Consumer spirituality

Abstract

Consumers increasingly turn to the marketplace in search of spiritual well-being. In this introduction to the special issue, we unpack the concept of consumer spirituality. We define consumer spirituality as the interrelated practices and processes engaged in when consuming market offerings (products, services, places) that yield 'spiritual utility'. The market offerings are purposely designed to quench consumers' thirst for meaningful encounters with one's inner self or a higher external power. We identify three vehiclesmateriality, embodiment, and technologythat consumers engage with to access consumer spirituality. By unpacking the concept of consumer spirituality along three themes -(1) shaping markets for consumer spirituality, (2) the means for accessing consumer spirituality, and (3) making sense of and researching consumer spirituality -we provide a future research agenda to advance scholarly explorations of consumer spirituality and to facilitate a systematic development of this nascent body of literature in marketing and consumer research.

Mapping the absence: a theological critique of posthumanist influences in marketing and consumer research

“…Similarly, from a marketing viewpoint, theology departments are not especially known for their keen interest in popular culture or consumption, nor for their deep, enthusiastic involvement in the world of technological innovations. Yet, while not particularly prolific, interest in theological, religious and spiritual issues is far from absent in marketing and consumer research (see Belk & Tumbat, 2005;Benton, 2014;Brown et al, 1997;Cruz et al, 2018;Engelland, 2014;Husemann & Eckhardt, 2019). However, what usually falls under scrutiny is the way in which various religious or spiritual beliefs can be marketed and marketised (e.g.…”

“…Brown et al, 2001;Tadajewski & Jones, 2014;Tadajewski & Saren, 2008) and religiosity (e.g. Benton, 2014;Engelland, 2014;Husemann & Eckhardt, 2019) in marketing and consumer research to show how a theological analysis can shed light on the less-understood conceptual underpinnings of these discourses. Instead of exploring, reflexively and critically, religious worldviews and practices, we turn a theological gaze inwards.…”

Toward a divine economic system: Understanding exchanges in a religious consumption field

“…As a reflection of modern economic systems, adherents pay money and consumer objects to religious deities, institutions, and agents of religious deities, but toward the same ends as their ancestors (Miller, 2004). Visits and/or pilgrimages to religious institutions and places like temples, monasteries, shrines, and pilgrimage historically and presently enable religious exchange as people pay offerings, perform sacrificial rituals, experience transformations, or purchase religious objects and relics for their consumption or as gifts (Husemann and Eckhardt, 2019; Miller, 2004; Moufahim, 2013). Beyond monetary payments, religious exchanges can include asceticism (e.g.…”

“…First, until recently, the academy was less interested in religion as a consumption field, even though research acknowledged the influence of religiosity and religious themes on consumer behavior in the marketplace (Engelland, 2014; Muniz Jr and Schau, 2005). There has, however, been a recent and growing interest in the consumption of spirituality (Husemann and Eckhardt, 2019) and the marketing of religion (Carrette et al, 2005). These studies, however, focus on the blurred lines between the sacred and the profane (O’Guinn and Belk, 1989), increasing marketization of religion (McAlexander et al, 2014), the emerging marketplaces of spirituality (Rinallo et al, 2013), and the practices and value of consuming religion and spirituality (Appau et al, 2020).…”

“…Religion is a consumption field—a social space where people compete for and demonstrate their relative positions through consumption (McAlexander et al, 2014), and in this consumption field, religion (and spirituality) is consumed as a service or value. Indeed, there has been a recent acceleration in research on the consumption of religion and spirituality (Husemann and Eckhardt, 2019; Rinallo et al, 2013). But these studies privilege the market and its ability to facilitate religious or spirituality experiences, usually overlooking the exchanges that facilitate the consumption of religion and the religious consumption field therein.…”