Comments on: Religion or Spirituality http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/religion-or-spirituality/ blogs from the path Sat, 17 May 2008 05:46:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: katinkaspiritual http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/religion-or-spirituality/#comment-12 katinkaspiritual Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:42:36 +0000 http://theosophist.wordpress.com/?p=21#comment-12 Alright - here's a more serious response. I personally do think there are pervasive and long-lasting motivations in spirituality. Read Hanegraaff's book <i>New Age Religion and Western Culture</i> and you'll see an awful lot that hasn't changed much since the 19th century. Also - 'the secret' is in there, even though the book hadn't been published yet (you should read that as well, if only to ignore it after. It's a very small book so you won't have to waste more than an hour if you read fast). On the other hand - sociologists like Luckmann (I'm planning to read more from that guy this semester) seem to agree with you that spirituality is fragmented, not unified and therefore not good for giving people guidance. Alright - here’s a more serious response.

I personally do think there are pervasive and long-lasting motivations in spirituality. Read Hanegraaff’s book New Age Religion and Western Culture and you’ll see an awful lot that hasn’t changed much since the 19th century. Also - ‘the secret’ is in there, even though the book hadn’t been published yet (you should read that as well, if only to ignore it after. It’s a very small book so you won’t have to waste more than an hour if you read fast).

On the other hand - sociologists like Luckmann (I’m planning to read more from that guy this semester) seem to agree with you that spirituality is fragmented, not unified and therefore not good for giving people guidance.

]]> By: katinkaspiritual http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/religion-or-spirituality/#comment-11 katinkaspiritual Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:37:13 +0000 http://theosophist.wordpress.com/?p=21#comment-11 That's funny - I haven't read more from Geertz than part of the article that quote is from. It's a favorite of my favorite teacher. He brings it up in every class he gives - usually handing it out on paper as well. We had to memorize it too. I'm not very good with memorization, but I do know this quote well enough to notice that another teacher who used this quote used different words from the ones I memorized. ;) That’s funny - I haven’t read more from Geertz than part of the article that quote is from. It’s a favorite of my favorite teacher. He brings it up in every class he gives - usually handing it out on paper as well. We had to memorize it too. I’m not very good with memorization, but I do know this quote well enough to notice that another teacher who used this quote used different words from the ones I memorized. ;)

]]> By: theosophist http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/religion-or-spirituality/#comment-8 theosophist Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:45:10 +0000 http://theosophist.wordpress.com/?p=21#comment-8 I love Geertz, but I had never seen that incredibly insightful definition of religion. Fantastic. And yes, one of the problems with 'spirituality' is that is lacks a common set of symbols (or rather acts as a buffet of symbols reflecting the capitalist colonization of spiritual domains), and has yet to prove an ability to establish "pervasive and long-lasting moods and motivations". I frequently find myself defending religion for the very reason that it remains the single greatest treasure house of symbols, shared meanings and art. Definitely an appropriate domain for heeding the warning not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I love Geertz, but I had never seen that incredibly insightful definition of religion. Fantastic.

And yes, one of the problems with ’spirituality’ is that is lacks a common set of symbols (or rather acts as a buffet of symbols reflecting the capitalist colonization of spiritual domains), and has yet to prove an ability to establish “pervasive and long-lasting moods and motivations”.

I frequently find myself defending religion for the very reason that it remains the single greatest treasure house of symbols, shared meanings and art. Definitely an appropriate domain for heeding the warning not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

]]> By: Religion or Spirituality http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/religion-or-spirituality/#comment-5 Religion or Spirituality Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:41:02 +0000 http://theosophist.wordpress.com/?p=21#comment-5 [...] ç¥ã®æµã¿ã¯ãæ&atild... wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptReligion or Spirituality March 6, 2008 by katinkaspiritual Religion has a bad name in alternative circles. It’s associated with the Christian church and all it’s crimes (real and perceived). Religion is associated with dogma, stifling rules that don’t fit our day to day lives and worse of all: authority. A preacher to tell me what to do in my personal life? Never! In my religion classes at Leiden University very different definitions of religion are taught. I’ll use a famous one by Cliffor [...] [...] ç¥ã®æµã¿ã¯ãæ&atild… wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptReligion or Spirituality March 6, 2008 by katinkaspiritual Religion has a bad name in alternative circles. It’s associated with the Christian church and all it’s crimes (real and perceived). Religion is associated with dogma, stifling rules that don’t fit our day to day lives and worse of all: authority. A preacher to tell me what to do in my personal life? Never! In my religion classes at Leiden University very different definitions of religion are taught. I’ll use a famous one by Cliffor [...]

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