Spirituality: the new religion?

"Spirituality has become a new cultural addiction and a claimed panacea for the angst of modern living" (Carrette & King, 2005: 61). There is a trend towards abandoning traditional religion and all that is associated with the church and replacing it with spirituality. There are many thoughts and opinions about why there seems to be a move away from religion, but the fact that it is being replaced with something else speaks for the notion that humanity needs that something else. I cannot imagine living in a world with no broader meaning beyond what sometimes feels like a banal existence. Much like the rest of humanity, I have employed mechanisms that enable me to get out of bed in the morning - both conscious and unconscious mechanisms. These mechanisms obviously differ for different people. I have to believe in karma and that good things happen to good people. I have to believe that I will be rewarded for trying to be a good, wholesome individual. I believe that when things aren't going right, the wheel will turn and things will become good again. When things seem too good, I know that I should expect an obstacle. These are the things that are constantly at the back of my mind. We feed ourselves these theories because we need reassurance and security that all of this means something.

Carrette and King (2005) believe that "with the emergence of capitalist spirituality we are seeing an attempted takeover of the cultural space traditionally inhabited by the religions by a specific economic agenda" (63). In the same way that religion was relegated to the private spheres of life, and replaced with science, economics is now replacing that science through spirituality, which has a capitalistic agenda. They believe that spirituality does not conflict with the materialistic/excessive aka capitalistic lifestyles that people are choosing. That it does not trouble our lives is the trouble with it. Spirituality accommodates all that exists in our public lives and does not challenge "lifestyles of self-interest and ubiquitous consumption" (Carrette & King, 2005: 62). Religion, since secularism, has remained private, while economics, politics and broader society remain public. Is it such a bad thing, then, that there is now at least something to influence (for lack of a better word) both the private and the public?

With this shift from religion to spirituality, there is no longer a strict code to live by, with a strong community that meets each Sunday. Perhaps it is not enough to live by spiritual theories and try to be a good person within your own right.

At this stage of their argument, I felt compelled to disagree because spirituality cannot surely be said not to move lives or positively affect lifestyles. But, they further argue that a cultural shift has become apparent, called the individualisation of religion. This new age religion allows more freedom to experiment and explore alternatives. This has resulted in ‘the melting pot of religions and spirituality that is often called “the New Age”’. I don’t think that this is such a bad thing, but I do agree with the next part. This individualised religion tends to erode the sense of community and compassion associated with more traditional, formalised religions, and therefore societies.

I’m not sure a choice can be made between new age spirituality and religion, although it feels like the choice should be obvious (religion). I am content with my lack of a choice and I’m almost certain that that tends towards the spiritual side of the spectrum. This cultural shift away from religion towards spirituality and/or new age religion was bound to happen, and it did. Should we fight it?

References:

Carrette, J. and King, R. (2005) Selling Spirituality: The Silent Takeover of Religion, London: Routledge.