Building on The New Age Movement (1996) and The Spiritual Revolution (2005), Spiritualities of Life serves to complete a trilogy of books that Paul Heelas has published with Blackwell. The primary aim of this volume is to explore the three main ways in which spirituality have been experienced, understood and valued in western settings.

Religiom and Spirituality in the Moder World

"Well prepared after his pathbreaking books The New Age Movement and The Spiritual Revolution, Paul Heelas now bravely enters the minefield. Tracing the trajectory of spiritualities of life from the Romantics to contemporary wellbeing culture, he convincingly critiques the widespread tendency to depict them as 'mere consumption'. Well written, clearly argued, and richly documented, Spiritualities of Life sheds light on contemporary spirituality and consumer culture alike."
Dick Houtman, Erasmus University, The Netherlands

"This is an engaging and lively discussion about the nature of spirituality in contemporary society. It shows Heelas at his best - original, creative, imaginative."
Jeremy R. Corette, University of Kent

"Paul Hee las' work in charting the subjective turn in contemporary spiritualities has been one of the most important contributions to the field of the sociology of religion in the past decade. In Spiritualities of Life, Heelas offers a passionate defence of this spiritual movement, and argues that it represents a viable moral and cultural resource for the modern world. By positioning himself as an advocate of the movement that he has traced so effectively, Heelas poses questions about the nature of the 'good life' and contemporary forms of the sacred that no serious scholar of religion can afford to ignore."
Gordon Lynch, University of London

This enlightening book explores the ways in which inner-life spirituality has been experienced, understood, and valued in western society. In doing so, it traces the development of modern spiritualities of life, from the origins of Romanticism in the late-eighteenth century, through to the counter-cultural sixties and on to the wellbeing culture. The result is an insightful account of the spiritual landscape.

In a provocative argument, Heelas takes on the belief that holistic spirituality is merely an extension of capitalism in which people consume spirituality without giving anything back. He contends that much of the wide range of popular mind-body-spirit practices are really an ethically charged force for the "good life". These expressivist and humanist spiritualities, he argues, are helping us to find balance in the face of the suffocating demands of twenty-first century living.

Building on The Spiritual Revolution [ 2005, with Linda Woodhead] and The New Age Movement [1996). Spiritualities of Life completes a trilogy of books by this acknowledged world leader in the field.

This insightful and provocative journey through spiritual landscapes explores the ways in which spiritualities of life have been experienced and understood in Western society, and argues that today’s myriad forms of holistic spirituality are helping us to find balance in face of the stifling demands of twenty-first century living.

• An enlightening book which explores the ways in which spirituality has been experienced and valued in Western society
• Traces the development of modern spirituality, from the origins of Romanticism in the eighteenth century, through to the counter-cultural sixties and on to the wellbeing culture of today
• Explores the belief that modern spirituality is merely an extension of capitalism in which people consume spirituality without giving anything back
• Contends that much of the wide range of popular mind-body-spirit practices are really an ethically charged force for the ‘good life’, helping us to find balance in the demands of twenty-first century living
• Written by an acknowledged world-leader working in the field
• Completes a trilogy of books including The Spiritual Revolution (2005, with Linda Woodhead) and The New Age Movement (1996), charting the rise and influence of spirituality today.