A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality
In this article, we design a preliminary genealogy of yoga in Italy, showing its positioning within the growing field of “contemporary spiritualities”, their premodern, esoteric and theosophical roots and Catholicism. Our main claim is that yoga and contemporary spiritualities as practiced in XXI-ce...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/800 |
| _version_ | 1797592827673182208 |
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| author | Matteo Di Placido Stefania Palmisano |
| author_facet | Matteo Di Placido Stefania Palmisano |
| author_sort | Matteo Di Placido |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, we design a preliminary genealogy of yoga in Italy, showing its positioning within the growing field of “contemporary spiritualities”, their premodern, esoteric and theosophical roots and Catholicism. Our main claim is that yoga and contemporary spiritualities as practiced in XXI-century Italy are neither entirely new nor are they clearly an alternative to more established religions. We rely on the methods and tools of a “discursive study of religion” approach to unpack the intricacies, genealogical roots and definitional boundaries that yoga, contemporary spiritualities and religion in Italy share. More specifically, we question the novelty of contemporary spiritualities in Italy, unveiling some of their esoteric, theosophical and anthroposophical roots, presenting, in turn, a preliminary genealogy of yoga in Italy, discussing its positioning amid Catholicism and contemporary spiritualities. We conclude by reflecting on the creation, use and limits of sociocultural theorizing about interpreting and understanding the spiritual and religious field, with a specific emphasis on the overlapping and porous boundaries between the concepts of religion, contemporary spiritualities, Western esotericism and modern yoga. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:58:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ed38636bfed4a3fb1013ebd0e181193 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:58:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ed38636bfed4a3fb1013ebd0e1811932023-11-18T12:24:01ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-06-0114680010.3390/rel14060800A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary SpiritualityMatteo Di Placido0Stefania Palmisano1Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, ItalyIn this article, we design a preliminary genealogy of yoga in Italy, showing its positioning within the growing field of “contemporary spiritualities”, their premodern, esoteric and theosophical roots and Catholicism. Our main claim is that yoga and contemporary spiritualities as practiced in XXI-century Italy are neither entirely new nor are they clearly an alternative to more established religions. We rely on the methods and tools of a “discursive study of religion” approach to unpack the intricacies, genealogical roots and definitional boundaries that yoga, contemporary spiritualities and religion in Italy share. More specifically, we question the novelty of contemporary spiritualities in Italy, unveiling some of their esoteric, theosophical and anthroposophical roots, presenting, in turn, a preliminary genealogy of yoga in Italy, discussing its positioning amid Catholicism and contemporary spiritualities. We conclude by reflecting on the creation, use and limits of sociocultural theorizing about interpreting and understanding the spiritual and religious field, with a specific emphasis on the overlapping and porous boundaries between the concepts of religion, contemporary spiritualities, Western esotericism and modern yoga.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/800religionspiritualitycontemporary spiritualitiesmodern yogacrossing boundariesyoga in Italy |
| spellingShingle | Matteo Di Placido Stefania Palmisano A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality Religions religion spirituality contemporary spiritualities modern yoga crossing boundaries yoga in Italy |
| title | A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality |
| title_full | A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality |
| title_fullStr | A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality |
| title_short | A Preliminary Genealogy of Yoga in Italy: Between Religion and Contemporary Spirituality |
| title_sort | preliminary genealogy of yoga in italy between religion and contemporary spirituality |
| topic | religion spirituality contemporary spiritualities modern yoga crossing boundaries yoga in Italy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/800 |
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