OK. Here is the final installment of my thoughts on 21st Century religion and society. Popularization of Religion. Another trend in twenty-first century religion is popular religion, which can be understood as the actual religious experience of people in everyday life, whether as members of an organized religion or not. When this phenomenon is widely adopted in specific ways by a group of people, it is known as folk religion. In other words, in popular religion people do what seems to work for them, often by incorporating beliefs and practices from outside the bounds prescribed by the religion to which they formally belong. Characteristics of popular religion include: • Informal expression. Popular religious practice often employs a very minimal structure and organization, usually without recognized leadership. Because of this feature, popular religion is usually more of a movement of individuals than an identifiable organization. • Non-uniformity. The practice of popular religion and folk religion varies from person to person and group to group. Because of this, it may be difficult to pin down or fully describe. • Syncretistic. Syncretism describes the willingness to combine things that do not normally belong together. This means that in popular religion there is an attitude of openness to a spectrum of religious ideas and practices. An example of syncretism in Western Folk Christianity would be the commemoration of Jesus’ birth combined with pagan yuletide elements such as mistletoe and evergreen trees in the celebration of Christmas. • Individualistic. Popular religion allows individuals to pick and choose between many options to construct a personally meaningful religious experience. • Fluid and adaptive. Popular religion can be adapted to changing life situations. Folk religion can be updated to accommodate new influences or to discontinue elements that no longer serve their purpose. Though this brief summary is admittedly highly simplistic, it does give some categories for making sense of what is going on religiously in our times. Hopefully it will serve as a basis for respectful and fruitful dialog. Have I left anything out?
Posted on: Sun, 06 Oct 2013 23:34:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015