The “Spirit” of New Atheism and Religious Activism in the Post-9/11 God Debate
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11274707 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adrian Rosenfeldt (0000-0001-7061-0320, La Trobe University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 811-830 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Human Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0163-8548 • E-ISSN: 1572-851X |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10746-024-09719-4 |
| OpenAlex | W4394576804 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 13 |
In this article I examine the contemporary discourses and debates that surround the sociology of spirituality, with especial attention to the term “spirituality”. To counter the widespread belief that this term lacks clarity and utility, I suggest reconsidering Max Weber’s use of the term “spirit,” as it refers to a recognisable ethic that results in specific behaviour, while still retaining its religious and spiritual connotations. Through focusing on two influential English figures in the post 9/11 God debate in the West, Richard Dawkins and Karen Armstrong, I provide a brief case study of how Weber’s understanding of “spirit” serves great utility in illuminating what drives the ideas, identity-making and behaviour of contemporary atheists and those defending religion. By utilising Weber’s “spirit,” rather than the term spirituality, I demonstrate that this enables us to dig deep into the social context and backgrounds of these two individuals, and to avoid taking their statements at face value – a common criticism of sociology of spirituality studies. I argue that the use of “spirit,” in terms of a recognisable ethic that results in specific behaviour, would benefit the sociology of spirituality. This is because it grounds the God debaters’ ideas and beliefs in a recognisable human experience that eludes reductive distinctions and disembodied abstractions
Atheism · Epistemology · Linguistics · Modern philosophy · Political activism · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Sociolinguistics · Sociology · Theology · Law · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Religious studies · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |