Popular and lived religions

This article discusses the sociological understanding of popular religion by first exploring the theories of Gramsci. It then critiques this approach by arguing that the social construction of popular religion in contrast to institutionalized religion is not as clear cut in our late modern, multi-faith and global world as it was in the early modern period. Through the use of new internet methodologies (e.g. Ngram Viewer), it is argued that if spirituality reflects the democratization process of mysticism, popular religion, on the contrary, represents its gentrification