Lines of descent in alternative spiritualityBužeková, Tatiana (Avtor) alternative spiritualitythe agency of the deadancestorsspiritual energymoral essentialismBratislavaSlovakiaThis paper presents the results of ethnographic research carried out in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, among people who adhere to various spiritual ideas and practices. I consider the role of lines of descent in shaping how people experience the agency of the dead. I argue that, within urban spiritual milieux, descent lines are linked to the concept of energy that connects the world of the deceased with that of the living. Specific cultural settings influence the concept of personhood and, consequently, experiences of the agency of ancestors. A focus on individualism, combined with a moral emphasis on personal development, gives rise to specific interpretations of these experiences, as well as to a specific type of essentialism grounded in moral reasoning.20262026-09-18 15:13:51Članek v reviji188131sl