New Age Spirituality: Rethinking Religion

Description

New Age and holistic beliefs and practices - sometimes called the "new spirituality" - are widely distributed across modern global society. The fluid and popular nature of new age makes these movements a very challenging field to understand using traditional models of religious analysis. Rather than treating new age as an exotic specimen on the margins of 'proper' religion, "New Age Spirituality" examines these movements as a form of everyday or lived religion. The book brings together an international range of scholars to explore the key issues: insight, healing, divination, meditation, gnosis, extraordinary experiences, and interactions with gods, spirits and superhuman powers. Combining discussion of contemporary beliefs and practices with cutting-edge theoretical analysis, the book repositions new age spirituality at the forefront of the contemporary study of religion. Review: You will rethink your ideas about religion - Be prepared to exercise your inner Professor of Religious Studies. "New Age Spirituality: Rethinking Religion" uses some academic terms and a scholarly approach. But, that should not intimidate readers who are comfortable with college level books or white papers. The editors and authors do a fine job including illustrations or real-life examples with their data and theses. This is a broad and inclusive book. The authors are international and focus their studies within modern Western societies. Northern Europe is prominently featured. Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands are the most secular (non-religious) societies in the world. Yet, they have an abundance of "religion" and new age spirituality in their cultures and media. Everyday "lived" religion and spiritual practices are everywhere. Sutcliffe and Gilhus's Introduction to New Age Spiritualities: Rethinking Religion argues that "lived religion" is the normal and typical state of religion. Going as far to claim that traditional religion is an "aberration". After reading this book, I see so-called new spirituality as actually not "new". It is ancient, tribal, primitive religion at its most basic and practical. Spiritual themes are everywhere in the media and popular culture-- in papers, TV shows, internet, computer games, entrepreneurship. The authors demonstrate that spirituality is mixed-up with the non-religious and secular everywhere. The authors give compelling arguments and data to back up their claims that religion, and so-called new age, is everywhere. Always has been in it's most basic forms. We just label it "new". Reading this book will get you to "rethink religion". Review: Hard Read but Fascinating - I bought this book both because I am a Religious Studies student and because I have a personal fascination with New Age religious forms. The book consists of chapters on aspects of the New Age movement written by different RS scholars. In general there is a lot of intense jargon in the chapters, though some are easier going than others. Many ideas about approaching and analysing the New Age forms are introduced, including the idea that we need a whole new definition of what religion is to encompass them, rather than seeing them as an unusual case that doesn't fit standard definitions. I was particularly fascinated by the chapter on New Age and commerce/capitalism, which explored the fact that the movement depends on products that the practitioner must buy, from books to crystals, incense, Yoga equipment, clothing and other commodities. This book is not written for the average New Age practitioner as it is a very scholarly text, but it gives a fascinating overview and ideas for further reading.