Chapter Twelve New Religious Movements

1. Chapter TwelveNew Religious Movements Living Religions

2. Social Context of New Religious Movements • History of religion is one of continual change • Time of rapid social change spawns new religions • Thousands of new religious groups since WWII • Question for person of faith is where to place his/her faith

3. Social Context of New Religious Movements • Cult—independent religious traditions • Audience cult, e.g., New Age groups • Client cult, e.g., Scientology • Cult movement — full-fledged organization • Sect —a splinter group associated with a larger tradition • Seek to return to earlier pristine tradition

4. Apocalyptic Expectations • Branch Davidians • Rastafarians— began in Jamaica • Jehovah’s Witnesses • Majority of humanity will be destroyed except those who are of true religion • Unification Movement — Sun Myung Moon proclaimed he and his wife are the joint Messiah • Unification principle • Mass wedding ceremonies

5. Supernatural Powers and Revelations • Tenrikyo movement, 1838 • Founder, Miki Nakayama, possessed by 10 kami including God the Parent • Mahikari movement, 1959 • Founder claimed to be successor of Buddha and Christ as God’s representative on Earth • Not a religion but a way to bring all religions together • Communication with spirits of the dead – channeling

6. Offshoots and Combinations of Older Religions • Syncretism — the combining of normally differing beliefs • Indigenous African plus Christian • Santeria — blend of Dahome, baKonga, and Yoruban cultures with images of Catholic saints • Voodoo —blending of West African and French Catholic teachings

7. Offshoots and Combinations of Older Religions • Christian Science • Self-improvement through positive thinking • Healing as one’s true being emerges • Radhasoami, outgrowth of Sikhism in India • Belief in continuing succession of masters after the 10th • Primarily an esoteric path without exoteric ceremonies

8. Nature Spirituality • Neo-Paganism —use of older traditions from other life-affirming religions such as Native American sacred ways • Some see tradition as rooted in feminine principle • Try to reconstruct old way but difficult due to oral transmission • Often devise own forms of group rituals • Deep ecology —experience of oneness with the natural world, as opposed to Western religions which cast humans as controllers of the natural world (anthropocentrism)

9. Nature Spirituality • Deep ecology —experience of oneness with the natural world, as opposed to Western religions which cast humans as controllers of the natural world (anthropocentrism) • Awareness through photos of earth from space • Biosphere viewed a “single living entity” called Gaia

10. New Age Planetary Consciousness • Many believe the consciousnesses of our whole species are connected and if enough change their way of thinking, the rest will change spontaneously • New Age Spirituality • Findhorn • Julia Butterfly Hill • Reni: tree hugging • Many support “Green” political agendas

11. Universalist Religions • Attempts to harmonize religions • Theosophical Society —attempted “to reconcile all religions..under a common system of ethics, based on eternal verities” • Founder insisted Theosophy is not a religion, but is religion itself. • Baha’i attempts to unite all of humanity in the belief in one God, the foundation of all religions. • Recognizes diversity and oneness of humanity • Extends unification attempts into political sphere

12. Opposition to New Religious Movements • Seen throughout history • Attempts to suppress common among nations, e.g., Russia at behest of the Russian Orthodox Church (1997) • Resistance by new members’ family members

13. Violence in New Religious Movements • Mass suicides • Terrorism • Sarin gas in Tokyo subway system • 800 members of Movement for Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God died in a fire at their headquarters in Uganda or were found in mass graves • Branch Davidians —deviance amplification • “World destroying cults”

14. Durability of New Religious Movements • All religions were once new and resisted • Factors that appear to predispose spread and durability • Balance between tradition and new • Organization, commitment, and bonds among members • Social setting • Status of prevailing religions • Younger generations