Week 4 Reflection

HAS RELIGION SOLD OUT TO GLOBALISATION?

In modern society, religion/spirituality and capitalism/globalisation are being further and further intertwined.  The lines between a personal private religion and religion in the public domain are being blurred resulting in the erosion of the true meaning of religion.  

Corporate entities have realised the potential to make money by blurring these lines and have 're-branded' spirituality for its own benefit.  This is seen in the sale of icons, deities, buildings, jewellery and anything else that will appeal to the loss of hope felt by modern society.  This gives business a free ride to commodify spirituality without having to adhere to any belief system encompassed by any particular religion. In essence, privatising religion.

Mixing religion/spirituality with capilatism in the global arena has led to many 'new-age' and alternative religions blending modern society and choosing aspects of different religions to suit their ideals.

As if the idea of traditional religion hadnt been santised enough in modern society, politics outright abuses the mixing of these two to appeal to the masses and push their agenda (although one could argue that religion has always been political in some form, to a much lesser extent).

Will the blending of spirituality into a public domain not only futher degrade but render traditional religion irrelevant?  Or will traditional religion find a way to inject this blending with the ethics it holds close?

References:  

Carrette J and R King. 2102. Spirituality and the Re-branding of Religion. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds., Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 59-70. London and New York: Routledge.