In 2002, less than 25% of Canadians were members of a traditional faith community or regularly participated in formal or informal organized religious practices. Nonetheless, Reginald Bibby has claimed Christianity is making a comeback in Canada. He has argued that the continued reliance on religious rites of passage by nominal and non-affiliates represents the continued influence of traditional Christian religion on the lives of Canadians, and the return to traditional religious communities for rites of passage represents opportunities for those faith communities to bring the lost sheep back to the fold. This thesis tests Bibby's claim through an examination of the social authority of traditional organized religion over contemporary death rituals practiced in Canada. Although Bibby may be encouraged by the continued presence of traditional Christian religious leadership in many contemporary death rituals, the inclusion of religion is often a precarious one that is more often the result of a situational religious response to fulfill a cultural expectation than the desire to perform a sacred ritual that reinforces one's relationship with a traditional faith community or the transcendent being it worships