Capitalizing Religion : Ideology and the Opiate of the Bourgeoisie

"Talk of 'spirituality' and 'individual religion' is proliferating both in popular discourse and scholarly works. Increasingly people claim to be 'spiritual but not religious, ' or to prefer 'individual religion' to 'organized religion.' Scholars have for decades noted the phenomenon - primarily within the middle class - of individuals picking and choosing elements from among various religious traditions, forming their own religion or spirituality for themselves. While the topics of 'spirituality' and 'individual religion' are regularly treated as self-evident by the media and even some scholars of religion, Capitalizing Religion provides one of the first critical analyses of the phenomenon, arguing that these recent forms of spirituality are in many cases linked to capitalist ideology and consumer practices. Examining cases such as Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, and Karen Berg's God Wears Lipstick, Craig Martin ultimately argues that so-called 'individual religion' is a religion of the status quo or, more critically, 'an opiate of the bourgeoisie.' Capitalizing Religion: Ideology and Opiate of the Bourgeoisie is a landmark publication in critical religious studies"-- Provided by publisher Cover HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE Religion, capitalism, and social theory 1 “Individuality is zero” Durkheim against Spencer Durkheim’s savages Taking sides Durkheim’s vestiges 2 Theorizing “individual religion” On the reach and integration of “religion” Toward the restriction of “religion” Losing “religion” Individualism and consumer conformity Conclusion 3 Our “religion” of the status quo On “spirituality” William James and spirituality Jesus in late capitalism Conclusion PART TWO The opiate of the bourgeoisie 4 Quietism: The empire’s gospel The Gospel According to Biff A true false story Religion is mostly nonsense (or worse) Good religion: Be kind Imperial ideology for privileged liberals 5 Consumerism: The fashionable hijab Determined “freedom” Nonthreatening Islam, consumer muslims True Islam: Freedom of choice True Islam: The pursuit of career Fashion Universal legitimation A bourgeois lifestyle for everyone 6 Productivity: The new protestant work ethic Work as a Spiritual Practice The Reinvention of Work Conclusion 7 Individualism: A capital theodicy “Individualism” as capital theodicy God Wears Lipstick The Power of Now Conclusion Afterword: Things at the disposal of society Notes Bibliography Index "Talk of 'spirituality' and 'individual religion' is proliferating both in popular discourse and scholarly works. Increasingly people claim to be 'spiritual but not religious,' or to prefer 'individual religion' to 'organized religion.' Scholars have for decades noted the phenomenon - primarily within the middle class - of individuals picking and choosing elements from among various religious traditions, forming their own religion or spirituality for themselves. While the topics of 'spirituality' and 'individual religion' are regularly treated as self-evident by the media and even some scholars of religion, Capitalizing Religion provides one of the first critical analyses of the phenomenon, arguing that these recent forms of spirituality are in many cases linked to capitalist ideology and consumer practices. Examining cases such as Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, and Karen Berg's God Wears Lipstick, Craig Martin ultimately argues that so-called 'individual religion' is a religion of the status quo or, more critically, 'an opiate of the bourgeoisie.' Capitalizing Religion: Ideology and Opiate of the Bourgeoisie is a landmark publication in critical religious studies"--Bloomsbury Publishing