ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the relevance of the work of Leonard Cohen in making a contribution to spiritual capital. The Spirit may already be at work through Cohen as a contemporary spiritual messenger–the article in the Irish Times following Cohen's Irish concerts in 2009, which was quoted earlier, called Cohen a 'seer, a spiritual guru, a prophet'–but as usual such activity may only be fleetingly glimpsed at the time. The chapter argues 'democratises the spiritual' by expanding sacred imagery and religious language beyond traditional sacred texts and into the public arena. Postmodern spiritual seekers may be attracted to Cohen because of his magpie-like ability to draw on sacred images from worldwide spiritualities. Modernity and existentialist philosophy encouraged the 'human tendency to build up or create in ourselves an ego that is separate from other people, separate from the universe and separate from God'. The chapter discusses that Cohen is a voice of bridal/love mysticism in a postmodern world.