From Institution to Spirituality and Back: Or, Why We Should Be Cautious About the "Spiritual Turn" in the Sociology of Religion

In the past two decades, sociologists of religion have paid growing attention to what has been termed spirituality. Presently, a dichotomy between spirituality and religion began to appear in the literature. This chapter highlights some limits and risks of the spiritual turn. Basically, the argument is that, while sociology of religion is becoming more democratic in character, some religious organizations may, in fact, be going in the opposite direction, at least as far as the Roman Catholic Church is concerned. Particularly in Italy there seems to be an increasing distance between the hierarchy and the faithful, but power remains with the former. Thus while there may well develop a lay spirituality that is more "open to the world" and tolerant of other creeds or lifestyles, neither the laity engaged in these spiritual movements nor social scientists studying them should assume that some type of "bottom up" change in ecclesiastical structures and policies will necessarily be entailed.