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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > General
It is said that Pagan traditions are the fastest-growing religious
group in America. Numbers are tricky to come by, but we know that
contemporary Pagans report themselves as living in every American
state, and in countries around the world. This volume reviews the
shifting landscape of current Pagan spirituality, the unique
culture and needs which must be understood in order to engage with
contemporary Pagans, and the implications for future leadership,
including organizational models, training and educational needs.
The author has interviewed Pagan leaders about their own
experiences and looks at data from the Pagan Engagement and
Spiritual Support survey of 2016 to answer questions such as What
does "ministry" mean for Pagans? Who do Pagans turn to for
spiritual support? Who ought to be providing that support? Do
Pagans want leaders who are trained for ministry? What kind of
training do they need, and how do they get it? If you are a Pagan
who wishes to support others in these ways, you will find here a
framework for your own work, including stories and examples. If you
are an interfaith minister, a chaplain, or a spiritual leader who
finds that Pagans are intersecting with your work, you will become
acquainted with the culture of this old-but-new spirituality. If
you are an educator, may you find Constellated Ministry useful in
teaching seminarians and students of religious studies.
Ask a random American what springs to mind about Sedona, Arizona,
and they will almost certainly mention New Age spirituality.
Nestled among stunning sandstone formations, Sedona has built an
identity completely intertwined with that of the permanent
residents and throngs of visitors who insist it is home to powerful
vortexes-sites of spiraling energy where meditation, clairvoyance,
and channeling are enhanced. It is in this uniquely American town
that Susannah Crockford took up residence for two years to make
sense of spirituality, religion, race, and class. Many people move
to Sedona because, they claim, they are called there by its special
energy. But they are also often escaping job loss, family
breakdown, or foreclosure. Spirituality, Crockford shows, offers a
way for people to distance themselves from and critique current
political and economic norms in America. Yet they still find
themselves monetizing their spiritual practice as a way to both
"raise their vibration" and meet their basic needs. Through an
analysis of spirituality in Sedona, Crockford gives shape to the
failures and frustrations of middle- and working-class people
living in contemporary America, describing how spirituality infuses
their everyday lives. Exploring millenarianism, conversion, nature,
food, and conspiracy theories, Ripples of the Universe combines
captivating vignettes with astute analysis to produce a unique take
on the myriad ways class and spirituality are linked in
contemporary America.
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