Spirituality in debates: Politics, genealogy, and new movements. Introduction

Abstract

Spirituality has recently taken on new importance on the religious landscape as well as in popular and secular discourse and in the field of social sciences. As a new religious expression, spirituality often intersects with contemporary concerns. What are the political implications of contemporary spirituality movements that are more than often framed under the guise of individualized and distanced religiosity? To what extend do these religious behaviors involve public and political demands? How can these overall changes – including religious expressions, organizations, and networks – affect our theoretical approaches to the notion of spirituality itself? While these questions have been inquired in some specific studies, no international or comparative perspectives have connected these multiple insights together. This is the aim of this special issue.