Finding the Social in the Spiritual: Meaning and Practice of Spiritual but not Religious Early Adults

• In Event: Sociology of Religion Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 8. Navigating Modern Religion

Abstract

In the seminal 1985 book Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah and colleagues coined the term expressive individualism to describe a moral cultural framework observed among modern religious practice. Contemporary scholarship similarly locates the predominately individualized orientation of modern spirituality (Schnabel et al. 2025). Although individualism is a primary feature of non-religious spirituality, connection with others also appears as a central attribute. Further, despite often reflecting independent pursuits, spirituality is socially embedded, constructed, and organized. Yet, the theme of connection, as it relates to the meaning of spirituality and the nature of relational connectedness with others, has been less explored among the spiritual but not religious. This research aims to advance the literature through deeper inquiry into the relational aspects of spirituality among those who are SBNR. I sampled respondents from a zen meditation center in a major urban city and among those who do not practice in communal contexts. I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with SBNR early adults (ages 20 - 44) to explore how respondents’ narratives reproduce or resist the idea of spirituality as an individual and pursuit make sense of connection in the stories of their spirituality. Emerging findings suggest that respondents’ construction of, orientation toward, and degree of emotional connection to spirituality shape how they connect with others. Respondents often articulate spirituality in terms of interconnectedness with others and the planet (conceptual connection), even when choosing not to participate in spiritual communities (practiced connection). Among both respondents who do and do not participate in community, there is often expressed desire for belonging and connectedness but tension or ambivalence around participating in a group or identifying as a community member. By examining how SBNR early adults negotiate the tension between individualism and connection, this research contributes to ongoing discussion about the individualization and social organization of modern non-religious spirituality.

Author

• Abigail Barth, Rutgers University