Religion
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Course
RELIGIONS
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by MasterExploration9976
1
Religion
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Institution
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2
PART 1
Q.1
A "marketplace approach to religion" is commodifying religious beliefs and practices.
This means that religion is treated as a product of trade that can be bought, sold, and consumed
based on personal preferences. According to Hoover, this approach has become more common
with the rise of consumerism and individualism (Hoover, 2000). The strategy's practical
repercussions include expanding religious consumer options, focusing on individual fulfillment
rather than group values, and potentially losing religion's more profoundly spiritual and
transforming aspects. I take a cautious approach to these repercussions. The overwhelming
commercialization of religion can result in poor knowledge and superficial involvement with
difficult existential concerns, despite the importance of choice and personal agency.
Q.2
As expressed by Hoover, the "transitional religion" concept presents a shift from a
traditional, standardized form of religion into a more individualistic, experiential, and flexible
format. It represents an exit from the authority of religious institutions and the reduction of
organized spiritual practices, instead moving towards a more subjective and personalized
spirituality (Hoover, 2000). He, therefore, suggests that this transition characterizes the search
for personal meaning and understanding, the emphasis on religious experience, and a lack of
clarity about boundaries between different religious traditions. Generally, it is shifting towards a
more fluid and eclectic religious landscape in which individuals have the freedom to construct
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their belief systems and, as a result, engage in spiritual practices that resonate with their personal
needs and preferences and not a generalized view.
Q.3
In his book, Hoover expresses that if religion consciously adapts to commodity culture, it
raises questions about its seriousness, authenticity, and genuineness. The fundamental values and
moral teachings that characterize a religious tradition risk being diluted or altered when religious
beliefs and practices are modified to meet consumer desires and market trends (Hoover, 2000). It
may therefore result in a shallow and market-driven interpretation of religion that places more
value on profit, consumer gratification, and entertainment than on spiritual development and
moral engagement, as expected. It is crucial to note that the historical evolution of religious
traditions has always included religious adaptation and contextualization. Eventually, it can be
difficult to balance relevance and authenticity, and how much the transformation affects the
religious tradition's core principles and integrity will determine the implications' seriousness.
PART 2
The shared theme across the assigned readings for weeks 5 and 6 is the intersection of
religion and consumer culture, particularly in modern American society. Stewart M. Hoover's
book, "The Cross at Willow Creek," in a special way, explores this theme in depth. In this book,
Hoover highlights and explains how religious practices and beliefs have become entangled and
intertwined in a commodity culture, particularly where the marketplace approach to religion is
dominant. Hoover's remark that "Churches must compete with other leisure activities to capture
the attention of potential members" (Hoover, 2000) provides textual support for this topic in this
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context. Thus, this is a reflection of how consumer society has greatly influenced religious
institutions, which, based on their various interests, feel the need to promote themselves and
make religion appealing to the general public to attract more believers or followers.
The commodification of religion is further described in a wider manner by Hoover, who,
in his book, claims that "Faith is redefined as a personal consumer preference, and a religious
tradition is seen as a resource for individual enhancement" (Hoover, 2000). His expression,
therefore, demonstrates how religion is, in recent times, becoming a product that is well-tailored
to serve individual needs and self-improvement rather than being grounded on social values and
spiritual development that were initially valued under religion. Generally, the readings focus on
the practical repercussions of a market-based approach to religion, for instance, the increase of
consumerism in faith, the emphasis on personal happiness, and the potential loss of authenticity
and depth in religious practices. Therefore, religious organizations end up facing many
challenges in their attempt to sustain or maintain the purity and transformational impact of their
religious traditions while at the same time adjusting to a consumer-driven world.
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Reference
Hoover, S. M. (2000). The cross at Willow Creek: Seeker religion and the contemporary
marketplace.
Religion and popular culture in America
, 145-159.