The current state of Western freelance spirituality owes much of its development to postmodernism, the New Age, and a general ennui toward traditional religious structures. Unfortunately, along with this new era of free-form spirituality a new beast is born: the beast of cultural appropriation. We must be careful to understand and respect the traditions from which we borrow, both for our own personal gain, and out of reverence for other cultures.

Becoming aware of our own cultural skins and perceptions can help us shed them in order to particupate in true
interfaith dialogue with others. Genuine interfaith is not so much about being heard as listening, and knowing
how to perceive the other.