18. How We Gather with Angie Thurston

Spiritual Commerce

The intersection of spirituality and commerce raises questions about authenticity and community. Jeff Krasno explores how commercial enterprises like SoulCycle incorporate spiritual elements, questioning if this commodification is genuine or merely a marketing strategy 1. Angie Thurston highlights the disparity between financially successful ventures like CrossFit and struggling community-based initiatives, suggesting a need for a shift in the spiritual economy 2. She notes, "I would love to see part of the paradigm shift that we seem to be experiencing around spirituality and meaning making, to also include a paradigm shift around the way that this entire economy of meaning making is operating."

I would love to see part of the paradigm shift that we seem to be experiencing around spirituality and meaning making, to also include a paradigm shift around the way that this entire economy of meaning making is operating.

--- Angie Thurston

This shift could lead to more equitable support for diverse spiritual communities.

   

Activity-Based Spirituality

Activities like yoga and CrossFit are increasingly seen as avenues for spiritual and community engagement. Jeff Krasno shares how his wife's yoga studio became a healing space post-9/11, emphasizing the spiritual potential of physical practices 2. Angie Thurston discusses the "unbundling" of spirituality, where individuals draw from various practices to create personal spiritual paths 3. She explains, "There's a kind of unbundling of the offering that were once all held together in a single religious institution and an attempt to remix them in an individual life."

There's a kind of unbundling of the offering that were once all held together in a single religious institution and an attempt to remix them in an individual life.

--- Angie Thurston

This trend reflects a broader shift towards personalized spiritual experiences.