---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: pk sasiddharan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 14 Jun 2008 08:02:42 -0000 Subject: for kind attention To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
UNDERSTANDING THE DISSIDENT STREAMS IN SPIRITUALITY
[Theme-note for the workshop]
Department of Philosophy,Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady,
Kerala-683574
Though the concepts of religion and spirituality are not mutually
exclusive, they often seem to be at loggerheads with respect to one's
priority over the other. Those who argue in favor of religion consider it as
a means for the realisation of the other. Whereas, the other section would
think the latter can exist independently of the former. This issue has
remained as a perpetual source of conflict within every religion. However,
when the domain of spirituality is taken separately, it is seen to have a
range of significance for life outside the frame of religion. Such a
perspective of spirituality has evoked a need for the reconstruction of, or
rethinking on the dominant conceptions of religious spirituality from
different quarters. It has also caused the denominational or sectarian
divisions within the established religions, paving way for the emergence of
various reform movements. Viewing the demand for religious reforms as a
co-option or containment strategy, spiritual radicals have called for the
rejection of religion in favor of faith in the divinity. But there are
sections to view these changes rather as a reflection of dynamics of social
realities and other historical processes that take place in every society.
Instead of confining the debate on spirituality to the developments within
the theological and denominational divisions, the present proposal is to see
the very dynamics of the concept of spirituality specifically.
Mysticism and the similar kind of deep-spirituality movements are
often being understood or identified as the dissenting voices within the
organised religions; for their challenges against the dry formalism,
ritualism, and doctrinal absolutism and dogmatism etc. At the same time the
attributes like life negation, world denial, asceticism, other worldliness,
self-centeredness, pessimism, etc. are also ascribed to their traits in
general.
However, it is to be debated whether these characterisations are suitable in
the same way for all the kinds of spiritual practices or perspectives of
different cultures? If these traits form the paradigm of spirituality, how
do we understand the beliefs and practices that are not conforming to this?
Do we need to understand the spirituality in contra distinction to religion
alone? Do the beliefs and practices only form part of sheer non-spiritual
ritualism? Do all the ritual practices really form part of religion
otherwise? How do we understand the non-conformism of spirituality other
then in terms of a critique of religion? Is there any revival or recovery of
spirituality within religion based on the issues other than theological or
ritualistic reasons? What are the possibilities of demarcating spirituality
independently of ecclesiastical reasons? Does every dissident stream of
spirituality transcend the frame of religion or fall back upon religiosity?
How do we account the non-religious and non-spiritual linkages of spiritual
practices?
In order to explore the questions regarding the nature of dissident streams
of spirituality, it seems we need to address the specific practices in their
specific contexts.
Focus of the Workshop
This workshop is the fourth one of its kind to be conducted by the
co-ordinator towards the direction of exploring the specificity and
creativity of intellectual practices [of a region], in relation to the
extent of its conversancy with life-situation of the respective population.
This is also meant for drawing a broad perspective for a UGC Major Research
Project on 'The conceptual Dynamics of Religious and Spiritual Practices in
Kerala: Towards a Praxiological Analysis', which is being carried out by the
co-ordinator. Therefore this workshop shall be conducted with an emphasis on
the spiritual practices of Kerala.
Co-ordinator,
P. K. Sasidharan
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mob: 09447262817
Broad Areas of Attention.
Religion-Spirituality interface.
Religion, religiosity and spirituality
Dimensions of sanyasa.
Dimensions of spirituality
Spiritual reforms.
Secular spirituality.
Political spirituality.
Feminine spirituality.
Eco-spirituality.
Earth spirituality.
Dalit Spirituality.
Ethical spirituality.
Aesthetic spirituality.
Spirituality as religion.
Freedom spirituality.
Body oriented spirituality.
Civil religion,
Humanist religion.
Politics as spirituality.
Secular theology.
Liberation theology.
Negative theology.
New age spirituality.
Spiritual fundamentalism.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Green Youth Movement" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
workshop_on_dissident__spiryality__for_comments.doc
Description: MS-Word document
