Friday, December 23, 2011

Given the controversies surrounding commerce and New Age spirituality, modern yoga, and dispensational premillennialism, is the suggestion that...

You question asks about religious controversy and its potential causes. Considering the examples you've cited, I'd say that religious controversy is tied mostly to people's personal identities—that is, to their idea of themselves. People want a certain self-concept, and so they seek after a certain type of experience.


If we look at these examples, it's not so much tension with others that is the driving force of controversy. Rather, it's that that people want to assert and reinforce a particular kind of identity for themselves. A person wants to be "spiritual," for example. They want to be countercultural, not mainstream, unique. And so, they want experiences that are "spiritual," not mainstream, unique. The problems is that when a person's sought-after "spiritual" experience becomes commodified, that experience naturally become more accessible to others and more mainstream. Thus that experience becomes less unique, less countercultural. And, for many people, this shift into the commercial mainstream changes the very nature of the experience itself. It may diminish the experience or make it feel less authentic. Let's look at two examples you've raised: modern yoga, and premillennialism. 


Modern yoga as practiced in the Western world is highly commoditized. You can pay for classes, buy trendy yoga gear, find yoga apps on your phone, etc. Yet, for many, the appeal of yoga is its ability to take us away from all that. Many folks come to practices like yoga to "get away" from the world of work and commerce, to find something more meaningful in themselves. Indeed, this venture is rooted in the origins of yoga itself. Historically, yogis renounced the world. Many would beg for alms and subsist off very little. Some practitioners strongly identify with this particular identity of the yogi. For these practitioners, yoga may be more than simply a practice. It may be an entire self-concept, a way of viewing one's self.


These individuals may claim that to turn a profit from the practice of yoga is to spiritually "sell out." It's important to note that this criticism arises from a desire to protect a particular identity. Paying money for classes or charging money as teacher doesn't fit the particular identity that some people have of themselves, or of what a yogi should be. 


Let's examine premillennialism. Premillennialism also contains within it a kind of countercultural identity type. Communities that emphasize "end of days" narratives tend to be very insular, and often have cult-like characteristics. People who hold the belief that the end of days is near generally see themselves as going against the grain of society. They may believe that warning mankind of its impending doom is a special duty; a religious burden they were uniquely called to. It's an identity of being special, of having access to special knowledge, and of belonging to an elect few.


Sometimes this type of thinking is commoditized for profit (for example, Christian fiction depicting the end-times, or millennialist calendars with "end of days" countdowns). When such commodities are bought and sold in the marketplace, these ideas become more accessible and widely known in the mainstream. This makes it harder for people to maintain a self-concept that they have special knowledge. So, again, it's an example where the effect of commerce makes it difficult for individuals to maintain a particular self-concept. This can be a threat to their personal identity. 


In these two examples, yoga and premillennial dispensationalism, it seems to me that questions of identity and self-concept drive much of the controversy about religion, spiritual practice, and commerce. Tensions between groups or individuals may be a factor, but in my judgment the more salient factors are entirely psychological, and not inter-personal. 

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