Spirituality, Wellness, and Identity: Making Meaning in the Modern World

1 Course Unit

The fastest growing religion in the United States is "no religion." More and more people in the modern world are abandoning traditional institutional religions and taking up alternative ways of making meaning in their lives. These alternatives include health and wellness routines, sports, social justice initiatives, food cultures, meditation and yoga, philanthropy, ethnic and cultural identity memberships, gardening, music, and the like. In this course, we will explore these alternative paths, watch interviews with chefs, philanthropists, wellness experts, sports enthusiasts, as well as explore horticulture, new ascetic movements, and speak with social justice activists. We will ask ourselves, can we be spiritual in a post- religious world and what role can religion still play? 1 Course Unit