ARE YOU A METROSPIRITUAL?
Beliefnet has a provocative piece up titled “Riding the Metrospiritual Wave” which suggests that a new brand of spiritualism is emerging among Americans.
Do you go out of your way to buy organic food? Have you thought about the wu wei in your home? Have you tried yoga, belly-dancing, or surfing recently? Are you attracted to traditional crafts from other cultures or have you started knitting? Do you own a Prius or have you thought about buying a hybrid car? Are you a tea connoisseur or an organic wine- and beer-drinker? Is there a certain aromatherapy scent that brings you comfort, especially in candle form? If most of your answers are yes, then count yourself among the growing numbers of metrospirituals—the kinder, gentler post-Yuppies who want to treat the earth and native cultures with respect, connect with their inner source and inspiration, test their bodies and expand their minds with ancient physical practices—and do it all with serious style.
Ariana Speyer identifies Whole Foods, Anthropologie, and ABC Carpet & Home as the “holy trinity of metrospiritualism.” Documenting the increasing success of these companies (and many others), Speyer points out that this new spiritualism is increasingly apparent among not only the Hollywood-elite, but even among mainstream America. She concludes the article in this way:
In a time of political uncertainty, natural disasters, and terrorist threats, maybe what metrospirituals are really doing is holding out the hope that, through their personal practices and purchases, they are making the world a safer, more friendly, benevolent place. And who’s to say they’re not?
Not to be a cynic, but what Speyer notes is nothing new. It is simply a new wardrobe placed upon the same figure of consumeristic spirituality. Here’s my take on why these companies seen a soar in revenue: as our society has become increasingly globalized, Americans have increasingly felt the tension of justifying their ostentatious consumerism. Global suffering, poverty, injustice, etc. is now presented to us in a way unprecedented in human history. So now, the wealthiest people in the world have to find a way to reconcile their need to always have the newest, most fashionable, and most desirable products with what they see in the world around us. So enter Speyer’s trinity - Americans can still hold on to their consumeristic values by buying fair-trade coffee, organic produce at WholeFoods, etc.
Christians should certainly long for justice and relief of the poor. But we also need to be honest with ourselves as to how the way in which we spend our money reflects our priorities and values. Ultimately it is through the power of the gospel made manifest in the local church that we have hope of seeing our globe transformed.
November 8th, 2005 at 10:24 pm
I work for Whole Foods. I don’t go out of my way for organic but if I can get it… Wu wei? I would like to take Yoga for the stretching not the spiritual mumbo jumbo. The only traditional crafts in my home come from mission trips. When gas hit $3 a Prius was looking good. Couldn’t afford it. I love a good tea. We sell and iced one that is jasmine and green tea, no sweetner. None needed. Great stuff. I do have some aromatherepy in my office to help me concentrate and focus. Not listed but I also practice homeopathy.
Dang close, huh? I’m scared. What’s next, Openness Theology or something?
November 9th, 2005 at 2:54 pm
I don’t think that’s the logical consequence of what I am saying. Someone who shops at Whole Foods is not necessarily within this category. My contention is that there is a subculture of trendsetters, many in Hollywood, who have fused their ostentatious consumerism with their social activism and nebulous spiritualism. I don’t think the same can be said of TEDS students.
November 9th, 2005 at 6:40 pm
Well, you had me worried there. I do like the term “metrospiritual”. With Tom “Insane” Cruise spouting his Scientology and Madonna her Kabbala stuff it seems like spiritual is hip. I wonder if Bono might be partially to blame for that?
You know, I have heard evangelicals fuse consumerism with social activism too. Don’t use AT&T because they promote homosexuality. Don’t shop at Target because they donate money to Planned Parenthood.
What about that meat sacraficed to idols? Didn’t they have to buy it from the temple?
November 10th, 2005 at 4:18 am
Metrospirituality: Shopping Is a Feeling
Does buying stuff make you feel special… holy even? Do you approach cashiers and checkout counters with a nervous reverence and walk out of stores feeling like a million bucks, instead of like you just spent a million bucks?
If you answered yes t…
November 10th, 2005 at 10:51 am
I only drink organic Coke. This post is quite informative. I think you hit the nail on the head, also - there’s nothing new under the sun, but people are always trying to get attention by claiming that something is the “newest thing”
November 13th, 2005 at 11:49 pm
Around the ‘Sphere
~ Volume XVI ~
It’s morning again in the blogosphere, as blogging has now resumed at Le Sabot Post-Moderne! Discoshaman has hit the ground running, with ruminatinos on the viability of multiculturalism, and rumblings of a new sub-blog focusi…
November 30th, 2005 at 3:57 am
How can buying organic be “consumerism” but buying conventional isn’t? We gotta eat, and at least people who buy organic are mindful of what they buy. Believe it or not, there are better reasons to purchase something than because it’s cheap. Organic doesn’t mean weird New Age propaganda. Organic just means the way food has always been grown, until post-WW2 when people started dousing crops in pesticide. Some people may be “metrospiritual” for supporting it, but others may just be saying “yes” to better stewardship of land and resources. I suppose buying “free trade” could be nothing more than an ego-boost, but really, do the people on the other end, actually being treated fairly, care why someone bought it? Is it better to buy unfair-trade coffee because no one is too proud of themsevles for buying it? To me, organic and free-trade mean stewardship (land remains more healthy and more fertile, which provides more nutritious food and land that can be used again and again) and thoughtfulness (just because we will save a few cents buying conventional products doesn’t mean we should practice unfair trade practices with poorer countries to do it). I get just as annoyed with the Hollywood types who toss around a bunch of spiritual-sounding lingo, but let’s not confuse them with people (and Christians, at that) who are just trying to be aware of how their purchases affect more than just their own bank accounts.
December 11th, 2005 at 7:16 pm
I’d never heard of this before I read an article in the style section of today’s paper. So I had to look it up. I liked your comments. My question: Is this like religion for rich people? The Christian New Testament is really hard on rich people, so maybe this is an alternative?. At least it is not the double standard many rich christians have. This definition from the beliefnet article amazed me: “…metrospirituals–the kinder, gentler post-Yuppies who want to treat the earth and native cultures with respect, connect with their inner source and inspiration, test their bodies and expand their minds with ancient physical practices–and do it all with serious style.” Who makes up this stuff?
February 23rd, 2006 at 11:21 am
My Mom always told us to shop locally and that our only true vote was with our dollar. I am happy to see this concept is catching on!
June 8th, 2006 at 1:57 am
I had never heard of this term before but I just read a book that really embodied this whole metrospiritual movement. It was called First Class Ticket by Ann Marie Zakos. The author describes a group of metrospiritual college students as they unravel the nine truths of life through a philosophy class. It was kind of like the Purpose Driven Life meets the Breakfast Club. The notion of finding inner peace and contentment is really catching on apart from the steoreotypes. Right On! If you want to learn more I would recommend reading the book.