The Sacred in Exile - What it Really Means to Lose Our Religion

This book addresses the fact that, for the first time in history, a large segment of the population in the western world is living without any form of religious belief. While a number of writers have examined the implications of this shift, none have approached the phenomenon from the perspective of religious studies. The authors examine what has been lost from the point of view of sociology, psychology, and philosophy of religion. The book sits at the nexus of a number of important debates including: the role of religion in public life, the connection between religion and physical and psychological well-being, and the implications of the loss of ritual in terms of maintaining communities.

List of contents

1. Introduction The Spiritual Malaise of Our Time.- 2. Religion as Ordering Principle and Higher Law.- 3. The Importance of Self-Cultivation.- 4.The Limiting Function of Religion.- 5. The Sacrality of the Body.- 6. The Relational Matrix.- 7. The Supremacy of the Subtle.- 8. Conclusion: Coming Out of the Desert: The Vision of Ezekiel.

About the author

Gillian McCann is an associate professor in the Religions and Cultures department at Nipissing University, North Bay, Canada.

Gitte Bechsgaard is a registered psychotherapist (RP) and the founding director of Vidya Institute, Toronto, Canada.

Summary

Engages with many points of view, including sociology, psychology, and philosophy of religionDiscusses how, for the first time in history, a large segment of the population of the Western world are living without any form of religious beliefEngages the way that the loss of religion will influence both how we live and how we die

Product details

• Authors: Gitte Bechsgaard, Gillian McCann
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 15.08.2018
• EAN: 9783319882574
• ISBN: 978-3-31-988257-4
• No. of pages: 146
• Dimensions: 139 mm x 211 mm x 10 mm
• Weight: 217 g
• Illustrations: XI, 146 p.
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Miscellaneous; C, Sociology of Religion, Psychology, Religion: general, Religion & beliefs, Sociology & anthropology, Religion and Philosophy, Religion and sociology, Religion and Psychology, Psychology and religion, Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, Health—Religious aspects, Religion and Health