The Re-Enchantment of the West, Vol 2: Alternative Spiritualities, Sacralization, Popular Culture and Occulture (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780567041234)

The Re-Enchantment of the West challenges those theories that predict widespread secularization beyond traditional institutional religiosity. Spiritualities are emerging that are not only quite different from the those forms of religion that are in decline, but are often defined over against them and articulated and passed on in ways quite different from those of traditional religion. In particular, it is argued that such contemporary Western spirituality is fed by a constantly replenished reservoir of ideas, practices, and methodologies, which is here termed 'occulture'. Moreover, such occultural ideas both feed into and are resourced by popular culture. Indeed, popular occulture is a key feature of the re-enchantment of the West.

Demonstrating the significance and ubiquity of these ideas, this book examines, for example, healthcare and nursing, contemporary environmentalism, psychedelia and drug use, the Internet and cyberspirituality, belief in UFOs and extraterrestrial life, demonology and the contemporary fascination with the figure of Satan, the heavy metal subculture, popular apocalypticism, and millennial violence.

Author: Christopher Partridge
ISBN-10: 0567041239
ISBN-13: 9780567041234
Publisher: T&T Clark
Language: English
Published: 06/20/2006
Pages: 482
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.85lbs
Size: 9.16h x 6.38w x 1.26d

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 11/01/2006 pg. 22