New Spirituality

Gordon Lynch is Senior Lecturer in Religion and Culture at the University of Birmingham. He is the author of several books which include 'After Religion: "Generation X" and the Search for Meaning', 'Losing My Religion: Moving on from Evangelical Faith', and 'Understanding Theology and Popular Culture'.

'Gordon Lynch is a lively writer who knows what is at stake in the present conflict between progressive spirituality and traditional religious belief. He offers us a clear and comprehensive account of the historical, sociological, economic, political and philosophical underpinnings of left-leaning spiritual movements throughout the modern West. Lynch's encyclopedic knowledge of feminist theology, deep ecology, vigorous human rights advocacy and anti-globalization campaigns give his analysis of "the new spirituality" a range and profundity that is unique in the field of religious studies. His book will likely be regarded as the classic text about our contemporary Western religious scene.' - Naomi Goldenberg, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Ottawa

• Much attention has been given in recent writings about religion tofundamentalism and the ‘religious right’. But less attention has been given to theiropposite - the emergence of a new generation of progressive religious thinkersand organisations on the ‘religious left’. The New Spirituality is one of the firstbooks to give a comprehensive and authoritative account of this burgeoningprogressive religious movement. It offers a clear and engaging analysis of thecultural roots, key ideas and organisational structures of this new faith, assessingits significance in the changing moral and religious landscape of contemporarywestern society. Gordon Lynch argues that we are witnessing the rise of a newreligious ideology which reveres the natural world, connects religious faith withnovel scientific theories, and has a forward-looking agenda for society’stransformation. The New Spirituality will be essential reading for studentsattempting to understand the shape of religious belief in the twenty-first century.