Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities

This book explores the phenomenon of conversion to Shi'a Islam in Italy. It thoroughly examines the motivations behind this religious transition and scrutinizes the doctrinal characteristics that Shiism incorporates thanks to the contributions of Italian converts. The text emphasizes the significance of René Guénon’s Traditionalism as a pivotal factor in driving this religious mobility. Additionally, the book delves into the writings of figures such as Julius Evola, who introduced Guénon to Italy, shedding light on Evola’s impact on the youth in the post-World War II era. Furthermore, it evaluates the influence of Henry Corbin on this spiritual journey. To realize this study, between 2018 and 2023, Minoo Mirshahvalad employed multidisciplinary methods that integrated sociology and history.  

An anthology of diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to new spiritualities, this volume brings together interdisciplinary case studies from literature, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and religious studies. It focuses on a range of figures, movements, concepts, and practices associated with non-traditional spiritualities in contemporary Türkiye, examining how novel, eclectic, quasi-desacralized, and self-oriented forms of spirituality are increasingly favored over traditional ones. Grounded in the current cultural context, the contributors explore how spiritualities originally inspired by Southeast Asian traditions, Shamanic practices, and other sources are first transformed into Western forms, then adapted into Muslim-Turkish settings. The term “alternative” highlights the creative, eclectic, non-traditional, or even anti-religious nature of such practices. As the first volume of its kind, this book is an essential resource for scholars of new religious movements and alternative spiritualities in Türkiye.