They point out that, for some people, communalised religious faith has been transformed through individualised practices - in what they term as a 'silent takeover of the religious' by spirituality (59). But rather than spirituality replacing religion per se, the authors look to western society's underlying economic (capitalist) rationale for the shift from mainline traditions to personalised beliefs and practices.
The authors explore Western historical thought from the Enlightenment, encompassing the the rise of secularism and more recently, the subsequent dilution of religious adherence and the parallel shift towards subjective rather than collective spiritual understandings and worldviews. Certainly, there still is a collective spirit but its collective practice has changed to online chatrooms, the purchase of self-help books en masse, and participation in a variety of workshops, rituals, and other personal development, mystical and magical seminars and courses.
Carrette and King argue that spirituality's emphasis on the individual is not isolated from its wider socio-economic and political positioning. Indeed, it is embedded in contemporary 'wordly' economics and 'socio-political consequences' (61). With this embeddedness in mind, they wonder if and how a 'capitalist spirituality' is operationalised through 'ideologies of consumerism and business enterprise' (61). They note how spiritual questions are normalised through this process.
In this somewhat simplified framework, the authors wonder why spirituality compared to mainline faith does not challenge the status quo, or to use their words, why spirituality is not 'troubling'? ( 62). They desire, or seem to be searching for, a spirituality that is not embedded within or accepting of a neoliberal raiment, but one that is socially engaged and responsible - involved in movements around equity and justice - in other words - a mindful spirituality rather than a market spirituality.
The problem they see is that religion has been affected and influenced by a post-secular religious and spiritual change. To some extent, relgions' collective spirit has been diluted through the observation (by Grace Davie) of believing not belonging / belonging not believing. But more directly, Carrette and King are critical of those theorists of religion who have noted the shift towards personalised spirituality but have not grounded this subjective shift into a broader context of political economy analysis.
Carrette and King worry that the trend to self-styled spirituality will loosen mainline religions' understandings of, and undertakings in, compassion and communal experience. But rather than a one sided critique, the authors redeem themselves through a realisation that religion too is incorporated within the world of economics, business and consumerism, i.e. it also invites these perspectives into their understanding of contemporary shifts in religious traditions. Religion is business and economics - as well as compassion and community.
In this way, it is not a question of religion versus spirituality or religion embracing spirituality, but religion and spirituality both playing in the world of capital, branding their material and non-material goods through commodification, media and consumerism, for the benefit of all who delve and devote. But in this 'economically-driven' globalised world, what happens the authors ask, to meaning, to community, to tradition and to care of the other? (65).
Questions
Is there a distinction between divine religion and worldly spirituality?
- How is religion diluted in a world of capitalist spirituality?
- Why are the authors concerned about the effect on community and compassion in an economically-driven globalised faith?
Reference
Carrette J. and R. King. 2012.Spirituality and the re-branding of religion. In G. Lynch & J. Mitchell, Eds., Religion, Media, Culture. A Reader. 58-69. London: Routledge.
Image Source
http://pixabay.com/en/abstract-blue-bright-christmas-19801/
No comments:
Post a Comment