Downshifters’ Religion? The case of Leo Babauta’s Minimalism

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the works of Leo Babauta, an American minimalist, through the category of implicit religion. Minimalism, as an example of anti-consumerism, is juxtaposed here with consumerism, yet the latter will also be handled in this study in religious studies. In the analysis of Babauta’s works, particular attention will be paid to two categories: simplicity and mindfulness. Applying the perspective of implicit religion enables one to go beyond the simple binary of religious/non-religious (sacred/secular), broadening the research area with a phenomenon traditionally attributed to the non-religious sphere.