<i>Sevā</i> as a Postcapitalist Model for Environmental and Collective Well-Being in the Postsecular Age
This paper analyzes the Hindu concept of <i>sevā</i>—selfless service—as a theo-ethical practice that reconfigures the relationship between religion and economy, offering a snapshot of an Indian perspective on the convergence between postsecularism and postcapitalist discourses. Rather t...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/6/761 |
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| Summary: | This paper analyzes the Hindu concept of <i>sevā</i>—selfless service—as a theo-ethical practice that reconfigures the relationship between religion and economy, offering a snapshot of an Indian perspective on the convergence between postsecularism and postcapitalist discourses. Rather than being reducible to acts of charity, <i>sevā</i> integrates spiritual, ethical, and social dimensions that challenge the neoliberal emphasis on individual self-interest and material accumulation. Rooted in the pursuit of liberation and relational well-being, <i>sevā</i> frames economic and moral agency in terms of embeddedness, reciprocity, and care. To illustrate <i>sevā</i>’s unique attributes, the paper engages with two case studies. The first explores Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, where <i>sevā</i> is articulated through a non-anthropocentric ethic of nonviolence (<i>ahiṃsā</i>), obliging the reconstruction of eco-economic mechanisms and environmental responsibility. The second examines contemporary guru-bhakti communities in Delhi’s urban peripheries, where <i>sevā</i> functions as spiritual discipline (<i>sādhana</i>), a means for communal uplifting, and the expression of <i>kalyāṇ</i>—holistic well-being that transcends individual boundaries. In both contexts, <i>sevā</i> emerges as a practice that intervenes in and reshapes socio-economic life. By foregrounding <i>sevā</i> as a lived practice, the paper situates Indian religious traditions as a distinctive contribution to broader postcapitalist and postsecular debates. It argues that <i>sevā</i> offers an alternative model of personhood and ethical intentionality—one that contests dominant binaries of spiritual/material, secular/religious, and human/nature, and reimagines human flourishing through the lens of relational ontology and collective responsibility. |
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| ISSN: | 2077-1444 |