Overview
Transformational festivals, from Burning Man to Lightning in a Bottle, Bhakti Fest, and Wanderlust, are massive events that attract thousands of participants to sites around the world. In this groundbreaking book, Amanda J. Lucia shows how these festivals operate as religious institutions for “spiritual, but not religious” (SBNR) communities. Whereas previous research into SBNR practices and New Age religion has not addressed the predominantly white makeup of these communities, White Utopias examines the complicated, often contradictory relationships with race at these events, presenting an engrossing ethnography of SBNR practices. Lucia contends that participants create temporary utopias through their shared commitments to spiritual growth and human connection. But they also participate in religious exoticism by adopting Indigenous and Indic spiritualities, a practice that ultimately renders them exclusive, white utopias. Focusing on yoga’s role in disseminating SBNR values, Lucia offers new ways of comprehending transformational festivals as significant cultural phenomena.
Full Product Details
Author: Amanda J. Lucia
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.544kg
ISBN: 9780520376946
ISBN 10: 0520376943
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 13 October 2020
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
Lucia's sharp analysis and enthusiasm for historical and theoretical context dominates the book. * High Country News *
"""Lucia’s sharp analysis and enthusiasm for historical and theoretical context dominates the book."" * High Country News * ""Being highly engaging and informative, this book is a valuable read for all scholars interested in contemporary questions of religion and spirituality."" * Religious Studies Review * ""Lucia’s work brings an important and timely perspective on the racialised power dynamics of [‘spiritual but not religious’] communities to the study of contemporary yoga."" * Religion *"
Lucia's sharp analysis and enthusiasm for historical and theoretical context dominates the book. * High Country News * Being highly engaging and informative, this book is a valuable read for all scholars interested in contemporary questions of religion and spirituality. * Religious Studies Review *
Author Information
Amanda J. Lucia is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside, and the author of Reflections of Amma: Devotees in a Global Embrace.
