The Emergence of Conspirituality

The female-dominated New Age (with its positive focus on self) and the male-dominated realm of conspiracy theory (with its negative focus on global politics) may seem antithetical. There is a synthesis of the two, however, that we call ‘conspirituality'. We define, describe, and analyse this hy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of contemporary religion
Authors: Ward, Charlotte (Author) ; Voas, David 1955- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Carfax Publ. [2011]
In: Journal of contemporary religion
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:The female-dominated New Age (with its positive focus on self) and the male-dominated realm of conspiracy theory (with its negative focus on global politics) may seem antithetical. There is a synthesis of the two, however, that we call ‘conspirituality'. We define, describe, and analyse this hybrid system of belief; it has been noticed before without receiving much scholarly attention. Conspirituality is a rapidly growing web movement expressing an ideology fuelled by political disillusionment and the popularity of alternative worldviews. It has international celebrities, bestsellers, radio and TV stations. It offers a broad politico-spiritual philosophy based on two core convictions, the first traditional to conspiracy theory, the second rooted in the New Age: 1) a secret group covertly controls, or is trying to control, the political and social order, and 2) humanity is undergoing a ‘paradigm shift' in consciousness. Proponents believe that the best strategy for dealing with the threat of a totalitarian ‘new world order' is to act in accordance with an awakened ‘new paradigm' worldview.
ISSN:1469-9419
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2011.539846