Western Esotericism and New Religious Movements

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Bogdan
Keyword(s):  
Late Antiquity ◽  
Western Culture ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Western Esotericism ◽  
Four Discourses ◽  
Absolute Knowledge

The study of Western esotericism is a comparatively new field of research that covers a wide range of currents, notions and practices from late antiquity to the present. Esotericism is often understood as the “rejected knowledge” of Western culture, which often centers on claims of absolute knowledge or gnosis. This chapter discusses four discourses that can be found in many esoteric NRMs, namely “secrecy and unveiling”, “initiation and progress”, “the higher self”, and “Secret Masters”. In the second part of the chapter four examples of esoteric NRMs are briefly discussed, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Thelema, and Wicca.

The Study of Hindu New Religious Movements

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-19
Author(s):  
Gene R. Thursby
Keyword(s):  
Transcendental Meditation ◽  
Social World ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Social Harmony ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Arya Samaj

The category of Hindu new religious movements is conventional and useful, but has imprecise boundaries. Scholars tend to include within it some groups that have claimed they are not Hindu (Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission) or not religious (Transcendental Meditation). Within its wide range are world-affirming groups dedicated to transforming the physical and social world as well as world-transcending groups that find the status of the world doubtful and their purpose at another level or in another realm. The four articles in this special issue of Nova Religio on Hindu new religious movements represent several aspects of this category, and the potential for accommodation of basic differences, social harmony, and even world-transcendence.

scholarly journals CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE MYTHMAKING OF H.P. LOVECRAFT

2019 ◽  
pp. 137-142
Author(s):  
Denis D. Pyzikov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
New England ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Horror Genre ◽  
Western Esotericism

H.P. Lovecraft created an original mythology that has not only become science fiction and fantasy classics, but also determined horror genre development in general. In his literary works, Lovecraft used images derived from both ancient religious traditions and contemporary western esotericism, filling his imaginary worlds with mysterious cosmic creatures. The writer’s cultural and historic environment played a very important role as the cultural landscape of New England and theosophical concepts widespread at that time had a great impact on the author’s work and writing. The original “mythology” invented by Lovecraft later played a key role in development of some new religious movements. Besides, Lovecraft’s mythology and images are reflected in the modern popular culture. The paper analyzes Lovecraft’s works and religious motives that are used or reflected in them, cultural factors that influenced the writer and Lovecraft’s heritage place in occult concepts, practices and subcultures of today.

scholarly journals (Re)Introducing “Secular Religion”: On the Study of Entangled Quests for Meaning in Modern Western Cultures

Numen ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 256-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Vliegenthart
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
North America ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Logical Connection ◽  
The Social ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Western Esotericism ◽  
Secular Religion ◽  
Metaphysical Religion

Abstract The disenchantment of reality has bankrupted conventional sources of meaning for many people in modern Western cultures. This has led a growing number of figures and groups to search for alternative sources of meaning. Typical of their quests for meaning is the entanglement of secular and religious discourses. Since the twentieth century, scholars have studied the social configurations of these figures and groups as “cults” or “new religious movements” and their ideologies as “New Age” or “spirituality,” which are seen as parts of a longer tradition of “Western esotericism” (Europe) or “metaphysical religion” (North America). Several leading scholars have also interpreted them as forms of “secular religion,” but this has yet to gain academic traction. This article argues that the former concepts are lacking or losing a logical connection with the socio-historical phenomena to which they pertain and reintroduces the latter concept as a more appropriate one.

scholarly journals The esoteric milieu in Finland today

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 204-216
Author(s):  
Jussi Sohlberg
Keyword(s):  
Religious Community ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Lutheran Church ◽  
Religious Associations ◽  
Evangelical Lutheran Church ◽  
Western Esotericism ◽  
Evangelical Lutheran

As in the other Scandinavian countries, so in Finland an exceptionally high percentage of the population belongs to a religious community. Today, about 82 per cent of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. However, the picture of the Finnish religious and spiritual landscape is more complex than it may at first appear. The project ‘Religions in Finland’ was started in 2003. The project is a joint-effort of the Church Research Institute and the Research Network for the Study of New Religious Movements. The aim is to create an electronic database for describing, mapping and analysing religious associations and communities in Finland (active ones and also those that no longer exist). In August 2007 there were 777 communities and organizations listed in the database. They are classified into ten categories representing religious traditions according to their historical and cultural background. There are 29 organizations classified under the category Western esotericism. This article presents a general overview of the major and recently founded esoteric groups in Finland, most of which are registered associations.

scholarly journals Spiritual Guidance for Jemaah of Santri Luwung

SMART ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (01) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Arnis Rachmadhani
Keyword(s):  
Religious Movement ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Spiritual Guidance ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Interactive Analysis ◽  
Central Java ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Wide Range

<p>This qualitative research is about the phenomenon of contemporary religious life marked by the emergence of new religious movements. This religious phenomenon pared in three ways data collection techniques are observation, interview, and documentation which is analyzed with an interactive analysis model. Pasujudan Santri Luwung Padepokan Bumi Arum is growing rapidly in the regency of Sragen, the province of Central Java, when explored in depth, their teaching is kejawen meeting with Islam. This teaching as a new religious movement phenomenon, able to give a touch of social reality for member of Santri Luwung through spiritual guidance in a wide range of religious activities, namely in da’wah programs, social, educational, health, economics, and the arts.</p>

New Religious Movements

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Hanretta
Keyword(s):  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Spiritual Guidance ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Territorial Expansion ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Late Twentieth ◽  
Late Twentieth Century

The late twentieth century saw the rise of new forms of religiosity and a growing consensus about the utility of the concept of ‘religion’ to describe a wide range of beliefs and practices. The idea that Africa was perpetually in need of modernization and socio-economic ‘development’ influenced the theological and practical evolution of Christianity, Islam, and various ‘indigenous’ spiritual traditions. Pentecostalism and reformist Islam shared a turn towards the personalization of spiritual quests and a sense of rupture with the recent past. New movements attacked existing institutions, paths to religious knowledge and authority, and the perceived routinization of spiritual guidance. New patterns of connection between Africa and the rest of the world produced complex mixings and inventions separate from the movement of peoples or the territorial expansion of empires. Further research is needed into the links between the political and financial institutions shaping recent forms of globalization and the intellectual and social content of new religious movements.

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