Occulture: a Material Cartography of Contemporary Spirituality and the Arts
Method & Theory in the Study of Religion January 21, 2026 Francesco Piraino
Occulture refers to the growing presence of esotericism, occultism, magic, and spirituality in media, popular culture, and contemporary arts as part of a spiritual revolution in Western societies. Existing research in sociology and media studies focuses on mediatization and commodification, while religious studies examines artists as spiritual seekers. This article argues these perspectives are pieces of a larger mosaic and proposes a material cartography of occulture that maps relationships among artists, artworks, and audiences, which can embody both secular and religious values. The navigational cartography is based on five key tensions: secular versus sacred art, lowbrow versus highbrow art, metaphysical versus performative ontology, author's intention versus audience's reception, and spiritual seekers versus religious dwellers.