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The first volume to explore various facets of contemporary change
in consecrated religious life in selected Central and Eastern
European countries, this book presents a series of studies of
Catholic and Orthodox monasticism. With attention to changes in the
economy, everyday life, organisation and social presence of
monastic orders, contributors shed light on the impact of 20th and
21st century social and cultural processes - such as communism and
its collapse or the growth of new communication technologies - on
life in the cloister. Bringing together research from various
locations in Central and Eastern Europe, it will appeal to scholars
and students of sociology, religious studies and theology, with
interests in religious orders and transformations of religious life
from a social perspective.
The first volume to explore various facets of contemporary change
in consecrated religious life in selected Central and Eastern
European countries, this book presents a series of studies of
Catholic and Orthodox monasticism. With attention to changes in the
economy, everyday life, organisation and social presence of
monastic orders, contributors shed light on the impact of 20th and
21st century social and cultural processes - such as communism and
its collapse or the growth of new communication technologies - on
life in the cloister. Bringing together research from various
locations in Central and Eastern Europe, it will appeal to scholars
and students of sociology, religious studies and theology, with
interests in religious orders and transformations of religious life
from a social perspective.
Contemporary alternative spirituality, as studied by sociologists,
is usually seen as a recent phenomenon dating from the 1960s and
1970s. However, when viewed from a longer-term perspective this
form of religious expression is actually seen to reintroduce
concepts that recur throughout Western cultural history. This book
argues, therefore, that spirituality in the 21st Century actually
shares many of the same characteristics as Classical, Mediaeval,
Renaissance and Modern spiritualities. It is neither entirely new,
nor is it clearly alternative to more established religions. The
book is divided into two parts. The first sets out the context in
which contemporary alternative spirituality has formed, charting
its development as an academic term and a social phenomenon. The
second part looks at how these two elements have developed in
countries that are historically Catholic, focussing on specific
examples in contemporary Italy: spiritualities based on the
sacralisation of nature; those concerned with health and wellbeing;
and those which are fascinated by mystery.Catholic majority
countries are particularly interesting in this instance, as the
Catholic Church has a unique cultural hegemony with which to
compare alternative spiritual practices. It concludes that
spirituality, if framed in a longer historical perspective, is a
way of acting and seeing the world which was built, and continues
to be built upon complex relations with various contradictory
sources of authority, such as religion, magic thinking, secularism,
rationalism, various spheres of lay culture. This is a bold take on
the spirituality milieu and as such will be of great interest to
scholars of Religious Studies working on the sociology of religion,
contemporary spirituality and the rise of the "spiritual but not
religious".
Contemporary alternative spirituality, as studied by sociologists,
is usually seen as a recent phenomenon dating from the 1960s and
1970s. However, when viewed from a longer-term perspective this
form of religious expression is actually seen to reintroduce
concepts that recur throughout Western cultural history. This book
argues, therefore, that spirituality in the 21st Century actually
shares many of the same characteristics as Classical, Mediaeval,
Renaissance and Modern spiritualities. It is neither entirely new,
nor is it clearly alternative to more established religions. The
book is divided into two parts. The first sets out the context in
which contemporary alternative spirituality has formed, charting
its development as an academic term and a social phenomenon. The
second part looks at how these two elements have developed in
countries that are historically Catholic, focussing on specific
examples in contemporary Italy: spiritualities based on the
sacralisation of nature; those concerned with health and wellbeing;
and those which are fascinated by mystery.Catholic majority
countries are particularly interesting in this instance, as the
Catholic Church has a unique cultural hegemony with which to
compare alternative spiritual practices. It concludes that
spirituality, if framed in a longer historical perspective, is a
way of acting and seeing the world which was built, and continues
to be built upon complex relations with various contradictory
sources of authority, such as religion, magic thinking, secularism,
rationalism, various spheres of lay culture. This is a bold take on
the spirituality milieu and as such will be of great interest to
scholars of Religious Studies working on the sociology of religion,
contemporary spirituality and the rise of the "spiritual but not
religious".
Examining the recent radical re-invention of monastic tradition in
the everyday life of New Monastic Communities, Exploring New
Monastic Communities considers how, growing up in the wake of
Vatican II, new Catholic communities are renewing monastic life by
emphasizing the most innovative and disruptive theological aspects
which they identify in the Council. Despite freely adopting and
adapting their Rule of Life, the new communities do not belong to
pre-existing orders or congregations: they are gender-mixed with
monks and nuns living under the same roof; they accept lay members
whether single, married or as families; they reject enclosure; they
often limit collective prayer time in order to increase time for
labour, evangelization and voluntary social work; and are actively
involved in oecumenical and interreligious dialogue, harbouring
thinly-veiled sympathy with oriental religions, from which they
sometimes adopt beliefs and practices. Offering unique sociological
insights into New Monastic Communities, and shedding light on
questions surrounding New Religious Movements more generally, the
book asks what 'monastic' means today and whether these communities
can still be described as 'monastic'.
This book presents a broad sociological perspective on the
contemporary issues facing Christian monasticism. Since the
founding work of Max Weber, the sociology of monasticism has
received little attention. However, the field is now being
revitalized by some new research. Focusing on Christian monks and
nuns, the contributors explore continuity and discontinuity with
the past in what superficially might appear a monolithic tradition.
Contributors speak not only about monasticism in Europe and the
United States but also in Africa and Latin America, a different
landscape where the question of recruitment does not figure among
issues considered as problematic.
Examining the recent radical re-invention of monastic tradition in
the everyday life of New Monastic Communities, Exploring New
Monastic Communities considers how, growing up in the wake of
Vatican II, new Catholic communities are renewing monastic life by
emphasizing the most innovative and disruptive theological aspects
which they identify in the Council. Despite freely adopting and
adapting their Rule of Life, the new communities do not belong to
pre-existing orders or congregations: they are gender-mixed with
monks and nuns living under the same roof; they accept lay members
whether single, married or as families; they reject enclosure; they
often limit collective prayer time in order to increase time for
labour, evangelization and voluntary social work; and are actively
involved in oecumenical and interreligious dialogue, harbouring
thinly-veiled sympathy with oriental religions, from which they
sometimes adopt beliefs and practices. Offering unique sociological
insights into New Monastic Communities, and shedding light on
questions surrounding New Religious Movements more generally, the
book asks what 'monastic' means today and whether these communities
can still be described as 'monastic'.
This edited collection provides interdisciplinary, global, and
multi-religious perspectives on the relationship between women's
identities, religion, and social change in the contemporary world.
The book discusses the experiences and positions of women, and
particular groups of women, to understand patterns of religiosity
and religious change. It also addresses the current and future
challenges posed by women's changes to religion in different parts
of the world and among different religious traditions and
practices. The contributors address a diverse range of themes and
issues including the attitudes of different religions to gender
equality; how women construct their identity through religious
activity; whether women have opportunity to influence religious
doctrine; and the impact of migration on the religious lives of
both women and men.
This book presents a broad sociological perspective on the
contemporary issues facing Christian monasticism. Since the
founding work of Max Weber, the sociology of monasticism has
received little attention. However, the field is now being
revitalized by some new research. Focusing on Christian monks and
nuns, the contributors explore continuity and discontinuity with
the past in what superficially might appear a monolithic tradition.
Contributors speak not only about monasticism in Europe and the
United States but also in Africa and Latin America, a different
landscape where the question of recruitment does not figure among
issues considered as problematic.
The Damanhur Federation, situated in Valchiusella, North-West
Italy, is one of Europe's longest-lasting spiritual-esoteric
communities. Nevertheless, there has hitherto been nearly no
scientific study of this group, with the exception of a handful of
specialised-journal articles. This collection fills that gap by
collating the various scholarly contributions which over the years
have dealt with Damanhur, aiming to present the phenomenon to a
public of specialists, students and people who are just curious in
a volume focusing on the multidisciplinary nature of the community
as a whole. We consider the various spheres making up the social,
cultural, spiritual and organisational life of Damanhur through
analysis and interpretation of its historical evolution and more
recent changes which have affected the community since its
founder's death. The contributions combine field research with
theoretical reflection, making use of both qualitative (discursive
interviews and participant observation) and quantitative
(questionnaires) methods.
This edited collection provides interdisciplinary, global, and
multi-religious perspectives on the relationship between women's
identities, religion, and social change in the contemporary world.
The book discusses the experiences and positions of women, and
particular groups of women, to understand patterns of religiosity
and religious change. It also addresses the current and future
challenges posed by women's changes to religion in different parts
of the world and among different religious traditions and
practices. The contributors address a diverse range of themes and
issues including the attitudes of different religions to gender
equality; how women construct their identity through religious
activity; whether women have opportunity to influence religious
doctrine; and the impact of migration on the religious lives of
both women and men.
This book explores manifestations of creativity in the religious
domain. Specifically, the contributions focus on the nexus of the
sacred and the creative, and the mechanisms of syncretism and
(re)invention of tradition by which this manifestations occur. The
text is divided into two sections. In the first, empirical cases of
spirituality characterized by syncretistic processes are
highlighted; in the second, examples which can be traced back to
forms of the (re)invention of tradition are examined. The authors
document possible forms of adaptations and religious enculturation.
In the second, the authors demonstrate that spiritual traditions,
whether ancient or historically fictitious, are suitable for
reframing in the context of critical interpretative frameworks
related to cultural expectations which challenge them and call
their continuity into question.
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