Totalitarian Sects within the Current Political Processes

This article studies the phenomenon of totalitarian sects entering politics. It concerns the participation of totalitarian sects in the political processes and election campaigns with the aim of getting into power, as well as the attempts of some political figures to rely on the infrastructure of totalitarian sects in order to promote themselves in the ruling structures. The author summarizes the works of Russian and international social thinkers and religious scholars, studying totalitarian sects as a relatively new social and religious phenomenon, supplementing and developing their findings. In particular, the following features are recognized as the key characteristics of totalitarian sects. A relatively recent foundation — usually with the founder still alive. A charismatic leader — the founder or successor, who has unquestionable authority. Closed information environment, filtering any external information signals. Careful regulation of the adherents' life, as well as their double code language, allowing them to recognize others in a “friend-or-foe” mode, which likens totalitarian sects to criminal communities. A rigid hierarchy that doses information about the organizations' goals to its members at different levels of initiation; adherents' compulsory financial participation and preaching activities. The author analyzes the promotion of totalitarian sects in politics using examples from Ukrainian and Russian political practices of the post-Soviet period. In particular, he studies the political activities of such structures as the Livets Ord (lit. “Word of Life”) Baptist Church, the Scientology Church, the Embassy of God sect (Sunday Adelaja), the Unification Church (Sun Myung Moon), the Living Word Baptist Church, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Last Covenant Church, Slavic neopagan groups and radical Islamist sects. The network community formed around the Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation also possesses the attributes of a totalitarian sect. Particular attention is paid to specific examples of the political involvement of totalitarian sects and their influence at different levels of government in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation, as well as the resulting damage. Considering the scale of totalitarian sects' activities in Russia — hundreds of such organizations are involved, up to 1 million people in total — the author emphasizes their use by foreign intelligence services, which poses a threat to Russia's national security.

THE UNIFICATION CHURCH: A KALEIDOSCOPIC INTRODUCTION

The Unification Church, or the Unificationism, also known as HAS-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity) or ‘Moonies’ (the term deemed now as disrespectful) but originating from the name of the founder Sun Myung Moon, who set up this Christian religious movement in Northern Korea in 1954 has approximately 3 million followers worldwide. Its existence and popularity are a global phenomenon, interesting not only for sociologists of religion but for politicians, philosophers and people of faith. The impact of this movement and the two-way social change remain a rare subject of study and this paper aims to fill the gaps and to discuss contemporary situation in regards to its followers.

Family Values in Doctrine and Practice of Synthetic Neo-Religions

The article analyzes the beliefs and practical activities of synthetic neo-religions on issues of family, marriage, marital life, children’s education, attitude to parents, etc. In particular, the position of Baha'i Faith, Unification Church and Church of Scientology is considered. The peculiarity of this research is the complex analysis of the doctrine and practice of these neo-religious movements and finding of common aspects in their views on family values, both among themselves and with traditional religions. It emphasizes their syncretism and refute the available warning in society about the destructive influence of neo-religions’ beliefs on established family values. In the teaching of the Unification Church, the issue of the family, marital relations, holiness and purity of marital ties, the inadmissibility of premarital and extra-marital relations occupy one of the central places. In the doctrine of the Baha'i Faith, the vital importance is given to the institution of the family. It emphasizes the sanctity of marriage, the equality of men and women in their rights, privileges, upbringing and social status. The Baha'i recognize the principle of equal rights, opportunities and privileges for men and women, the requirement of monogamy and marital fidelity. In the teaching of the Church of Scientology, the family is regarded as an important bricks of society: the biological model of family relationships and the development of an organism is that ensures the continuation of human existence. Marriage is the basis of a family. The family is the closest union in a society, which provides itself for the continuation of own existence and own protection. The family is also necessary for the society by an economic point of view. According to Scientologists, the whole culture will perish if its foundation - the family - will cease to exist. Thus, in their opinion, there is no doubt that the one who destroys the marriage union also destroys civilization. It is emphasized that despite the claims of these religious organizations to the exclusivity and authority of their own religious sources, their positions on family values ​​are quite similar to each other. Also they often overlap with the principles of Christianity and other world religions. The author draws attention to the lack of awareness of the general public with the basics of dogma of the Baha'i Faith, the Unification Church and the Church of Scientology. As a result, there is a fear in society about the spread of doctrines of synthetic neo-religions, despite the fact that their positions on family values ​​do not contradict the generally accepted norms of social morality and mostly accord with them.

Marrying into South Korean Rural Towns

Chapter 2 provides the background for the empirical study that is the basis of Elusive Belonging. I first describe the context of rural South Korea, where one in three marriages is an international marriage, followed by a description of international marriage trends in Korea. Because most of my subjects were matched by the Unification Church, an international religious organization that promotes intermarriage, I then explain the Unification Church and its matching process. I describe the Korean state’s policies regarding marriage migrants and its “multiculturalism” project. Finally, I provide general information on my informants.