Institutional Religion and Religious Experience
A number of empirical studies have shown the continuous lack of adherence and the growing autonomy of the population regarding religious institutions. This article reflects on the kind of relationship between deinstitutionalisation and religious experience based on the following hypothesis: the evid...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-09-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/10/791 |
| _version_ | 1797513257398829056 |
|---|---|
| author | Lidia Rodríguez Juan Luis de León Luzio Uriarte Iziar Basterretxea |
| author_facet | Lidia Rodríguez Juan Luis de León Luzio Uriarte Iziar Basterretxea |
| author_sort | Lidia Rodríguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A number of empirical studies have shown the continuous lack of adherence and the growing autonomy of the population regarding religious institutions. This article reflects on the kind of relationship between deinstitutionalisation and religious experience based on the following hypothesis: the evident decline in religious institutions does not necessarily lead to the disappearance or the weakening of religious experience; rather, it runs simultaneously with a process of individualisation. Our aim is to provide empirical evidence of such transformations; therefore, we do not get involved in speculations, but take into account the contributions of scholars concerning three key terms integrated in the conceptual framework of “religious experience’’: “experience of God”, “God image”, and “institutional belonging”. We analysed 39 in-depth interviews with a qualitative approach; interviews were conducted during the years 2016–2018 amongst Evangelical and Catholic populations in three Latin American cities (Córdoba, Montevideo, and Lima) and in the city of Bilbao (Spain). These interviews clearly indicate a growing autonomy from the religious institution, while evidencing a rich range of experiences of God and a great diversity of God representations. In both cases, they point to processes of individualisation of believers who elaborate their own religious experience in a personal and complex way. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:14:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3984ea0c75c7486eb190e098adb6a813 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:14:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-3984ea0c75c7486eb190e098adb6a8132023-11-22T19:51:07ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-09-01121079110.3390/rel12100791Institutional Religion and Religious ExperienceLidia Rodríguez0Juan Luis de León1Luzio Uriarte2Iziar Basterretxea3Faculty of Theology, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, SpainFaculty of Theology, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, SpainFaculty of Theology, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, SpainFaculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, SpainA number of empirical studies have shown the continuous lack of adherence and the growing autonomy of the population regarding religious institutions. This article reflects on the kind of relationship between deinstitutionalisation and religious experience based on the following hypothesis: the evident decline in religious institutions does not necessarily lead to the disappearance or the weakening of religious experience; rather, it runs simultaneously with a process of individualisation. Our aim is to provide empirical evidence of such transformations; therefore, we do not get involved in speculations, but take into account the contributions of scholars concerning three key terms integrated in the conceptual framework of “religious experience’’: “experience of God”, “God image”, and “institutional belonging”. We analysed 39 in-depth interviews with a qualitative approach; interviews were conducted during the years 2016–2018 amongst Evangelical and Catholic populations in three Latin American cities (Córdoba, Montevideo, and Lima) and in the city of Bilbao (Spain). These interviews clearly indicate a growing autonomy from the religious institution, while evidencing a rich range of experiences of God and a great diversity of God representations. In both cases, they point to processes of individualisation of believers who elaborate their own religious experience in a personal and complex way.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/10/791experience of GodGod imageGod representationindividualisationautonomyinstitutional belonging |
| spellingShingle | Lidia Rodríguez Juan Luis de León Luzio Uriarte Iziar Basterretxea Institutional Religion and Religious Experience Religions experience of God God image God representation individualisation autonomy institutional belonging |
| title | Institutional Religion and Religious Experience |
| title_full | Institutional Religion and Religious Experience |
| title_fullStr | Institutional Religion and Religious Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Institutional Religion and Religious Experience |
| title_short | Institutional Religion and Religious Experience |
| title_sort | institutional religion and religious experience |
| topic | experience of God God image God representation individualisation autonomy institutional belonging |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/10/791 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lidiarodriguez institutionalreligionandreligiousexperience AT juanluisdeleon institutionalreligionandreligiousexperience AT luziouriarte institutionalreligionandreligiousexperience AT iziarbasterretxea institutionalreligionandreligiousexperience |