The re-enchantment of the West. Volume I, Alternative spiritualities, sacralization, popular culture, and occulture / Christopher Partridge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Partridge, Christopher H. (Christopher Hugh), 1961- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cults--Western countries.

Cults.

Western countries--Religion.

Western countries.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (265 pages)

Place of Publication:

London : T&T Clark International, [2004]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

As a book about emergent spirituality in the contemporary West, this books focuses on the nature, evolution and significance of new forms of religion and alternative spiritualities. Part One of the book provides the theoretical background and guides the reader through some of the principal debates. After an overview of the secularization thesis, which argues that the West is becoming increasingly disenchanted, the second chapter turns to the sociological analysis of new religions and alternative spiritualities. Particular attention is given to the ideas of the sociologist of religion Ernst

Contents:

Cover; Contents; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I: THE DISENCHANTMENT AND THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF THE WEST; Chapter 1 THE DISENCHANTMENT OF THE WEST; Types of Secularization; Max Weber and the Disenchantment of the World; What Secularization Is Not; Rationalization and Pluralism; Concluding Comments; Chapter 2 UNDERSTANDING NEW RELIGIONS AND ALTERNATIVE SPIRITUALITIES; Max Weber on Sectarianism and Charisma; Ernst Troeltsch on Churches, Sects and Mysticism; H. Richard Niebuhr on Sectarianism; Bryan Wilson on Sectarianism; Towards a Typology of the New Religious Life

Secularization and New Age SpiritualitiesChapter 3 THE RE-ENCHANTMENT OF THE WEST; Disenchantment as the Precursor to Re-Enchantment; Spiritual, But Not Religious: Non-Traditional Religious Vitality; De-Exotification and Contextualization; Concluding Comments; Part II: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OCCULTURE; Chapter 4 OCCULTURE; The Cultic Milieu and Mystical Religion; Occulture; The Occult; The Significance of the Self; The Priority of Experience and a Hermeneutic of Suspicion; Romanticizing the Premodern; Pagan Occulture; Concluding Comments; Chapter 5 EASTERNIZATION?; Turning East; East Meets West

The Significance of the 1893 World Parliament of ReligionsA Revolution of Consciousness: The Sacralizing Significance of the 1960s; Western Teachers in Eastern Traditions; Easternization? Problems and Proposals; Quasi-Religion, Instrumental Activism, and Syncretism; Concluding Comments; Chapter 6 POPULAR OCCULTURE: LITERATURE AND FILM; Popular Culture as Religious Text?; The Dilution Thesis; The Significance of Popular Culture; Supernatural Horror: Vampire Fiction; Cool Occulture; Popular Sacred Narratives; Concluding Comments; Chapter 7 POPULAR OCCULTURE: MUSIC; Adorno and Popular Music

The Occultural Significance of Popular MusicThe Easternization of Popular Music; Festival Culture; Psychedelic Trance Culture; Chilling Out with Ambient and Dub; The Sacred Art of Dub; Concluding Comments; CONCLUDING COMMENTS: PREDICTING RELIGION; Notes; Bibliography; Discography; Filmography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-567-10894-5