Spirituality and well‐being: ‘New Age’ and ‘evangelical’ spiritual expressions among young people and their implications for well‐being

Abstract

The qualitative research project, Young People and Spirituality, was conducted as part of my doctoral studies exploring the phenomenon of contemporary youth spirituality. The findings mirrored sociological accounts of postmodern religion, as most participants’ beliefs fell into one of two categories: ‘New Age’ or ‘evangelical’. These two forms of belief can be said to be orientated around individual and communal expressions of spirituality. Both systems present benefits and challenges in terms of young people’s well‐being. However, it is the interplay between an individual’s well‐being and a society’s well‐being through the lens of spirituality that raises interesting conundrums and important implications.

Keywords:

• youth
• spirituality
• well‐being
• New Age
• evangelical
• individual
• communal

Acknowledgements

The author is indebted to her supervisors, Professor Joanna Wyn and Dr Ani Wierenga. A particular thanks to Dr Wierenga who provided invaluable feedback on early drafts of this paper. Many thanks to the participants involved in this study, helpful comments from the reviewer of this paper, and, as always, to my dear family.