Teaching & Learning Guide for: The Social Ethic of Religiously Unaffiliated Spirituality
Authors: Chandler Siobhan 
Published: March 2008

Author's Introduction

Historically, spirituality has almost always been embedded in religion, but in the years following the 1960s counterculture, spirituality has also forged an existence outside traditional theologies. It is now increasingly common for people to describe themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’, signalling their move away from traditional religious hierarchies towards an eclectic, self‐governing approach to existential meaning‐making. Spirituality today emerges from a complex socio‐religious matrix that is closely linked to the rise of individualism in affluent western nations. The social and religious implications of the cultural ethic of individualism have been much discussed. This essay adds another perspective by considering whether religiously unaffiliated spirituality contributes to the creation of an integrated society, and leads to the development of civically engaged and responsible citizens compared with organized religion.

Online Materials

1.

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/indes.html?newsandcurrent#tapestry

Tapestry is a CBC radio programme exploring spirituality and religion. Podcasts available for download.

2. 

http://www.thearda.com/

The Association of Religion Data Archives features high‐quality empirical data on the American religious landscape. See especially the learning modules to learn how to best use the data available on this website (http://www.thearda.com/learningModules/)

3.

http://www.givingandvolunteering.ca/pdf/CSGVP_Highlights_2004_en.pdf

Caring Canadians Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2004 Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating

4.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks

TED talks (technology, entertainment and design) features video presentations (each about 20 min) by highly accomplished, and often high profile individuals. Geared to a sophisticated global audience, its speakers frequently epitomize a post‐materialist vision of how to build a better future.

Sample Syllabus

1. Introduction to contemporary spirituality

Albanese, C, ‘Introduction’, in American Spiritualities: A Reader, pp. 1–17 (Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Press, 2001).

Roof, WC, Chapter 1 ‘Varieties of Spiritual Quest’, in Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion, pp. 16–45 (Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1999).

2. The sociology of spirituality1960–1980: the Counter‐culture and the New Age Movement

Roof, WC, Chapter 2 ‘The Making of a Quest Culture’, in Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion, pp. 46–76 (Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1999).

Ferguson, M, Chapter 1, ‘The Conspiracy’, and Chapter 2, ‘Premonitions of Transformation’, in The Aquarian Conspiracy: Personal and Social Transformation in the 1980s, pp. 23–64 (Los Angeles, CA, J.P. Tarcher Inc.).

Websites of interest: The New Age today

http://www.newage‐journal.com/

http://www.fairycongress.com/fc2008/2008_links.htm

http://www.aerious.org/index.html

http://www.findhorn.org/

http://www.hollyhock.ca

3. Defining spirituality and religion

Marler PL, & Hadaway, K, ‘“Being Religious” or “Being Spiritual” in America: A Zero‐Sum Proposition?’Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 41, no. 2 (2002), pp. 289–300.

Heelas, P, & Woodhead, L, ‘Introduction’, and Chapter 1, ‘Distinguishing religion and spirituality’, in Spiritual Revolution: Why Religion is Giving Way to Spirituality, pp. 1–32 (Oxford, Blackwell, 2005).

4. Broad‐based spirituality movement from 1980 onward (2 weeks)

Roof, WC, Chapter 3 ‘The Spiritual Marketplace’, and Chapter 5, ‘A Quest for What?’ in Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion, pp. 77–110 (Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1999).

Roof, WC, Chapter 5 ‘A Quest for What?’ in Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion, pp. 145–179 (Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1999).

Heelas, P, & Woodhead, L, Chapter 4 ‘Bringing the Sacred to Life’, in Spiritual Revolution: Why Religion is Giving Way to Spirituality, pp. 77–110 (Oxford, UK, Blackwell, 2005).

Roof, WC, Chapter 6 ‘Redrawing the Boundaries’, in Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion, pp. 180–216 (Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1999).

Websites and media of interest:

The Templeton Foundation: http://www.templeton.org/

Integrative Spirituality: http://www.integrativespirituality.org/postnuke/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=46&page=1

Beliefnet: http://www.beliefnet.com/about/index.asp

Spirituality and Health magazine: http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/home/item_216.html

Trailer for ‘5 Seekers is a new documentary/reality series which takes five adventurous and inquiring people on the spiritual road trip of a lifetime.’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64XcquQSJjc (1:21)

5. Critique of religiously unaffiliated spirituality

Carrette, J, and King, R, Chapter 3, ‘Psychology and the Politics of Spirituality’ and Chapter 4 ‘Privatization of Asian Wisdom Traditions’, in Selling Spirituality: The Silent Takeover of Religion, pp. 54–122 (London, Routledge, 2005).

6. The contingencies of modernity I: society and the individual

Wuthnow, R, Chapter 2, ‘The Changing Life Worlds of Young Adults’ in After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty and Thirty–Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion, pp. 20–50 (Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 2007).

Beck, U, & Beck‐Gernsheim, E, ‘A Life of One's Own in a Runaway World: Individualization, Globalization and Politics’, in Individualization: Institutionalized Individualism and its Social and Political Consequences, pp. 22–29 (London, SAGE, 2002).

‘A Brand Called You’. (about 2 pages) http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou_Printer_Friendly.html.

7. The contingencies of modernity II: theories of social change

Inglehart, R, & Welzel, C, Chapter 1 ‘A Revised Theory of Modernization’, in Modernization, Cultural Change and Democracy: The Human Development Sequence, pp. 15–47 (Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2005).

Media of interest: Postmaterialism and Self Expression

Burning Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlXA_GQXrUE&feature=related (7:03)

Stanford Professor Larry Lessig ‘How creativity is being strangled by the law’ on TED: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/187 (19:07)

Postmaterialism and Elite Challenging Behaviors

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bali_report_back/8.php?cl=47936589

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/davos‐question.html

8. Spirituality and social change

Putnam, R. Chapter 1, ‘Thinking about Social Change in America’, in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, pp. 15–28 (New York, NY, Simon Schuster, 2000).

Chandler, S, ‘The Social Ethic of Religiously Unaffiliated Spirituality’Religion Compass 2 (2008): 240–256, 10.1111/j.1749‐8171.2007.00059.x.

Websites and media of interest

Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone website: http://www.bowlingalone.com/

The Forge Institute: http://www.theforge.org/

Ken Wilber on the relationship between personal and planetary transformation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E8CAWawn2g&NR=1 (8:46)

Deepak Chopra on creating a better world: http://video.beliefnet.com/av/preachersandteachers.aspx?v=3001&p=880 (about 2:00)

CBC Radio podcast ‘Spiritual Leadership’: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/

Focus Questions

What makes spirituality challenging as a research variable? What distinctions are important when defining spirituality?

How has spiritual seeking changed since the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s?

How has ‘selling spirituality’ impacted its social significance?

Challenging elitism and hierarchies is considered central to the postmaterialist ethos. How might religiously unaffiliated spirituality be considered an elite challenging behavior?

Why is religion such an important measure of social capital? Do you think socially responsible behaviors always stem from the moral precepts of organized religion?

Is social capital a meaningful way to measure the social ethic of religiously unaffiliated spirituality? What other ways might be used to evaluate its social significance?

Seminar Activity

Students will be required to design a product or service that caters to spiritual but not religious seekers, and submit a business plan outlining target market, rational for predicted revenues, etc. The product or service does not necessarily have to be unique; however, it should address a relevant need and have a demonstrable market base. Suggested business ideas might include a yoga/mediation class, a therapeutic practice, a bookstore, travel, health products, a newsletter, greeting cards, food items and so on. The goal of the assignment is to assess the spiritual but religiously unaffiliated demographic correctly and discern why a given ‘spiritual’ product or service would be appealing. Your write‐up should address the following research questions:

What research demonstrates demand for this good or service?

Who does this product or service cater to (age, gender, occupation, generational factors etc.)?

What does your commercial venture tell you about people who are spiritual but not religious?

How does the does the commodification of this product or service either reinforce or detract from the sacred tenor of unchurched spirituality?

What percentage of your client base are not ‘spiritual but not religious’ and why do they find the product appealing?