Alternative Spiritualities and the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism

Some practices in Alternative Spiritualities have been criticised by social commentators for their ‘appropriation’ of indigenous cultures. This article will argue that ‘appropriation’ is not limited to these cultures but is part of a larger phenomenon, that of cultural consumption of selective parts of history. Furthermore, this cultural consumption is not restricted to history alone, but is extended to contemporary popular culture, such as people and groups who find inspiration for their spirituality from the fictions of H.P. Lovecraft, vampire stories and the Star Wars mythos. Following Fredric Jameson's work on Postmodernism, this article will provide an insight into how the cultural consumption of history and popular culture by people involved in Alternative Spiritualities has become part of the cultural logic of late capitalism.     

Exploring New and Renewed Eco‐Spiritualities

This essay discusses five recent books, written in French, that contribute to refection in environmental ethics. Francophone literature on the topic is marked by resonant and divergent concerns, and rooted in a geography, politics, and history different from North America and marked by distinctive lines of intellectual influence. Jean‐Claude Eslin proposes recovering ecological resources from the Christian tradition and also suggests imagining new images of God: notably, God as pilote rather than artisan. Dominique Bourg takes a multi‐disciplinary approach that emphasizes the spiritual conditions for relating to the world ecologically and economically; he argues for sobriété (austerity) as a spiritual disposition and an economic model. Baptiste Morizot develops diplomacy as an ethical, political, and spiritual model for cohabiting with wolves, whose return to the French countryside has been highly controversial. Nastassja Martin offers an anthropological study of the indigenous Gwich’in community of Fort Yukon, Alaska that accentuates the mix of Protestant missional influences and Gwich’in spiritual affirmations and practices at play in their relationship to the nonhuman world. Attending to this literature may helpfully decenter anglophone debates and enrich their conceptual vocabulary.     

Facing the Beyond: Experiences,Metaphors, and Spiritualities of the Afterlife

Unlike religious versions of the afterlife which promulgate notions of heaven and hell, spiritualities of the afterlife promote the idea of self-transformation in post-physical conditions. These spiritualities are more concerned with the meaning of self-authentication beyond death than with the moral conception of a salvationary future. In this respect, the extraordinary experiences claimed by proponents of the near-death and dream-travel phenomenon provide a class of data that support the redefinition of the self in its quest to confront death as a means to reach a ‘higher self’.     

The Infirmity Debate: On the Viability of New Age Spiritualities of Life

The ‘infirmity debate’ is becoming increasingly lively. On the one hand, scholars argue that New Age spiritualities of life are in a ‘poor’ condition; on the other hand, scholars argue that they are in a good state of ‘health’. Drawing on key publications, including articles from the Journal of Contemporary Religion, the argument is couched in terms of ‘the turn to the self’—more specifically ‘the massive subjective turn of modern culture’. How do New Age spiritualities of life fare in the context of this development? Concentrating on activities found in the holistic milieu which is to be found in many countries today, the argument is that activities like yoga or spiritual aromatherapy serve as ‘intermediary institutions’, successfully negotiating a path between antinomian freedom and social conformism.     

Making Disciples: Pope Francis’ Paradigm for Mission

This article examines Chapter Three of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, specifically his explanation of the meaning of the mission of God to proclaim the gospel throughout the world of which the church is custodian. Chapter Three addresses the issue of evangelizing in the context of the contemporary world. In a subtle but clear way, it paints a contrast between previous approaches to evangelization with their shortcomings and the call for fresh ones, or a “new evangelization.” In the physical centre of the document, Chapter Three of Evangelii Gaudium ties together the discussion on the contemporary challenges facing mission in the first two chapters, and the practical needs of the undertaking in the last two. It emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive “inculturation” with reference to everything pertaining to evangelization. Finally, it offers guidelines about preaching an effective homily, an important dimension of ongoing catechesis and church transformation.     

The Movement of Copying the Bible in South Korea: An Embodiment of Christian and Confucian Spiritualities1

This article examines a new and growing movement in Korean Christianity: making hand-written copies of the Bible. Over the last ten years, the practice of copying the Bible has become increasingly popular among ordinary Christians beyond the boundaries of denomination, age, gender, and profession. It is reported that, by December 2006, there were over 300,000 participants. The Centre for the Bible-Copying Movement, established in 1991, aims at increasing this figure to one million by 2010. In an attempt to uncover the rationale which motivates the practice of copying the Bible, this article situates this movement within the distinctive Korean cultural context of the continuing interplay between Confucianism and Christianity. It is based on the fact that Korea, once the most Confucianised state in East Asia, has become one of the most dynamic Christian countries in the world during the last century. This article argues that the movement of copying the Bible represents a harmonious combination of Christian and Confucian spiritualities: Christian piety for embodying the Word of God and Confucian devotion to self-cultivation through learning.     

Mission for/as Reconciliatory Emancipation

Since Christian mission in the way of Jesus Christ is best understood and experienced in the fringes of the society, it is imperative that we listen to and learn from marginalized voices. Keeping this in mind, this article looks at the relevance of the theology of mission of the Dalit theologian and activist Masilamani Azariah, who served as a Bishop of the Church of South India in the 1990s. It seeks to highlight his pioneering work, which was discomforting for some dominant caste Indian Christians, in challenging the Indian church as well as the global ecumenical movement to speak up and act against untouchability and caste discrimination. Using Azariah's radical perspectives of mission as a lens, and employing the framework of reconciliatory emancipation, a theological concept explicated by the American political theologian Mark Taylor, this essay proposes that the mission of the church that endeavours to be holistic and Christ-centred would and should be committed to the empowerment and healing of the oppressed, driven by a burning prophetic rage against injustice, even while retaining the space for forgiveness and repentance, with the ultimate goal of building the kingdom of God that transcends divisive and discriminating boundaries.     

Measuring the Dimensions of Women's Sexuality: The Women's Sexual Self-Concept Scale

The sexual self-concept is an important component of the self-concept that researchers have rarely examined. The Women's Sexual Self-Concept Scale (WSSCS) is a 39-item measure designed to assess women's sexual self-concept. Women rate the extent to which various behaviors, cognitions, emotions, and adjectives describe their sexuality. In a study with 262 women, the measure was found to be both reliable and valid. Three factors were identified through exploratory Principal Components Analysis. Women rated themselves highest on the Reserved Approach subscale, followed by the Agentic Sexuality subscale, and the Negative Associations subscale. Compared to a stereotype of women's sexuality (obtained with a mixed-gender group of 444 participants), the women in the present study rated themselves higher on the Reserved Approach subscale and lower on the Negative Associations subscale. Group differences in women's sexual self-concepts were identified by past xinvolvement in romantic or sexual relationships, and current sexual involvement.     

列维:知识分子的使命

著名的德雷福斯事件终于把肤浅而不光彩的形容词“intellectuel”(智力的、知识的、用脑力的)提升为深刻而光荣的名词“intellectuel”(知识分子),知识分子从此作为一个脑力劳动者阶层出现在社会和历史上。本文以《自由的冒险》为中心详细分析了列维关于法国20世纪知识分子的使命观,讨论了知识分子与自由、冒险间的有机连接,阐明了法国知识分子的理论立场和现实选择之间的本质关系。通过哲学沉思,我们发现,列维的“知识分子使命问题”与海德格尔的“诗人何为?(诗人使命问题)”具有深刻的内在联系。     

Women's Spirituality Across the Life Span: Implications for Counseling

Women's spirituality has unique characteristics that are often ignored within the spirituality literature. The authors review the literature on women's spirituality to reveal the major themes women have identified as relevant to their spiritual journeys across the life span. Implications for counseling and ideas for practice are included after major themes are examined.     

Women's Postrape Sexual Functioning: Review and Implications for Counseling

The authors present a literature review concerning the effects of rape on sexual functioning and suggestions for facilitating sexual recovery of rape survivors in counseling.