Description
Book SynopsisNearly 40% of all Americans have no connection with organized religion. Yet many of these people, even though they might never step inside a house of worship, live profoundly spiritual lives. But what is the nature and value of unchurched spirituality in America? Is it a recent phenomenon, a New Age fad that will soon fade, or a long-standing and essential aspect of the American experience? In Spiritual But Not Religious, Robert Fuller offers fascinating answers to these questions. He shows that alternative spiritual practices have a long and rich history in America, dating back to the colonial period, when church membership rarely exceeded 17% and interest in astrology, numerology, magic, and witchcraft ran high. Fuller traces such unchurched traditions into the mid-nineteenth century, when Americans responded enthusiastically to new philosophies such as Swedenborgianism, Transcendentalism, and mesmerism, right up to the current interest in meditation, channeling, divination, and a h
Trade Review"A well-written, engaging survey of the myriad forms of alternative spiritualities available to Americans, from the inception of the nation of the present, with many pertinent and illuminating forays along the way into deeper social and cultural roots from which these movements grew."--Christian Century
"Highly informative.... A valuable guide for those eager to understand the origins and characteristics of 'unchurched spirituality.'"--Jane Lampman, Christian Science Monitor
"In a work emblematic of the uniquely syncretic American psyche, Fuller surveys the history and development of alternative spirituality in America...a primer on alternative American spiritualities."--Library Journal
