The Politics of the Intimate in Alternative Spiritual Communities

Abstract: This workshop will engage participants in creative dialogue around the politics of the intimate within alternative spiritual spaces. “Politics of the intimate” refers to how power operates within close-knit communities, where power can be leveraged to uplift and heal but is often abused. Intimate abuse is rooted in colonial hierarchies of gender, race, status, and caste and can take both sexual and non-sexual forms. Workshop participants will reflect on how power has been used to uphold or dismantle oppression within their spiritual communities. Our collective wisdom will generate principles and practices that support ethical uses of power in spiritual communities.

Presenter bio: Alka Arora, PhD, is an associate professor of Women’s Spirituality at the California Institute of Integral Studies; she telecommutes from Chicago, IL. Her research and teaching focus on feminist spiritual activism, integral feminist pedagogy, and decolonial vegan ethics. Alka is also a public speaker, workshop facilitator, and leadership coach.

Affiliation: California Institute of Integral Studies