Spiritualities of Life

This enlightening book explores the ways in which inner-life spirituality has been experienced, understood, and valued in western society. In doing so, it traces the development of modern spiritualities of life, from the origins of Romanticism in the late-eighteenth century, through to the counter-cultural sixties and on to the wellbeing culture. The result is an insightful account of the spiritual landscape. In a provocative argument, Heelas takes on the belief that holistic spirituality is merely an extension of capitalism in which people consume spirituality without giving anything back. He contends that much of the wide range of popular mind-body-spirit practices are really an ethically charged force for the "good life". These expressivist and humanist spiritualities, he argues, are helping us to find balance in the face of the suffocating demands of twenty-first century living. Building on The Spiritual Revolution (2005, with Linda Woodhead) and The New Age Movement (1996), Spiritualities of Life completes a trilogy of books by this acknowledged world leader in the field.