It has been said that the problem with the word ‘spiritual’ is that it means too much to some people and too little to others.
While some see spirituality as a form of psychological depth, others see philosophical confusion or an unhelpful theological relic. Some see the best of religion, free of uncomfortable doctrine; others see a lack of discipline and a loss of institutional support, community and tradition. Some see the profit motive of capitalism exploiting our restless search for wellbeing, identity and experiences; others see a deep critique of materialism in all its forms.
After a two year RSA inquiry involving a range of experts and public events, project director Dr Jonathan Rowson now proposes a framework for a post-religious spirituality that makes the spiritual less nebulous, while maintaining its inclusive ambiguity.
This new framework is based on a shift of cultural emphasis in four shared existential touchstones:
Love: from romance to rootedness
Death: from denial to confrontation
Self: from esteem to transcendence
Soul: from substance to perspective
Join us for the final event in this series, as we ask: what might be the role of this reconceived spirituality in public life?
Speakers to include: Dr Jonathan Rowson, director of the RSA Social Brain Centre; Professor Andrew Samuels, psychotherapist, author and political consultant; Claire Foster-Gilbert, director, Westminster Abbey Institute; Marina Benjamin, author, journalist and senior editor, Aeon magazine
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