Abstract
Alternative spirituality has been growing in popularity and becoming more widespread in Western countries for decades. However, little is known about the presence and characteristics of alternative spirituality movements in Southeastern Europe. Based on six months of fieldwork, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, my paper examines individuals involved in alternative spirituality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In particular, it explores how ideas about the afterlife have evolved under the influence of various alternative spirituality movements. Moreover, given that in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are three widespread religions – Islam, Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism – the study also investigates whether traditional religious explanations of the afterlife continue to influence the beliefs of those who otherwise identify as spiritual.
Presenters
Tina IvnikStudent, Postdoc, University of Ljubljana, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Slovenia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Commonalities and Differences
KEYWORDS
Alternative Spirituality, Afterlife, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Anthropology, Islam, Orthodox Christianity
