In a time of rapid religious disaffiliation and increased social disconnection, it is possible to find ways to feel truly connected to ourselves, one another, the natural world, and the transcendent through everyday activities.
With stories from Soul Cycle and Crossfit, maker spaces, grief and loss groups and others, Casper ter Kuile argues in his first book - THE POWER OF RITUAL: Turning Everyday practices Into Soulful Practices - that those who eschew organized religious practices have created religious communities anew in seemingly secular spaces, and that the practices of reading, eating, walking, resting and journaling can be deepened to become meaningful rituals by adopting ancient wisdom.
The crisis of isolation is real as our modern technological society has left too many of us feeling isolated and bereft of purpose. Previous frameworks for building community and finding meaning no longer support us. However, ter Kuile reveals a hopeful new message: we might not be religious, but that doesn’t mean we are any less spiritual. In fact, he says, we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in which we seek belonging and meaning in secular practices.
The Power of Ritual invites us to deepen seemingly ordinary practices as intentional rituals that nurture connection and wellbeing. With wisdom and endearing wit, ter Kuile’s call for ritual is ultimately a call to heal our loss of connection to ourselves, to others, and to our spiritual identities.
The Power of Ritual reminds us that what we already do each day matters and has the potential to become a powerful experience of reflection, sanctuary, and meaning.
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