Socio-Religious Visionaries in Bulgaria (1920–1950s): the Christo Oustabachieff Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-218
Author(s):  
Georgeta Nazarska
Keyword(s):  
Religious Fundamentalism ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Spiritual Renewal ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Anti Semitism ◽  
Democratic Tradition ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Political Activist

The article is a case study of the life, work and ideas of the Bulgarian political and religious figure Christo Oustabachieff (1871–1953). Beginning his career as a financial official, political activist and founder of one of the first xenophobic organizations, after the First World War he devoted himself entirely to religious activities: he founded the “Good Samaritan” Religious Society (1921), became leader and ideologist of the Orthodox Holy Society for Spiritual Renewal of the Bulgarian people (1924), of the "Greater (Peaceful) Bulgaria" Union (Political Party) (1926–1944), of the "St. John of Rila” National Defense Organization (1933) and of the Slavic-Bulgarian People's Christian Union (1945–1953). His ideas have a religious and political character and represent a prototype of the Christian Democratic tradition in Bulgaria. In the context of the post-WW1 crisis and the widespread of the New Religious Movements, he declared himself a spiritual leader and initially guided his numerous followers with oral prophecies, revelations and dreams. Developed in the 1930s in written messages, they acquired an eclectic character, uniting religious fundamentalism, messianism and prophetism. Oustabachieff 's political visions in the 1930s–1940s were strongly influenced by authoritarianism, nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism. Their core was an idea of a Slavic monarchy – based on Christian Democratic values, a future center of a Balkan federation, and a realized Medieval and Bulgaria Revival period ideal of "Great Bulgaria”. The study uses historical approach and is based on unknown archival sources, combined with data from periodicals and published works of Oustabachieff.

From Spiritualism to Theosophy: “Uplifting” a Democratic Tradition

1993 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Prothero
Keyword(s):  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
American Religion ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Democratic Tradition ◽  
The Status ◽  
Taboo Topics

The status reversal ritual that American religious historiography has undergone in the last two decades has done much to “mainstream” previously taboo topics within the field. Many religious groups once dismissed as odd and insignificant “cults” are now seen as “new religious movements” worthy of serious scrutiny. One subject that has benefited from this reversal of fortunes is theosophy. Thanks to the work of scholars such as Robert Ellwood and Carl Jackson, theosophists are now part of the story of American religion. Exactly what part they are to play in that story remains, however, unclear.

scholarly journals Small religious group in the urban environment: failure of the Bahá’i project

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-89
Author(s):  
Svetlana V. Ryazanova
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Religious Group ◽  
Religious Movement ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Social

The article is devoted to the study of the proselytising strategy of the Bahá’i community in the Perm Territory that reflects the situation with this religious group in the Russian Federation as a whole. Bahá’i s are seen as one of the new religious projects of the end of the last century, claiming a wide coverage of believers and being unable to fulfill the task. The main research question is to identify obstacles for effective proselytising activities of new religious movements as features of the religious groups. The aim of the work is to identify effective mechanisms for recruiting neophytes in the urban environment, which involves channels for transmitting teachings, main factors of the proselytic potential of religion, the connection between doctrine, cult practice and the success of the missionary activity. The article presents the first experience of a sociological analysis of the regional Bahá’i community as a new religious movement in the post-Soviet space. The study is built on a set of included observations, results from a survey of church members, a series of semi-structured interviews, an analysis of sacred literature and information from social networks. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of the spread of the Bahá’i faith in the country and the social characteristics of the neophytes. The main types of religious and near-religious activities of the community and ways of attracting new followers are analysed. The reasons and factors of the curtailment of activity and decline of the community, as well as the chosen development tactics at the present stage, are identified. The Bahá’i community is treated as uncompetitive in the religious space of the region and country. This is determined by the high value of the individual qualities of the followers, a low degree of external attractiveness, and poor adaptation to the religious needs of the population. The analysis of the community allows us to establish the place of new religious movements in the social and cultural space and the prospects for their development as local communities.

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>

The Changing Faces of the Terror of Cultism in Nigerian Society: An Islamic Perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-111
Author(s):  
Abdulrazaq Kilani
Keyword(s):  
Religious Movements ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
National Life ◽  
Indigenous Religions ◽  
Almost All ◽  
New Recruits ◽  
Populous Country

The menace of cultism in Nigeria society in general and our educational institutions in particular has reached an alarming stage that requires affirmative actions from all stakeholders. The scourge of cultism has claimed many lives of our youths and no serious authority can fold its arms and allow it to continue. It appears that the various efforts at curbing the menace have yielded no result. The corruption in most facets of our national life has finally subdued the educational institutions, which used to be the pride of place in the past. Most families are astonished to find out that children sent to school to learn and become better human beings in the society have initiated themselves into cult groups. The emergency of secret cultism has been characterized by some violent activities which include, physical torture of new recruits, maiming and killing of rival cult members and elimination of real and perceived enemies. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups with 36 states and one federal territory (Abuja). There are three major religions namely Islam (50%), Christianity (40%), and Africa Indigenous Religions (10%). The effect of globalization is also making other new religious movements to be making inroads into Nigeria. Nigeria has a population of about 141 million people (2006 census). Nigeria which is rich in both human and material resources is a country that is facing a lot of developmental challenges in almost all sectors due to poor leadership. The menace of cultism especially among youths and some influential people in the society represents one of the distortion facing the popular ‘giant’ of Africa. The aim of this chapter is to bring into the fore the menace of cultism in modern Nigeria as a brand of terrorism mind not the fact that there are even religious cults in both the developed and developing societies. The paper also adopted an Islamic lens to provide an analysis of the terror of cultism in contemporary Nigeria.

Brazilian Ayahuasca Religions

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-186
Author(s):  
Robin Wright
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Rubber Tappers ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Legal Expertise ◽  
Religious Understanding

This article reviews the forthcoming issue of FIR containing an important collection of articles on the origins and developments of religious movements and, later, research movements focused on a powerful psychoactive beverage consisting of the mixture of certain vines (ayahuasca) and leaves (chacrona) found mainly in Western Amazonia. The religious interpretations resulting from the ritual ingestion of the beverage have produced the most varied practices and beliefs, beginning with the indigenous peoples and mestizo herbalists, then migrant rubber-tappers from northeastern Brazil; in the 1960s, urbanites from major cities in Brazil and Europe seeking alternative forms of religious inspiration; and, in the 1990s, a group of Brazilian researchers who have combined anthropological and religious understanding of the phenomena along with legal expertise for the protection of the religious freedom necessary for the religions’ developments. With the diversification and globalization of these new religious movements, the article points to new directions for field research in these religions.

Dialogue or Confrontation?

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ringo Ringvee
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
The State ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
New Religious Movements ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Neoliberal Governance ◽  
Religious Associations ◽  
Liberal Attitude

The article focuses on the relations between the state , mainstream religions and new religious movements in Estonia from the early 1990s until today. Estonia has been known as one of highly secular and religiously liberal countries. During the last twenty years Estonian religious scene has become considerably more pluralist, and there are many different religious traditions represented in Estonia. The governmental attitude toward new religious movements has been rather neutral, and the practice of multi-tier recognition of religious associations has not been introduced. As Estonia has been following neoliberal governance also in the field of religion, the idea that the religious market should regulate itself has been considered valid. Despite of the occasional conflicts between the parties in the early 1990s when the religious market was created the tensions did decrease in the following years. The article argues that one of the fundamental reasons for the liberal attitude towards different religious associations by the state and neutral coexistence of different traditions in society is that Estonian national identity does not overlap with any particular religious identity.

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