A New-Old Spirituality: How Spirituality has Softened and Revitalized Religion
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Tone Stangeland Kaufman
Abstract
This article seeks to continue the unfolding of the tangled relationship of spirituality and religion but from the vantage point of Christianity (religion), and more specifically, from Christian practice and from the perspective of representatives of institutionalized religion (clergy) and rather unchurched participants in organized religious practice. While first-wave scholars argued that religion and spirituality are at odds with each other, second-wave scholars rather consider the relationship between the two more blurred and hybrid. Following the lead of this latter group of scholarship, I make the case that contemporary spirituality at the intersection of “individualized spirituality” and “institutionalized religion” can be understood as a new-old spirituality and that religion is being changed by spirituality. This entails that people are approaching old Christian practices in new ways and new places often urged by a new kind of motivation. By attending to issues of subjectivity and regarding experience as a significant source of authority without leaving the theistic framework of religion altogether, this new-old spirituality is available and attractive to constituencies as varied as clergy, children, incarcerated, and young people. Hence, it can be argued that religion is not only giving way to spirituality. Religion is also softened and revitalized by spirituality, as empirical studies in the Scandinavian countries show a resurgence and revitalization of religious practice, both inside and at the margins of institutionalized religion, and, thus, a sacralization of the congregational domain.
Zusammenfassung
Diese Studie zeichnet Transformationen christlicher Frömmigkeit nach, die sich in skandivanischen Ländern unter dem Einfluss individualisierter Spiritualität vollziehen. Die dabei entstehende „neue alte Geistlichkeit“ erweist sich für verschiedene Alters- und Personengruppen als attraktiv und belebt empirischen Befunden zufolge auch die innerkirchliche religiöse Praxis in Skandinavien.
© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Editorials
- A Passion for Clear Writing
- New Section of Booknotes Online Launched: Tell the Community about New, Exciting Publications!
- International Report
- Is Poland Still the Bulwark of Christendom?
- Research Report
- Another World? Practical Wisdom for the End-Times
- Research Articles
- Research Supervision as a Spiritual Ministry: A Confluence of Object Relations, Psychodynamics and Grace
- A Doxological Response to the Problem of Disenchantment
- In (Partial) Defence of the Monologue Sermon
- A Pilgrim’s Performance: Practical Theology as Convening
- A New-Old Spirituality: How Spirituality has Softened and Revitalized Religion
- “God Has Commanded Me”: A Spiritual Code of a Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA)
- Book Reviews
- Ignatius Swart, Auli Vähäkangas, Marlize Rabe, Annette Leis-Peters (eds.), Stuck in the Margins? Young People and Faith-Based Organisations in South African and Nordic Localities, Göttingen (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) 2022, 341 pp., ISBN 9783525568552, €100.00
- Birgit Weyel, Wilhelm Gräb, Emmanuel Y. Lartey, Cas Wepener (eds.), International Handbook of Practical Theology, Berlin / Boston (Walter de Gruyter) 2022, 824 pp., ISBN 9783110644555, €82.95 (De Gruyter Reference) – for open access, see: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110618150/html#contents
- Veronice Miles, Embodied Hope: A Homiletical Theology Reflection, Eugene, OR (Cascade Books) 2021, 268 pp., ISBN 9781532699863, $32.00 USD
- Ryan LaMothe, Pastoral Care in the Anthropocene Age: Facing a Dire Future Now, Lanham ML (Lexington Books) 2022, 213pp., ISBN 9781793641472 (e-book: 9781793641489), $100.00 USD
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Editorials
- A Passion for Clear Writing
- New Section of Booknotes Online Launched: Tell the Community about New, Exciting Publications!
- International Report
- Is Poland Still the Bulwark of Christendom?
- Research Report
- Another World? Practical Wisdom for the End-Times
- Research Articles
- Research Supervision as a Spiritual Ministry: A Confluence of Object Relations, Psychodynamics and Grace
- A Doxological Response to the Problem of Disenchantment
- In (Partial) Defence of the Monologue Sermon
- A Pilgrim’s Performance: Practical Theology as Convening
- A New-Old Spirituality: How Spirituality has Softened and Revitalized Religion
- “God Has Commanded Me”: A Spiritual Code of a Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA)
- Book Reviews
- Ignatius Swart, Auli Vähäkangas, Marlize Rabe, Annette Leis-Peters (eds.), Stuck in the Margins? Young People and Faith-Based Organisations in South African and Nordic Localities, Göttingen (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) 2022, 341 pp., ISBN 9783525568552, €100.00
- Birgit Weyel, Wilhelm Gräb, Emmanuel Y. Lartey, Cas Wepener (eds.), International Handbook of Practical Theology, Berlin / Boston (Walter de Gruyter) 2022, 824 pp., ISBN 9783110644555, €82.95 (De Gruyter Reference) – for open access, see: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110618150/html#contents
- Veronice Miles, Embodied Hope: A Homiletical Theology Reflection, Eugene, OR (Cascade Books) 2021, 268 pp., ISBN 9781532699863, $32.00 USD
- Ryan LaMothe, Pastoral Care in the Anthropocene Age: Facing a Dire Future Now, Lanham ML (Lexington Books) 2022, 213pp., ISBN 9781793641472 (e-book: 9781793641489), $100.00 USD
