The Politics of Spirituality A Study of a Renewal Process in an English Diocese

This book provides the first in-depth case study of "Renew," a pastoral program of religious revitalization originated in the United States in 1976 and now widely adopted throughout the Roman Catholic world. Initiated from the top down in a hierarchically-structured church, it can be seen as an example of clerical attempts to stimulate and control lay spirituality in a controlled manner. The authors look at the history of organizations within the Roman Catholic Church and the effects of modernity on religious practice. The work will be of special interest to sociologists and students of the sociology of religion, as well as students of theology and religious studies.

Margaret Norris is a former Senior Research Fellow at the University of Surrey.