Abstract
Survey data indicate a substantial minority of westerners who have no attachment to Eastern or New Age religion but who nevertheless believe in reincarnation. This paper summarizes the findings of a small intensive interview study of a group of English people who take seriously the possibility of reincarnation: 1) Many of them hold reincarnation alongside Christian belief; 2) Most are less than dogmatic about their belief; 3) Some entertain the possibility of reincarnation because of experience (first or second hand), for others reincarnation solves intellectual problems, e.g., concerning theodicy; 4) They see bodily incarnations in the context of long-term spiritual progress, and they value spirit over body; 5) Their belief in reincarnation has rather little effect on the rest of their lives. It is concluded that rising belief in reincarnation heralds neither a spiritual nor a moral revolution, but fits easily into the privatized religion that characterizes contemporary western societies, and England in particular.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 187-197 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review |
Volume | 60 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 1999 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Religious studies
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)