Spiritual Shopper

In England, the television show “Spirituality Shopper” offers a variety of religious experiences in a sense that William James could not have imagined. One woman, when asked to select something from the spiritual superstore—among the choices were an introduction to Buddhist meditation, a Jewish Sabbath-eve meal, and a Christian Lenten charity—chose Sufi whirling. Missing, of course, was any sense that religious traditions build up meaning only over time and in a communal context.

—Kathleen Norris, Acedia& Me