University of Exeter expert joins international group investigating how wellness “borrows” from religion
Features of wellness activities often start from spiritual habits followed by religious communities
Major new research will show the impact of religious practices being “borrowed” for wellness activities such as yoga or mindfulness.
Features of these activities often start from spiritual habits followed by religious communities. A new international working group will research the ethical questions this raises.
It includes Dr Susannah Crockford, from the University of Exeter, an anthropologist who investigates New Age spirituality, ecology, and conspiracy theories.
Members of the Spirituality and the Ethics of Religious Borrowing: A Sacred Writes Working Group will examine the effects of religious practices being borrowed on religious communities, and whether there are ways this could be carried out in ways which are more purposeful, responsible, and effective.
The 12-person working group is funded by the John Templeton Foundation and will be based at Northeastern University.
They will support both academic research and public engagement on the ethics of spiritual borrowing, to combat misinformation, and improve public religious literacy.
Other members of the working group are Natalie Avalos, from the University of Colorado Boulder; Liz Bucar, from Northeastern University; Tara Isabella Burton, from George Mason University; Nalika Gajaweera, from the University of California Santa Barbara; Shreena Niketa Gandhi, from Michigan State University; Ann Gleig, from the University of Central Florida; Ira Helderman, from Vanderbilt University; Kira Ganga Kieffer, from Wesleyan University; Cody Musselman, from Harvard University; Kaitlyn Ugoretz, from the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture and Michiel van Elk, from the University of Leiden.
