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Are We All Spiritual?

Hornborg, Anne-Christine LU orcid (2011) In Journal for the Study of Spirituality 1(2). p.249-268
Abstract
'I’m spiritual – not religious' has become a key expression of a new form of globalized religion focussing on a specific notion of spirituality, signifying a universal human essence, located deep inside each individual as a potential for wellbeing and personal transformation. The message is: Spirituality unites us into a single humanity, while religion, with its dogma and rituals, separates us. This new concept of spirituality works mostly in symbiosis with neoliberal ideas about the market, where neo-spiritual therapists and coaches offer to assist individuals in finding and developing their spirituality or 'inner potential'.

In this article, I suggest that this contemporary view of spirituality is produced within a particular... (More)
'I’m spiritual – not religious' has become a key expression of a new form of globalized religion focussing on a specific notion of spirituality, signifying a universal human essence, located deep inside each individual as a potential for wellbeing and personal transformation. The message is: Spirituality unites us into a single humanity, while religion, with its dogma and rituals, separates us. This new concept of spirituality works mostly in symbiosis with neoliberal ideas about the market, where neo-spiritual therapists and coaches offer to assist individuals in finding and developing their spirituality or 'inner potential'.

In this article, I suggest that this contemporary view of spirituality is produced within a particular social context, and is thus not self-evidently adopted in other contexts. To illustrate this, I draw on my experience of fieldwork in Canadian Mi’kmaq reserves and examples of contemporary spirituality, mainly from Sweden; and consider whether Mi'kmaq notions of spirituality are congruent with those of the 'new spirituality'. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Canadian Mi’kmaq, global vs. local contexts, Spirituality, inner potential, Sweden
in
Journal for the Study of Spirituality
volume
1
issue
2
pages
249 - 268
publisher
Equinox Publishing
ISSN
2044-0243
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (015017000)
id
038ee43c-3ed3-4dde-b646-269db834e764 (old id 2518771)
alternative location
http://www.equinoxpub.com/JSS/article/view/11403
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:13:17
date last changed
2018-11-21 19:42:51
@article{038ee43c-3ed3-4dde-b646-269db834e764,
  abstract     = {{'I’m spiritual – not religious' has become a key expression of a new form of globalized religion focussing on a specific notion of spirituality, signifying a universal human essence, located deep inside each individual as a potential for wellbeing and personal transformation. The message is: Spirituality unites us into a single humanity, while religion, with its dogma and rituals, separates us. This new concept of spirituality works mostly in symbiosis with neoliberal ideas about the market, where neo-spiritual therapists and coaches offer to assist individuals in finding and developing their spirituality or 'inner potential'. <br/><br>
 In this article, I suggest that this contemporary view of spirituality is produced within a particular social context, and is thus not self-evidently adopted in other contexts. To illustrate this, I draw on my experience of fieldwork in Canadian Mi’kmaq reserves and examples of contemporary spirituality, mainly from Sweden; and consider whether Mi'kmaq notions of spirituality are congruent with those of the 'new spirituality'.}},
  author       = {{Hornborg, Anne-Christine}},
  issn         = {{2044-0243}},
  keywords     = {{Canadian Mi’kmaq; global vs. local contexts; Spirituality; inner potential; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{249--268}},
  publisher    = {{Equinox Publishing}},
  series       = {{Journal for the Study of Spirituality}},
  title        = {{Are We All Spiritual?}},
  url          = {{http://www.equinoxpub.com/JSS/article/view/11403}},
  volume       = {{1}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}