Golden States

"This fantastically original book exposes the role of alternative religion in the rise of market-oriented individualism and neoliberal self-fulfillment in late-twentieth-century suburban California and beyond. I promise you will never see yoga, Dr. Bronner’s Soap, or Steve Jobs the same way again."—Lily Geismer, author of Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality

"A fascinating new look at California's seemingly endless ability to provide fertile soil for innovative religious groups. Eileen Luhr demonstrates that however new or exotic a group may seem, they are in fact drawing from, and reshaping, common cultural resources. This book breathes new life into the old saw of 'innovative California,' showing ultimately that regardless of its rebellious and idiosyncratic ways, California is America after all."—Richard Flory, Executive Director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

"Golden States makes a powerful contribution to our understanding of the role that distinctly Californian versions of "the good life" have played in the American imagination. Rooted in rich archival research that paints a vivid tableau of Californian subcultures, this important book reaches far beyond the Golden State in its explication of how these cultures were formed and the profound impact they continue to have."—Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession

"Luhr's brilliant new book reframes California spirituality from stereotypes of cults and kooks to the leading edge of religious evolution in a market-driven, globalized world. Why are Americans losing their religion? How do we find meaning and purpose? What does spirituality even mean? Anyone interested in these questions needs to read Golden States."—Diane Winston, author of Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan's Evangelical Vision