The Ethic of Spirituality and the Non‐Angry Subject

Abstract

This article is based on ethnographic studies of several spiritual groups in Israel. It offers a critical analysis of the discursive practices employed with regard to the link between spirituality and anger. We found that the emotion of anger occupies a singular status in New Age culture. By marking it as an uncontrollable and explosive emotion, anger is constructed as a key emotion that reflects and signifies the subject's proximity to the ideal spiritual personality. Our findings furthermore reveal two main emotion pedagogies employed to construct anger and to cope with it. In the discussion section, we address the affinity between the spiritual ethic and the nonangry subject, and the alliance between the spiritual, the therapeutic and the neo‐liberal discourses that sustains this affinity. This discursive alliance stands in the way of the adoption of critical cultural orientations toward the emotion of anger. [spirituality, emotions, anger, subjectivity, discursive alliance, emotion pedagogies]

Secular feelings, settler feelings: the case of Palestine/Israel

“…However, there is little research on (multi-ethnic) hiloni emotions. Exceptionally, Simchai and Shoshana (2018) show that while globalised New Ageism encourages emotional expression, Jewish-Israeli, hiloni New Ageism encourages some restraint.…”

Birthing A Secret Creative Self in Suppressive Organizations

“…The Center also estimated that 10,000 people were members of these cults, including 1000 minors. One can understand the popularity of these cults in light of recent trends in the Israeli religious landscape (Ruah‐Midbar and Klin‐Oron 2013; Simchai and Shoshana 2018). New religious movements (NRMs) are a growing presence both globally, as part of a “post‐secular” turn toward greater spirituality, and as a particular phenomenon within Israel.…”

The making of Jewish authenticity: The hybrid discourse of authenticity of New Age Judaism and the complexities of religious individualization

“…It is under late capitalism that the shift in the psychological focus to the realization of the self engendered new forms of spirituality that fuse the religious with the therapeutic (Altglas, 2014;Rudnyckyj, 2009). This fusion is especially evident in contemporary spiritualities, which tend to use a therapeutic language that emphasizes that spiritual development is attained through self-improvement, autonomy, and accountability (Simchai and Shoshana, 2018;Tucker, 2002). Furthermore, under the sway of late capitalism and neoliberalism, the idea of the spiritual authentic self has become tantamount to the focus on the individual, the inner self and to the formation of a selfhood that should be constantly realized and transformed (Ganti, 2014;Simchai and Shoshana, 2018).…”

“…Influenced by consumer culture and neoliberal ideology, religion has been restructured as an arena of choice, reshaped by the subjective revolution into a lifestyle and a resource for life ethics (Gauthier et al, 2013;Sandikci, 2018). Furthermore, various religious and spiritual configuration have adopted a therapeutic language which emphasizes that spiritual development is attained through autonomy, choice and selfimprovement and realization (Simchai and Shoshana, 2018;Tucker, 2002). The discourse of Jewish authenticity offered by the NAJ communities that are discussed in this article is no exception.…”