(CHICAGO) For Steven Hartman, spiritual development is a way of life. He was baptized Catholic and raised in the Methodist and Episcopalian faiths, but hasn't attended any of those churches since he embarked on a spiritual quest at 18. That's when he left his Chicago home with $600 in his pocket and backpacked to the West Coast, "just to find God."
Hartman, 41, delved into all the experiential workshops of the 1970s, from est to its offshoots, Lifespring and Lifestream. After graduating from Illinois State University with a major in psychology and sociology, he spent eight years living on an ashram in Massachusetts, "completely fervent and dedicated to vegetarianism, yoga, and meditation."
He was introduced to "A Course in Miracles," a three-volume metaphysical and psychological self-study system in 1976 when it was still an underground phenomenon. He has been studying it ever since. Now a massage therapist, spiritual counselor, and yoga teacher, Hartman also presides over a weekly "Course" discussion group.
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| It's not something one can easily describe as 'America is becoming less religious or more religious.' We may have a restructuring of what standard religious practice is in America. | ||
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Hartman's weekly gathering is among thousands of small groups that meet regularly to discuss "A Course in Miracles." Some participants also attend churches, and some do not, but either way they are emblematic of a vast cultural shift from "religion" to "spirituality."
Religious and spiritual beliefs have traditionally been the province of institutions but these days such matters are regarded as highly personal. The result is that spiritual experience is replacing religious doctrine as many people mix elements from diverse traditions to form fluid spiritual practices geared to their individual needs.
