The Spiritual Virtuoso : Personal Faith and Social Transformation

"Marion Goldman and Steven Pfaff define a spiritual virtuoso as someone who works toward personal purification and a sense of holiness with the same perseverance and intensity that virtuosi strive to excel in the arts or athletics. Since the Protestant Reformation, activist virtuosi have come together in large and small social movements to redefine the meanings of spiritual practice, support religious equality, and transform a wide range of social institutions. Tracing the impact of spiritual virtuosi from the sixteenth century Reformation through the nineteenth-century Anti-Slavery Movement to the twentieth-century Human Potential Movement and beyond, Marion Goldman and Steven Pfaff explore how personal virtuosity can become a social force. Martin Luther began to expand spiritual possibilities in the West when he charted paths that did not require the Church's intercession between the individual and God. He believed that everyone could and should reach toward sacred truths and transcendent moments. Over the centuries, millions of people have built on his innovations and embarked on spiritual quests that offer new possibilities for sacred relationships and social change."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Table of Contents Acknowledgments List of Illustrations Photos Tables Chapter 1: Introduction: The Spiritual Virtuoso Two Easters Religion, Spirituality, and the Virtuoso Seeking Virtuosity Extreme Cases and New Insights Chapter 2: Virtuosity and Spiritual Privilege Virtuosity Discovering Spiritual Virtuosity Virtuosity and Vice Virtuosity, Monastic Life, and other Possibilities Ascetic, Ethical, and Activist Virtuosity Spiritual Rewards and Personal Costs Spiritual Privilege Spiritual Affinities Economic Resources, Social Relations, and Cultural Capital The Spiritual Marketplace and Everyday Virtuosity Chapter 3: Spiritual Virtuosity and Collective Action Spiritual Virtuosity and Cultural Transformations The Power of Ideas Economic Expansion, Social Dislocation, and Spiritual Change Communication, Technology, and the Diffusion ofSpiritual Privilege Patrons, Mentors, and Protectors Intellectual Communities and Virtuoso Movements Social Networks and Bridging Activism Virtuosity and Charisma: Together and Apart Faith in Action Chapter 4: Luther and the Virtuoso Ethic Economic Change and Social Upheaval Paths to Virtuosity Mentorship and Discovery Patronage and Opportunity Democratizing Spiritual Privilege Pivotal Communities Social Networks and Bridging Activism Virtuosity and Vulnerabilities Chapter 5: Grimké, Weld, and the Antislavery Movement Economic Expansion, Slavery, and Social Upheaval Paths to Virtuosity Pivotal Communities Mentorship and Discovery Social Networks and Bridging Activism Opportunity and Opposition Publicity and the Limits of Moral Persuasion Democratizing Spiritual Privilege Virtuosity and Vulnerability Virtuoso Legacies Chapter 6: Corita and the Human Potential Movement The Human Potential Movement Economic Expansion and Religious Transitions Spiritual Privilege and Pivotal Communities Patrons, Mentors, and Opportunities Virtuosity and Vulnerability Virtuoso Legacies Chapter 7: Conclusion: Virtuosity and Its Possibilities Virtuoso Legacies The Virtuoso Idiom Uncovering Sin, Discovering Indulgences Economic Decline, Spiritual Empowerment, and Social Transformation Notes Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Bibliography Index