On Friday, April 13, at 4:00 PM, the CSWR will host a public panel featuring Linda Mercadante, Robert Fuller, Jeffrey Kripal, and Charles M. Stang, entitled "The Future of 'Spiritual, but Not Religious'". This public panel is part of a collaboration between the CSWR and the Esalen Institute on a conference called "Spiritual, but Not Religious: Past, Present, Future(s)." Dr. William B. Parsons, Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University and one of the main organizers of this conference, spoke about the Spiritual but Not Religious movement, its history, and the role of this conference:
CSWR: Is there a working definition of what is means to be a “Spiritual, but Not Religious” person? Does it matter if such a definition exists?
WP: Recent Pew polls tell us that over 20% of the U.S. population self-describe as being “spiritual but not religious.” Being SBNR in the contemporary scene usually refers to those who are not wedded to a particular tradition – those who on the one hand, are disillusioned with traditional institutional religion and, on the other hand, feel that those same traditions contain deep wisdom about the human condition. To say “I’m spiritual but not religious” indicates that a person seeks to integrate religious wisdom without fully committing to what is perceived to be the false trappings and mendacity of religious accouterments of all kinds (i.e., dogma, ideologies, rituals, hierarchies, etc.). At the same tine, befitting spiritual shoppers, it also speaks to those who canvass multiple religious traditions, mining their spiritual wisdom and introspective techniques not for dry dogma but the juice of peak experience, in order to foster a spiritual journey tailored to their individual needs.
CSWR: Is the SBNR movement necessarily new? Is it offering anything original in terms of conceptualizing the sacred? Where do you see the SBNR movement going?
WP: The first usage of the term SBNR occurred as early as 1926. Since that time it has been used to refer to a wide spectrum of orientations to the divine. This conference, then, is designed to seek a deeper exploration of what characterizes its "present" nature, its "past" determinants, and its possible "future(s)."