You Can't Put God in a Box : Thoughtful Spirituality in a Rational Age

The advent of modernity brought with it a crisis of faith. Science had upended the religious certainties of earlier eras, and believers in the West were cast adrift. Some turned to a strident fundamentalism while, more recently, growing numbers have shunned religion altogether. In You Can't Put God In a Box , Kelly Besecke offers a fascinating examination of people who have found a middle way-what is known as "reflexive spirituality." Those who practice reflexive spirituality, Besecke shows, draw equally on religious traditions and traditions of reason in the pursuit of transcendent meaning. They prefer metaphor to literalism, spiritual experience to doctrinal belief, religious pluralism to religious exclusivism or inclusivism, and ongoing inquiry to "final answers." They find inspiration in liberal theologies of any number of faiths, and allies among the "spiritual but not religious." Besecke draws on original qualitative data to describe how people practiced reflexive spirituality in an urban United Methodist church, an interfaith adult education center, and a variety of secular settings. By doing so, she provides a window into the theological thinking of educated spiritual seekers and religious liberals, and shows how they have come up with a unique way of addressing the problem of modern meaninglessness. "The advent of modernity brought with it a crisis of faith. Science had upended the religious certainties of earlier eras, and believers in the West were cast adrift. Some turned to strident fundamentalism while, more recently, growing numbers have shunned religion altogether. In You Can't Put God in a Box, Kelly Besecke offers a fascinating examination of people who have found a middle way--what is known as "reflexive spirituality". Those who practice reflexive spirituality, Besecke shows, draw equally on religious traditions and traditions of reason in the pursuit of transcendent meaning. They prefer metaphor to literalism, spiritual experience to doctrinal belief, religious pluralism to religious exclusivism or inclusivism, and ongoing inquiry to "final answers". They find inspiration in liberal theologies of any number of faiths, and allies among the "spiritual but not religious". Besecke draws on original qualitative data to describe how people practice reflexive spirituality in an urban United Methodist church, an interfaith adult education center, and a variety of secular settings. By doing so, she provides a window into the theological thinking of educated spiritual seekers and religious liberals, and shows how they have come up with a unique way of addressing the problem of modern meaninglessness."--Page 4 de la couverture The advent of modernity brought with it a crisis of faith. Science had upended the religious certainties of earlier eras, and believers in the West were cast adrift. Some turned to strident fundamentalism while, more recently, growing numbers have shunned religion altogether. In You Can't Put God in a Box, Kelly Besecke offers a fascinating examination of people who have found a middle way--what is known as "reflexive spirituality". Those who practice reflexive spirituality, Besecke shows, draw equally on religious traditions and traditions of reason in the pursuit of transcendent meaning. They prefer metaphor to literalism, spiritual experience to doctrinal belief, religious pluralism to religious exclusivism or inclusivism, and ongoing inquiry to "final answers". They find inspiration in liberal theologies of any number of faiths, and allies among the "spiritual but not religious". Besecke draws on original qualitative data to describe how people practice reflexive spirituality in an urban United Methodist church, an interfaith adult education center, and a variety of secular settings. By doing so, she provides a window into the theological thinking of educated spiritual seekers and religious liberals, and shows how they have come up with a unique way of addressing the problem of modern meaninglessness. (back cover) The advent of modernity brought with it a crisis of faith. Science had upended the religious certainties of earlier eras, and believers in the West were cast adrift. Some turned to a strident fundamentalism while, more recently, growing numbers have shunned religion altogether.In __You Can't Put God In a Box__, Kelly Besecke offers a fascinating examination of people who have found a middle way-what is known as "reflexive spirituality." Those who practice reflexive spirituality, Besecke shows, draw equally on religious traditions and traditions of reason in the pursuit of transcendent meaning. They prefer metaphor to literalism, spiritual experience to doctrinal belief, religious pluralism to religious exclusivism or inclusivism, and ongoing inquiry to "final answers." They find inspiration in liberal theologies of any number of faiths, and allies among the "spiritual but not religious."Besecke draws on original qualitative data to describe how people practiced reflexive spirituality in an urban United Methodist church, an interfaith adult education center, and a variety of secular settings. By doing so, she provides a window into the theological thinking of educated spiritual seekers and religious liberals, and shows how they have come up with a unique way of addressing the problem of modern meaninglessness. Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Preface: Meaning, Mind, and Religion in Two Lives 16 1. Reflexive Spirituality: Finding Meaning in Modern Society 24 2. Reflexive Spirituality in Context 42 3. The Tyranny of the Technical 62 4. Flat Religion and Flaky Spirituality 84 5. Using Reason to Find Meaning in Religion and Life 96 6. The God of Reflexive Spirituality 134 7. You Can’t Put Reflexive Spirituality in a Box 150 8. Connections 168 Notes 174 Bibliography 186 Index 192 A 192 B 192 C 192 D 193 E 193 F 193 G 193 H 193 I 193 J 194 K 194 L 194 M 194 N 195 O 195 P 195 Q 195 R 195 S 196 T 196 V 197 W 197 Y 197 Z 197 This book describes reflexive spirituality, a spirituality that draws equally on religious traditions and traditions of reason in the pursuit of transcendent meaning. It draws on original qualitative data to describe how people practiced reflexive spirituality in an urban United Methodist church, an interfaith adult education center, and a variety of secular settings