From Benign Anarchy to Divine Anarchy: A Critical Review of “Spiritual Anarchism”
Anthony Fiscella
Chapter from the book: Christoyannopoulos A. & Adams M. 2020. Essays in Anarchism and Religion: Volume III.
Part of
Chapter from the book: Christoyannopoulos A. & Adams M. 2020. Essays in Anarchism and Religion: Volume III.
Rather than assuming that such a thing as “spiritual anarchism” exists (a union of two highly contested terms), this chapter critically examines whom the label has applied to, whom it could refer to, and how we might conceive its story. Beginning with a critique of subtle but significant legacies of colonialism inherent within contemporary terms such as “religion” and “politics” as well as “anarchism” and “spirituality,” this chapter moves from an overview of literature on “spiritual anarchism” (Sri Aurobindo, Peter Lamborn Wilson, etc.) to discussion of forgotten stories (Krishnamurti, Womanism, MOVE, etc.) and concludes with an eye toward future studies of “spiritual anarchist” praxis (Auroville, Alcoholics Anonymous, etc.).
Fiscella, A. 2020. From Benign Anarchy to Divine Anarchy: A Critical Review of “Spiritual Anarchism”. In: Christoyannopoulos A. & Adams M (eds.), Essays in Anarchism and Religion. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/bbb.h
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Published on June 11, 2020