Practicing Belonging at the Margins: Lived Spirituality, Informality, and the Limits of Inclusion

This presentation examines belonging as a lived and practiced process through the study of informal spiritual communities in contemporary Vietnam. Drawing on theories of lived spirituality and social boundary making, it explores how belonging is cultivated through everyday practices, shared rituals, and relational negotiations outside institutional frameworks. The presentation highlights key tensions in which practices of inclusion simultaneously produce new boundaries and informal hierarchies, revealing the paradoxical and limited nature of belonging. By foregrounding informality, the paper contributes to critical conversations on the ethical stakes of belonging in spiritual, academic, and social contexts central to the mission of Program for the Evolution of Spirituality.