Communicative constructivism's potential for the study of contemporary body-based spiritualities
February 25, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003600619-20 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractCommunicative constructivism, an analytical framework from sociology, can be applied to study contemporary body-based spirituality, such as the (neo-)sannyas movement around the Indian guru Osho. Based on an ethnographic study in Scandinavia, Germany, and India, the chapter argues that today's sannyas scene and similar communities around meditation, yoga, or spiritual body-based therapy are characterized less by centralized organization than by shared communicative forms that produce affective experiences. Centering these forms allows for detailed analyses of situational interaction, comparison across social contexts, and historical questions about religious change. Using Osho's active meditations as an example, the chapter presents theoretical and methodological considerations for investigating bodily performative forms' effects on practitioners' subjectivation processes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Ethnographic study |
|---|---|
| Population | Contemporary expressions of the (neo-)sannyas movement around the Indian guru Osho in Scandinavia, Germany, and India |
| Keywords | Performative utterance Spiritualities Situational ethics Ethnography Social constructivism |
| Key finding | Argues that shared communicative forms, rather than centralized organization, characterize contemporary body-based spiritual communities like the Osho sannyas movement, and that these forms produce affective experiences and shape practitioners' subjectivation. |
Abstract
This chapter outlines how the tools of communicative constructivism can be made fruitful for the study of contemporary body-based spirituality. Communicative constructivism offers an analytical framework not only fit for studies within the sociology of religion but also capable of giving impetus to current debates within the historical and comparative study of religions. The reflections are based on findings from an ethnographic study of contemporary expressions of the (neo-)sannyas movement around the Indian guru Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, 1931–1990) in Scandinavia, Germany, and India. Today's sannyas scene and other communities around meditation, yoga, or spiritual body-based therapy are characterized less by centralized organization than by shared communicative forms that produce affective experiences. Centering these communicative forms not only allows for detailed analyses of situational interaction but also offers possibilities for comparison of how shared communicative forms are interpreted and legitimized in different social contexts. In addition, it holds potential for historical questions regarding the genealogy of communicative forms and, thus, for the study of religious change. Finally, using Osho's active meditations as an example, the chapter presents theoretical and methodological considerations for investigating bodily performative forms' effects on practitioners' subjectivation processes.