Week 9: Rhegille Baltazar
Week 9
Rhegille Baltazar
York's article "New Age Commodification and Appropriation of Spirituality" examines New Age religion and spirituality in the contemporary context and how it has become commodified and appropriated due to globalization and neoliberalism. York writes, "Consequently, in many cases, the spiritual appropriation of nativist practice and belief follows the same dynamic as, for instance, the steady elimination of the Brazilian rainforest or the ocean's whale population...." Such practices take from indigenous and native beliefs and commodify them for the New Age spiritualists. For example: the use of sage in New Age spirituality has affected indigenous ecosystems where white sage is native. Due to its overuse, sage plants are closer to being diminished and extinct.
Furthermore, York writes, "In a multi-cultural world, a procedural liberalism which adopts no particular substantive view about the ends of life may not recognize or even mis-recognize the particularity of religion and culture." Not truly understanding the religion and culture has the power to kill it. If such indigenous practices were truly understood and adopted, the legacy of the people would be able to grow and flourish. Yet, because of capitalism and the global market, these people will die because of their lack of view of the way/ends of life.
Rhegille Baltazar
York's article "New Age Commodification and Appropriation of Spirituality" examines New Age religion and spirituality in the contemporary context and how it has become commodified and appropriated due to globalization and neoliberalism. York writes, "Consequently, in many cases, the spiritual appropriation of nativist practice and belief follows the same dynamic as, for instance, the steady elimination of the Brazilian rainforest or the ocean's whale population...." Such practices take from indigenous and native beliefs and commodify them for the New Age spiritualists. For example: the use of sage in New Age spirituality has affected indigenous ecosystems where white sage is native. Due to its overuse, sage plants are closer to being diminished and extinct.
Furthermore, York writes, "In a multi-cultural world, a procedural liberalism which adopts no particular substantive view about the ends of life may not recognize or even mis-recognize the particularity of religion and culture." Not truly understanding the religion and culture has the power to kill it. If such indigenous practices were truly understood and adopted, the legacy of the people would be able to grow and flourish. Yet, because of capitalism and the global market, these people will die because of their lack of view of the way/ends of life.
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