Description: Much attention has been given in recent writings about religion to fundamentalism and the 'religious right'. But less attention has been given to their opposite - the emergence of a new generation of progressive religious thinkers and organisations on the 'religious left'. "The New Spirituality" is one of the first books to give a comprehensive and authoritative account of this burgeoning progressive religious movement. It offers a clear and engaging analysis of the cultural roots, key ideas and organisational structures of this new faith, assessing its significance in the changing moral and religious landscape of contemporary western society. Gordon Lynch argues that we are witnessing the rise of a new religious ideology which reveres the natural world, connects religious faith with novel scientific theories, and has a forward-looking agenda for society's transformation. "The New Spirituality" will be essential reading for students attempting to understand the shape of religious belief in the twenty-first century.
Brief description: Gordon Lynch is Michael Ramsey Professor of Modern Theology at the University of Kent. He has written widely on moral meanings in modern societies, including The Sacred in The Modern World: A Cultural Sociological Approach and On the Sacred.
Review Quotes:
'Gordon Lynch is a lively writer who knows what is at stake in the present conflict between progressive spirituality and traditional religious belief. He offers us a clear and comprehensive account of the historical, sociological, economic, political and philosophical underpinnings of left-leaning spiritual movements throughout the modern West. Lynch's encyclopedic knowledge of feminist theology, deep ecology, vigorous human rights advocacy and anti-globalization campaigns give his analysis of ""the new spirituality"" a range and profundity that is unique in the field of religious studies. His book will likely be regarded as the classic text about our contemporary Western religious scene.'
- Naomi Goldenberg, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Ottawa