The Transformation of Religiosity in Portugal and Greece: An Ethnographic Comparison of New Spirituality and Religious Pluralism in Southern Europe

Abstract

Based on anthropological fieldwork in Lisbon, Portugal and Athens, Greece, this article presents a comparative account of New Age spirituality in southern Europe, a geographical and socio-cultural area where studies of the New Age phenomenon are scarce to find. It will be shown how this recent turn to "new spirituality” leads to a transformation of everyday religiosity and to a new form of religious pluralism, where people have the choice to follow alternative spiritual paths. The focus is on how these practices of New Age spirituality, which range from alternative therapies, communication with angels and tarot, to yoga, meditation retreats and shamanism, make their way into the everyday lives of people, affecting their religious beliefs and aspirations, challenging the dominance of Christianity and claiming a significant position within the Portuguese and Greek religiosity more persistently.