Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants
Reviving the Soul of Revolution: Rediscovering Leftist Spirituality
Department
Sociology
College
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Date Range
2011-2012
Abstract
The paper develops a critical analysis of social movements on the left and the right, using historical-comparative methods. While the right has sustained a consistent presence in US politics and culture, the left has faded almost entirely form view. Although common political interests with capitalist economic pursuits clearly plays a role, the paper focuses on the cultural and spiritual aspects, namely, that the right draws consistently from conservative evangelical Christianity or biological essentialism to maintain a coherent collective unity across generations. In contrast, the left has no spiritual or other transcendent motivation, and consequently it cannot sustain comparable levels of commitment or enthusiasm. In conclusion, the paper suggests possible foundations for a leftist spirituality.
Conference Name
Annual Meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society
Conference Location
Minneapolis, MN
ScholarWorks Citation
Lundskow, George, "Reviving the Soul of Revolution: Rediscovering Leftist Spirituality" (2011). Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants. 361.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/fsdg/361
