The Corporate Form of Religion Reading Group

How do we talk about ‘religion and business’ without the ‘and’? In other words, can we analyze ‘religion’ and ‘business’ without assuming that these are two a priori distinct fields of action whose combination leads to either juxtaposition (‘religion and business’) or category collapse (‘religious business’ or ‘corporate religion’)? This monthly reading group will explore how post-1970s spirituality has synchronized with neoliberalism to blur the boundary between religious and business ventures as they vie for shared spirits of trade and value. We will read diverse theoretical and ethnographic material.

The reading group will meet both in person and on Zoom.