Being Spiritual but not Religious

Regrettably, Routledge continues to apply its policy of overpricing its hardback books, unlike Oxford University Press, so that only libraries can afford the hardback. You may be wondering why it says e-book from £17.50 – this is new to me as there is now the possibility of renting the e-book for six months for that price, during which time one could of course read it, a better solution for students. Given developments in the field of spirituality, this is an important volume as the proportion of people classifying themselves as SBNR continues to grow, and in the US this is at least 18% while some polls show figures as high as 30%. The volume is broadly structured to look at roots - for instance death of God theology, Buddhism and mindfulness - then a survey of current trends including belief patterns and commercial exploitation; finally, a look at emerging trends for the future.

Among the most interesting contributions are those from Linda Mercadante, Elaine Howard Ecklund, Jason Kelly and Jorge Ferrer with William Vickery. Mercadante is author of an important text on the subject (reviewed by Oliver Robinson in a previous issue) and has conducted extensive interviews. She puts the percentage of non-religious 'nones' in the US at 25% and rising to over 30 million people; of these, she calculates that 40% are in the SBNR category in which she distinguishes five types: dissenters, casuals, spiritual explorers, seekers and 'immigrants'. Many people have rejected traditional ideas of God and sin and favour a more immanent than transcendent approach. Ecklund has conducted the most exhaustive surveys of spirituality among scientists, and here the most interesting distinctions come between countries – so in Taiwan scientist tended to reserve their traditions, in France they reject supernatural but care for the human world, while in the UK and the US they are just affiliated from religion but retain a value system. Jason Kelly discusses the ecology of cosmic consciousness with reference to Walt Whitman, RM Bucke and Edward Carpenter. Interestingly, Carpenter draws an ethical conclusion with political implications from his mystical experience. Jorge Ferrer charts the significance of experientialism in transpersonal psychology and the evolution from perennialism to participation. The book is a highly informative one for those interested in the field, so I would recommend renting it on the terms described above.