Abstract
This paper explores the rise of the growing sacralization of therapeutic culture by advancing a thesis of spiritualization that offers an alternative to the dominant secularization thesis. It discusses findings from a study that analyzed various non-traditional theocentric discourses classified as ‘self-help,’ viewing them as a form of therapeutic theology. While most studies have examined secular self-help literature or traditional religious approaches, the paper illustrates a third way that intersects both, highlighting how the detraditionalization of sacred concepts such as God, the Soul, and the Afterlife is being reimagined and promoted as therapeutic in popular culture. The presentation underscores a shift from neoliberal psychocentrism to a neomodern theocentrism that emphasizes the divine presence in all things, or pansacramentality, and explores how this alternative spiritual approach can be conceptualized as a ‘therapeutic sacralization’. By outlining the main themes and messages of this self-help genre, the study concludes by showing how this turn toward sacred therapeutic practices may provide essential support in the current era of crises, instability, and vulnerability.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Sacralization, Alternative Spirituality, The Afterlife, Desecularization, Therapeutic Culture
