New-Age beliefs and practices have experienced a significant growth in the past 40 years. The term New Age applies to the extensive range of belief systems and therapies that have developed since the 1970s. Where New Age is centred on some form of beliefs, these rarely fit into normal religious categories as they do not follow sacred texts or have a belief in God. Many New-Age movements (NAMs) are less belief systems than what Paul Heelas refers to as the ‘holistic milieu’ embracing a range of therapies and activities associated with healing and self-discovery. Therefore the idea that New Age reflects a growing spirituality depends on the definition and understanding of what constitute New Age and spirituality respectively. This introduction explains New Age and introduces Heelas’s concept of the ‘holistic milieu’. In terms of addressing the question, it flags up that this really depends on how New Age and spirituality are defined.
The growth of New Age in the past 40 years has coincided with a 50% decline in attendance at conventional religious services. Many argued that declining participation in mainstream religion was evidence of secularisation. Heelas et al. in their study of Kendal investigated the extent to which the ‘congregation domain’ was in decline and whether religion was giving way to spirituality through the ‘holistic milieu’. However, the problem with declining congregations is that this in itself does not necessarily mean that religiosity is declining but rather becoming privatised. Grace Davie summed this process up with the phrase ‘believing without belonging’. This paragraph introduces the basic premise of the argument that if conventional religion is in decline, is the ‘holistic milieu’ replacing it? Note the good AO2 evaluation point that declining church attendance does not in itself support a decline in religion. The Kendal Project appeared to suggest that the holistic milieu was growing at a fast rate, providing evidence of a spiritual revolution.
The Essay on Spain’s Golden Age
Spain was at its most glorious stately place in the 17th Century, at the time when Miguel de Cervantes wrote his classic novel, “Don Quixote”. The country had established its colonies all over the world, controlling Mexico, Peru, Cuba, the Americas, and even going as far as Asia, in the Philippines. Silver and gold poured in to catapult Spain in economic and political splendor, making it the ...
They argued that people were increasingly searching for avenues that were increasingly individualistic and offered a route to self-discovery rather than conventional religions that demanded subordination to a higher authority. However, Heelas et al. estimated that only 1.6% of the population of Kendal were committed practitioners. In addition, the kind of people attracted to the holistic milieu were from a narrow background and not reflective of the wider population. For example, the Kendal Project found that New Age appealed primarily to women rather than men (80%) and to those over the age of 40. This paragraph discusses the Kendal Project as evidence according to Heelas et al. of a spiritual revolution. This is evaluated on the basis that the spiritual revolution if it is taking place appeals mainly to women and older people. New Age offers a means for people to express themselves in an individualistic manner that is rooted in ideas of self-improvement.
In this way it shares the characteristics of world-affirming new religious movements (NRMs) with their emphasis on personal potential. Steve Bruce, who advocates the secularisation thesis, points out that these groups are, on the one hand, marginal and hence socially insignificant, and on the other hand, little to do with spirituality and more to do with therapies like crystal therapy, colour therapy, massage etc. However, to the individuals who participate in such self-improvement areas there may well be a genuine spiritual motive. On the other hand, it may be that people engage at a non-spiritual level, for example having massages for health or stress-relieving reasons. This paragraph discusses further the nature of New Age and makes a useful comparison with world-affirming NRMs. The work of Bruce is used to question the extent of spirituality within such therapies. This is evaluated in two ways, challenging and supporting Bruce’s ideas. Many postmodernists, such as Jean Lyotard, argue that people have lost confidence in the meta-narratives of both science and religion.
The Essay on Review of The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil
In the first chapter of his book The Age of Spiritual Machines, author Ray Kurzweil gives a very brief history of the Universe, which serves as a preface for his subsequent theories. In this history, Kurzweil chronicles the rapid expansion of time between salient events in the history of the Universe, describing time, in his own words, as geometrically slowing (pg. 10). He then jumps headfirst ...
As a consequence they may see New-Age movements as offering answers and solutions to their individual and personal rationales. It has been suggested that people act rather like ‘spiritual shoppers’ moving from one New-Age idea or group to another until they find their spiritual home. However, as noted above there seems to be little appetite in the majority of the population for New Age, so the idea that the spiritual shopper is widespread needs to be challenged. Such people are overwhelmingly middle class, often ex-hippies or those who work in people-centred jobs, as well as being predominantly female and middle-aged or older. This paragraph locates New Age within the context of postmodernism. The idea of people operating as spiritual shoppers is outlined and then evaluated, reinforcing an earlier point that New Age appeals to quite a narrow sector of the population. Bruce does not see New Age as evidence of increased spirituality or against the secularisation argument.
Instead he sees it as a reflection of a change in society whereby people are more engaged in self-improvement and personal indulgence. It comes, therefore, as no surprise to him to see a blossoming of health spas and alternative therapy all offering to enhance a person’s wellbeing. However, while such activities may be passed off as indulgences for those who can afford them, it is possible that, for some at least, an element of spirituality is sought and valued. But if this is the case, it is only true for a tiny section of the population. This paragraph returns to the ideas of Bruce. It provides some more examples of New-Age activities and is followed by an evaluative point. In conclusion, it would seem that New Age is not evidence of a growing spirituality in society. It is an area that is peripheral to mainstream society, and attractive to mainly middle-class women in their middle age. As such it cannot seriously claim to be compensating for the decline in established religions in the bulk of society. This is a good conclusion that refers explicitly back to the question.
The Essay on Democracy in The Classical Age Vs. The Middle Ages
Democracy is a government ruled by the people. Throughout history, democracy has changed greatly. Many of these changes in democracy occurred during the Classical Age of the Greeks and Romans and the Middle Ages. Changes were made regarding separation of power, equality, and natural rights. Although thought significant changes were made during both the Classical Age and the Middle Ages, democracy ...
