Beliefs on the menu

Christianity, Buddhism, shamanism… these are just some of the paths simultaneously explored by those seeking a personalized spirituality. In “The Metamorphoses of God,” recently published, sociologist Frédéric Lenoir analyzes these new avenues to the sacred.

While churches empty, the Dalai Lama fills Bercy (the Paris City Hall) and Hollywood stars flock to receive Kabbalistic teachings. In a world suffocated by concrete, scientific rationalism, and the law of the market, there is a search for a reconnection with the sacred, a rediscovery of meaning, and a rebuilding of relationships. Freed from the grip of dogma and religious institutions, the new believer is a nomad in search of their own truth. A creative, experimental artist, they compose and recompose their spirituality according to their encounters, their travels, and their personal evolution.

Frédéric Lenoir: No, we are different. When you ask Europeans, you find that only 7% identify as atheists, compared to 30% who are devout practitioners.1 So, nearly two-thirds of us, without necessarily claiming allegiance to a particular religion, are not unbelievers. Over the last few decades, we have witnessed the emergence of an "off-the-beaten-path" religiosity: it is no longer religious institutions that impose norms of belief and behavior, but individuals who draw from different traditions to create a religion tailored to their interests and needs. In this evolution, we clearly see the influence of the underlying trends of modernity: individualism, critical thinking, and cultural mixing. Today, we encounter Jews who practice Buddhist meditation and are interested in astrology, or Christians who read Sufi mystics and attend shamanism workshops.

Above all, he values ​​being in control of his choices, following his own path, and finding his own bearings. In this respect, his spirituality reflects the spirit of the times: self-fulfillment and authenticity. Hence, a religiosity that increasingly resembles a quest rather than an established system, sometimes complemented by psychotherapy or body-based techniques such as yoga or tai chi. Intellectually, those who embark on a spiritual journey display a Montaigne-like skepticism: they don't claim to attain absolute certainties, which doesn't prevent them from having convictions. But these convictions are only valid for them. In this sense, their "faith" is pragmatic and "fluid": as long as their beliefs or practices prove effective in daily life, they retain them. Otherwise, they abandon them. They prefer individual responsibility to the notion of obedience, and happiness in this life to happiness in the afterlife. Hence the growing success of Buddhism, which works to eradicate suffering in this world, encouraging everyone to free their mind from ignorance and to develop their compassion.

Undoubtedly, speaking only of Westerners, there is a greater or lesser capacity to cope with existential solitude. How, indeed, can one know, faced with the multiplicity of philosophical and religious models, what is right for oneself, what is true? Embarking on a personal spiritual journey is for some a thrilling adventure, for others a source of anguish. The former will therefore be inclined to experience an "open religiosity," to explore various beliefs and practices by relying on their own judgment, while the latter will have a greater need to experience a "closed religiosity," made up of established certainties, of norms validated by a community of belonging. This framework seems to me more relevant, for approaching the psychology of the religious subject, than traditional labels. Today, there are almost as many ways of being Jewish, Christian, or Muslim as there are individuals, and there are undoubtedly more commonalities between a moderate Christian and a moderate Muslim than between a moderate Christian and a traditionalist Christian. It seems that religious sentiment is developing as the West is gripped by depression.

Would you say that spirituality can be therapeutic?
I do believe that in the 20th century, Westerners lost hope that the progress of science and reason could bring them happiness. There was Auschwitz, the atomic bomb, then the degradation of the planet, the specter of cloning… In their daily lives, they experience that social success or the accumulation of possessions fail to bring them deep and lasting satisfaction. Undoubtedly, the new religious quest expresses the need for a return to the essential. Spirituality allows us to find our bearings and meaning amidst all this turmoil. But at the same time, spiritual work is demanding. It exposes us to doubt; it requires courage. Like the path of psychoanalysis, it is strewn with obstacles, moments of joy, but also despair.

To which God do we turn?
Representations of God have evolved considerably. The figure of a God to whom we attribute human character traits is gradually being replaced by that of an impersonal divine being, an energy, a presence. This divine being is no longer conceived as being distant from the world. On the contrary, we seek to experience it within ourselves, through our own creativity, our own breath, our own nobility of spirit. We also seek to rediscover it in its cosmic manifestations: caves, trees, stars… After materialistic ideologies emptied the world of its magic, new spiritualities aim to re-enchant it: to reconnect with invisible beings (spirits, angels, elves…), with the “soul of the world,” like animists or shamans. Overall, we are moving away from the representation of a God to whom we attributed paternal qualities—justice, omniscience, omnipotence—towards a more maternal representation of the divine, full of mercy and benevolence, in which we can take refuge or grow. At the same time, we are witnessing a rise in intolerance and fundamentalism.

Isn't this the most important development?
I don't think so. Since the events of September 11, 2001, we've focused on what is perhaps only an epiphenomenon in light of the general trend. However worrying it may be, fundamentalism only affects a minority within the monotheistic religions in which it originates. Its logic is both political and identity-based. It arises in reaction to the real underlying force threatening religious communities: the empowerment of the individual. It is likely that, by the end of the century, no religion will succeed in keeping individuals within a single way of thinking.

Published in Psychologies Magazine in December 2003