iPhones, Uggs, and Religion

While reading my morning Tempo section of the Chicago Tribune, I stumbled upon an article title that immediately got my attention. It read: "Catholicism suddenly trendy." It wasn't the religion or even the article itself that stood out to me, it was the word describing Catholicism, "trendy." In American Studies, we are discussing the lives of the Puritans, a community based off of religion, and eventually, Puritanism died out, just like how snap-on bracelets or baggy overalls died out in the 90s. So that got me thinking, is religion simply put, a trend?


A trend in fashion is made by a designer who is sick of the old trends so he/she designs a line, puts it on the runway, and one domino effect later, every Walmart or Kohl's is mass producing it. If brought down to the basics, religion is very similar. For example, Puritanism was created by a group of people who were sick of Europe being under the Catholic rule, so they started Puritanism. Puritanism didn't become the "next hot thing" per say, but it had enough of a following to bring people over to the New World, begin communities there and later have the country be one of the most powerful in the world. However, similar to every trend, it died off and newer religions took hold of the populations creating the United States of America to be what it is today. In today's world, Kabbalism is an example of a "trendy religion." It is a mystical religion inspired by the Jews thousands of years before it was sold to the American public by Madonna and her red bracelet. Still today people strut around with their evil eye bracelets although they may not know the true Kabbalistic reasons behind it. The difference however, is that in America it is more about the trendiness of Kabbalism than the actual practice of it.


I am not saying religion is strictly or predominantly trendy. However, when looked at closely, the connection between religion and the word trend is more evident then one would expect which I find very interesting.

Some websites that might interest you:

Kabbalah: http://www.kabbalah.com/01.php

The article I read (in the paper it was titled "Catholicism Suddenly Trendy"): http://www.kabbalah.com/01.php

ps: The Cubs are in the playoffs =]