REL 470 | Everyday Spirituality in the Contemporary World

As organized religion declines, spiritual engagement persists in new forms. This course explores everyday spirituality in the contemporary world¿how individuals seek meaning, transcendence, and connection beyond traditional religious institutions. With more people identifying as "spiritual but not religious" (SBNR) or unaffiliated, scholars examine how spirituality is expressed in daily life.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach (sociology, anthropology, ethics, history, and theology), this course investigates everyday spirituality and lived religion through practices like walking in nature, creative arts, mindfulness, relationships, and caring for animals. How do these shape personal identity, well-being, and social belonging?
Students will analyze case studies on material culture, communal engagement, lived ethics, and embodied experiences. In the first half of the semester, they will engage with theory and contemporary research; in the second half, they will apply these insights to their own research projects, conducting analysis developing arguments through speaking and writing.