REL 459 - #Spiritual-But-Not-Religious

According to the 2017 Pew Forum survey, “about a quarter of U.S. adults (27%) now say they think of themselves as spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). Our study explores this cultural phenomenon and probes questions such as: What does SBNR mean? What is the distinction between being ‘spiritual’ and being ‘religious’? When and how did this phenomenon originate and how has it evolved? How does SBNR overlap with western esotericism, occult and New Age spirituality? Who are its architects and popularizers? What are its key ideas, worldview, practices and sensibilities? How do proponents of SBNR view religious traditions like Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism etc., but also vice versa? Our study will also examine scholarly and theological criticisms of SBNR as a religious movement. Participants need not have any prior knowledge in Religious Studies for this seminar open to all.