White Utopias

The Religious Exoticism of Transformational Festivals

Amanda J. Lucia

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Hardback

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English

University of California Press
13 October 2020

Religion & beliefs

Transformational festivals, from Burning Man to Lightning in a Bottle, Bhakti Fest, and Wanderlust, are massive events that attract thousands of participants to sites around the world. In this groundbreaking book, Amanda J. Lucia shows how these festivals operate as religious institutions for “spiritual, but not religious” (SBNR) communities. Whereas previous research into SBNR practices and New Age religion has not addressed the predominantly white makeup of these communities, White Utopias examines the complicated, often contradictory relationships with race at these events, presenting an engrossing ethnography of SBNR practices. Lucia contends that participants create temporary utopias through their shared commitments to spiritual growth and human connection. But they also participate in religious exoticism by adopting Indigenous and Indic spiritualities, a practice that ultimately renders them exclusive, white utopias. Focusing on yoga’s role in disseminating SBNR values, Lucia offers new ways of comprehending transformational festivals as significant cultural phenomena.

By: Amanda J. Lucia
Imprint: University of California Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9780520376946
ISBN 10: 0520376943
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 13 October 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Amanda J. Lucia is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside, and the author of Reflections of Amma: Devotees in a Global Embrace.

Reviews for White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of Transformational Festivals

"""Lucia’s sharp analysis and enthusiasm for historical and theoretical context dominates the book."" * High Country News * ""Being highly engaging and informative, this book is a valuable read for all scholars interested in contemporary questions of religion and spirituality."" * Religious Studies Review * ""Lucia’s work brings an important and timely perspective on the racialised power dynamics of [‘spiritual but not religious’] communities to the study of contemporary yoga."" * Religion *"