Abstract
The paper aims at studying a relatively new kind of religiosity that combines the peculiarities of both East and West religiosity. This is the religiosity of the European followers of Eastern teachings and practices. Being a relatively new phenomenon, this kind of religiosity poses many conceptual and methodological questions. What are the traits of this religiosity? Does it combine the features of East and West religiosity or is it an entirely Western phenomenon? Could it be at all defined as religiosity? Are Eastern teachings and practices in the European context religions? Where is the difference between religiosity and spirituality? In order to answer these questions, philosophical considerations and sociological observations are combined: groups of followers of Eastern teachings in Bulgaria, Germany, and Ireland are studied but the interpretation is predominantly in terms of philosophy. Therefore, not as much the manifestations of the religiosity of these groups are considered but rather the transformation in the worldview via the practices of Eastern religions is analysed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bogomilova, N. (2019). Postmodern transformation of religion. In N. Bogomilova (Ed.), Religion and social ecology (pp. 6–50). Sofia: OMDA.
Bratoeva, M. (2012). The primordial soundless sound: The AUM and the four quarters of atman in the Mandukya Upanishad. NotaBene, 23. https://notabene-bg.org/read.php?id=248. Accessed: 20. March 2020.
Campbell, J. (1991). The masks of God: Oriental Mythology (Vol. 2). London: Arkana.
Garelli, Fr. (2007). Research note between religion and spirituality: New perspectives in the Italian religious landscape. Review of Religious Research, 48(3), 318–326.
Ierofey, V. (2009). Pravoslavnaya dukhovnost’. Moskva: Svyato-Troitskaya Sergiyeva Lavra.
Marler, P. L., & Hadaway, C. K. (2002). “Being Religious” or “Being Spiritual” in America: A zero sum proposition? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 41(2), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5906.00117.
Oldenberg, H. (1997). The Doctrine of the Upanishads and the early Buddhism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publ.
Schlehofer, M., Omoto, A. M., & Adelman, J. R. (2008). How do “Religion” and “Spirituality” differ? Lay definitions among older adults. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 47(3), 411–425. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5906.2008.00418.x.
Smart, N. (1998). The world’s religions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1969). The difference between eastern and western thinking. Psychological commentary on ‘The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation’. In C. Jung (Ed.), Collected Works (vol. 11, 2nd edition, pp. 159–787). Princeton University Press.
Zinnbauer, B. J., Pargament, K. I., Cole, B., Rye, M. S., Butter, E. M., Belavich, T. G., et al. (1997). Religion and spirituality: Unfuzzying the fuzzy. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 36(4), 549–564. https://doi.org/10.2307/1387689.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nikolova, A. (2020). East–West Religiosity: Some Peculiarities of Religiosity of European Followers of Eastern Teachings and Practices. In: Demmrich, S., Riegel, U. (eds) Religiosity in East and West. Veröffentlichungen der Sektion Religionssoziologie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31035-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31035-6_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer VS, Wiesbaden
Print ISBN: 978-3-658-31034-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-658-31035-6
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)