Published in Psychologies Magazine in December 2003 —
Christianity, Buddhism, shamanism… these are just some of the areas explored simultaneously by those seeking a tailor-made spirituality. In “The Metamorphoses of God,” which has just been published, sociologist Frédéric Lenoir analyzes the new paths of the sacred.
As churches empty, the Dalai Lama fills Bercy and Hollywood stars flock to receive Kabbalistic teachings. In a world suffocated by concrete, scientific rationalism, and the law of the market, we seek to reconnect with the sacred, to find meaning, to recreate connections. Freed from the grip of dogma and religious institutions, the new believer is a nomad in search of his own truth. A tinkering artist, he composes and recomposes his spirituality according to his encounters, his travels, and his evolutions.
Psychologies: Are we less religious than before?
Frédéric Lenoir: No, we are different. When we ask Europeans, we see that only 7% of them say they are atheists, compared to 30% who are regular practitioners. 1 So, almost two-thirds of us, without claiming to be committed to a particular religion, are not unbelievers. In recent decades, we have witnessed the emergence of an "off-piste" religiosity: it is no longer religious institutions that impose standards of belief and behavior, but individuals who draw on different traditions to concoct a religion à la carte, according to their interests and needs. In this evolution, we can clearly see the work of the underlying trends of modernity: individualism, critical thinking, and cross-breeding. Today, we find Jews who practice Buddhist meditation and are interested in astrology, or Christians who read Sufi mystics and attend shamanism courses.
What is the profile of the new believer?
Above all, he wants to be the master of his choices, to follow his own path, to find his own bearings. In this, in his spirituality, he has integrated the spirit of the times: self-fulfillment, authenticity. Hence a religiosity that resembles less and less an established system and more and more a quest, which is eventually supplemented by psychotherapy or body techniques such as yoga or tai chi. On the intellectual level, those who engage in a spiritual approach display a skepticism à la Montaigne: they do not claim to achieve absolute certainties, which does not prevent them from having convictions. But they are only valid for them. In this sense, their "faith" is pragmatic and "blinking": as long as their beliefs or practices prove effective in daily life, they retain them. Otherwise, they turn away from them. They prefer the notion of individual responsibility to obedience. Happiness here below is happiness rather than happiness in the afterlife. Hence the growing success of Buddhism, which works to eradicate suffering in this world, by encouraging everyone to free their minds from ignorance and develop their compassion.
What leads an individual to invent their own spirituality rather than conform to a traditional religion?
Without doubt, to speak only of Westerners, a greater or lesser capacity to deal with existential solitude. How can one know, in fact, 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 an exciting adventure, for others, a source of anxiety. The former will therefore be willing to live an "open religiosity," to explore various beliefs and practices by relying on their own judgment, the latter will have a greater need to live a "closed religiosity," made up of established certainties, of norms validated by a community of belonging. This reading grid 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 points in common between a moderate Christian and a moderate Muslim than between a moderate Christian and a traditionalist Christian. It seems that religious sentiment is growing 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... On a daily basis, they experience that social success or the accumulation of goods fail to bring them deep and lasting satisfaction. No doubt the new religious quest expresses the need for a return to the essential. Spirituality allows us to find bearings and meaning in all this turmoil. But at the same time, spiritual work is demanding. It exposes us to doubt, it requires courage. Like the psychoanalytic path, it is strewn with pitfalls, moments of joy, but also of despair.
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... On a daily basis, they experience that social success or the accumulation of goods fail to bring them deep and lasting satisfaction. No doubt the new religious quest expresses the need for a return to the essential. Spirituality allows us to find bearings and meaning in all this turmoil. But at the same time, spiritual work is demanding. It exposes us to doubt, it requires courage. Like the psychoanalytic path, it is strewn with pitfalls, moments of joy, but also of despair.
Which God do we rely on?
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, an energy, a presence. This divine is no longer conceived as being far from the world. On the contrary, we seek to experience it within ourselves, through our own creativity, our own breath, our own greatness of soul. We also seek to find it in its cosmic manifestations: caves, trees, stars... After materialist ideologies have emptied the world of its magic, new spiritualities intend 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 leaving the representation of a God to whom we attributed paternal qualities - justice, omniscience, omnipotence - for a more maternal representation of the divine, all mercy and benevolence, in which we can take refuge or grow. At the same time, we are witnessing a rise in intolerance and fundamentalism.
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, an energy, a presence. This divine is no longer conceived as being far from the world. On the contrary, we seek to experience it within ourselves, through our own creativity, our own breath, our own greatness of soul. We also seek to find it in its cosmic manifestations: caves, trees, stars... After materialist ideologies have emptied the world of its magic, new spiritualities intend 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 leaving the representation of a God to whom we attributed paternal qualities - justice, omniscience, omnipotence - for a more maternal representation of the divine, all 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 have focused on what is perhaps only an epiphenomenon compared to the general trend. As worrying as it may be, fundamentalism only affects a minority within the monotheisms in which it originates. Its logic is both political and identity-based. It arises in reaction to the real groundswell that threatens religious communities: the empowerment of the subject. It is likely that, by the end of the century, no religion will succeed in keeping individuals in a single way of thinking.
Published in Psychologies Magazine in December 2003