Religions as brands?: religion and spirituality in consumer society

This article gives an interdisciplinary account of the societal causes as well as individual and organizational effects of religious consumer society. It integrates and systematizes contributions from economics of religion, marketing, and sociology of religion. The article presents the causes of rel...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Stolz, Joerg (Author) ; Usunier, Jean-Claude 1951- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: International Association of Management, Spirituality & Religion [2019]
In: Journal of management, spirituality & religion
Year: 2019, Volume: 16, Issue: 1, Pages: 6-31
IxTheo Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
CB Christian life; spirituality
CH Christianity and Society
Further subjects:B Secularization
B Transcendence
B Aufsatz in Zeitschrift
B Branding
B Religiosity
B Marketing
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Summary:This article gives an interdisciplinary account of the societal causes as well as individual and organizational effects of religious consumer society. It integrates and systematizes contributions from economics of religion, marketing, and sociology of religion. The article presents the causes of religious consumer society and the most frequent individual adaptations (quality expectations, religious shopping, syncretism) and organizational responses (marketing and branding strategies). Findings are that (1) in the religious consumer society, individuals are free not to be religious or spiritual, putting religious associations in competition with secular organizations, and possibly leading to secularization, (2) it is exaggerated to speak of shopping and consuming as the "new religions" of Western societies, and (3) religious marketing and branding face important limitations, some internal and some external to religious and spiritual organizations, due to the dilemma between marketing practices and transcendental claims. We suggest ways and means to solve this dilemma.
ISSN:1942-258X
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of management, spirituality & religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/14766086.2018.1445008