FoC 155: Answering New Ageism: The Draw of Spirituality Without Religion with Matt Nelson

Why is New Age spirituality so appealing to millennials (and other generations!)? What is it about human beings that makes us wired for spirituality and a desire to know that we are significant in the universe–even when we reject religious faith? We’re chatting about everything from looking to the stars for meaning to looking to personality types for meaning and what’s at the heart of these longings with Matt Nelson!

Matt is a full-time Fellow of the Word on Fire Institute. He is the author of Just Whatever: How to Help the Spiritually Indifferent Find Beliefs That Really Matter (Catholic Answers Press, 2018), and the forthcoming book On the Far Side of Reason (Word on Fire Press, 2022). In 2019, he moved from Saskatchewan to Texas with his wife Amanda and their three children–(and Christy and Haley got to meet Amanda at the Raspberry Cordial Gathering!) .

In this episode we dive into a thought-provoking piece Matt wrote recently about New Ageism and we chat about Madeleine L’Engle’s take on the subject. We also discuss why we’re all fascinated by personality types like Myers-Briggs, the four temperaments, or the Enneagram–and how to be aware of the limits (and potential pitfalls) of these ways of understanding and categorizing ourselves. And we talk about how to evangelize a culture that rejects organized religion but is still drawn to spirituality.

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy the conversation!

Things we talked about: The Vatican’s document: Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life

Sponsor

Today’s episode is sponsored by House of Joppa, a Catholic gift shop that exists to share the beauty of our Catholic faith in our homes through a variety of home decor pieces, Catholic art, Saint candles, statues, paper goods and beautifully crafted jewelry.  

Why House of Joppa?

“What’s in a name?” as Shakespeare so famously asked.  House of Joppa is rooted in scripture.

Acts 9:36-42 tells the story of a faithful disciple named Tabitha from Joppa who was known for her good works and helping the poor.  In a few short verses, Scripture tells us the miraculous story of how Tabitha died and was raised to life again by St. Peter.  The story spread throughout the region and “many believed in the Lord.”  

House of Joppa is designed to inspire you to live your faith boldly in a world in such desperate need of beauty and that by doing so, many will come to believe in our Lord!

About Our Products

Every House of Joppa product is curated from artisans throughout the world, many of whom share our Catholic faith. They make wonderful gifts for special occasions or to simply raise the spirits of a friend who needs a little reminder of their faith.

Head on over to House of Joppa and get 15% off with discount code CARROTS15

Connect with Matt:

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