In recent years, many of us have changed our approach to religion and spirituality. Religion has generally become less popular, especially in resource-rich regions, such as the United States and certain parts of Europe.
As a team of religious psychologists led by Julie Exline recently pointed out, religious disengagement occurs in at least three forms. First, an individual may be completely “done” with religion. That is, they no longer consider themselves religious and may not belong to a religious community at all.
Second, a person may continue to identify as religious but withdraw that commitment. For example, a person may reduce their attendance at religious services or spend less time reading religious texts. Third, individuals may move away from their religious identity or religious participation and instead focus on spirituality.
New ways to meet ancient needs
in his book power of ritual, Casper Ter Kuile investigates and advises on this third possibility. Although many people in developed countries have become less religious in recent years, he argues that the underlying human needs that religion addresses remain essential to human flourishing. Tell Quill writes:
“It may be helpful to think of the human yearning to connect with religious culture as analogous to music and the music industry, which has struggled mightily over the past two decades, with CD sales declining for much of the 2000s and 2010s. But our love of music continues. The same thing is happening in our spiritual lives. Congregation attendance is down, but my love for community and meaning continues. Our hunger remains.”
With this in mind, Tel Kuile shines a spotlight on things that many of us may not be aware of. It is the creation and proliferation of involvement in what we might call spiritual “alternatives” to religion. He continues:
“Formal affiliations are on the decline, but millions of people are downloading meditation apps and attending weekend retreats. Plus, they’re taking yoga classes, listening to the likes of Cleo Wade and Rupi Kaur. Find spiritual lessons and joy in completely “secular” places such as poetry, accompaniment groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and dinner parties. Stadium concerts and karaoke will replace congregational singing, podcasts and tarot cards will replace sermons and wisdom teachings. ”
Tel Kuil then mentions some of the possibilities of this new era. Individuals can “untraditon” and “remix” with sacred rituals that build community and create meaning. In line with this, Ter Kuil, along with Vanessa Zoltan, will be hosting the popular podcast ‘Harry Potter and the Holy Scriptures’ as a way for individuals to come together virtually and ritually share a close reading of the beloved series. “is created.
Source: Pexels | Johannes Plenio
As another example, I recently went hiking at a local state park in Afton, Minnesota. Following Tel Quill, as I left the car, I turned off my phone in order to more intentionally connect with the natural beauty I encountered.
Then I decided to look for trees in the park that I could connect with. I decided that the tree was old and dangerous and stood out from the rest. I found a tree that met these criteria overlooking the St. Croix River, so I carefully walked around the tree three times as a kind of sacred act to appreciate it and to ritually express its significance. I walked around twice. I’m sure that tree will add meaning to me the next time I hike in this park.
Questions about spiritual “replacement”
There’s a lot of research evidence showing that increased community and meaning contributes to positive life outcomes, including improved feelings of well-being. But I’m wondering if these spiritual “substitutes” start to create their own questions and doubts in people. For example, what is truly a “sacred” document? Is Harry Potter enough? Would Mary Oliver’s poems or other texts be better?
More broadly, is spirituality defined by how we approach certain activities, or does it have to be anchored in a certain type of materiality? It was a lovely experience and there’s no reason not to do it, but what could be better than taking three walks around a beautiful tree? Part of thinking about religion and spirituality as an exploration is that this It’s about asking these kinds of questions and honestly exploring what is true and good, no matter where the process takes us.
What about God?
Perhaps the biggest unanswered question concerns God. National survey data shows that people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” are significantly less likely to believe in the God of the Bible than those who identify as “spiritual and religious” (20 percent vs. 84%), but was found to be quite high. more likely to believe in “other higher powers or spiritual forces in the universe” (73 percent vs. 15 percent); Other data shows how belief in God has declined over time among religiously unaffiliated people.
If we find community and meaning outside of traditional religious structures and institutions, is it okay to lose God in the process?
Considerable research has shown that recognizing a personal relationship with God can lead to a variety of psychological Prospective benefits have been demonstrated. As the researchers note, people may “perceive God as a particularly powerful source of support,” and this seems especially true during difficult times when perceived control is diminished. Also of interest is research showing that people who had difficult childhoods are significantly more likely to convert to religion later in life. This is likely due to the sense of security that a perceived relationship with God brings when there is a history of not feeling safe otherwise.
Exploring new religious and spiritual landscapes may be revealing. Will the new spiritual lifestyle improve our lives compared to the previous religious lifestyle? Do we miss God, long for God, or don’t care about God? What kind of religion and spirituality will best help us thrive? How we address questions like these is the next chapter in how religion and spirituality will evolve in the 21st century. may contribute to.cent century.
