Religious collectivities in the era of individualization
Social Compass May 9, 2014 Deirdre Meintel 24 citations
Religious collectivities remain important even as religion becomes more individualized and people's ties to institutions shift. Research in Quebec on smaller, marginal spiritualities attracting native-born Québécois, who often keep some connection to the Catholic Church, shows that while spiritualities are individualized and hybrid, religious sociality is still essential for maximizing the effectiveness of spiritual practice, providing apprenticeship frameworks, supporting altered states of consciousness, and validating participants' authenticity. In mainstream congregations like Catholic and Pentecostal, communality's religious elements are sometimes obscured, but examining marginal currents reveals the enduring power of religious sociality.