Chinese and International Contexts for the Rise of Falun Gong
This study first provides an overview of the most frequently cited reasons for the incredibly rapid growth of Falun Gong since its modest beginnings in 1992. The results of an eight-question Internet survey of Falun Gong practitioners, administered over ten days in June 2000, are then presented and...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
University of Californiarnia Press
2003
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In: |
Nova religio
Year: 2003, Volume: 6, Issue: 2, Pages: 263-276 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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Summary: | This study first provides an overview of the most frequently cited reasons for the incredibly rapid growth of Falun Gong since its modest beginnings in 1992. The results of an eight-question Internet survey of Falun Gong practitioners, administered over ten days in June 2000, are then presented and analyzed. The answers given to the survey questions by 85 self-selected respondents suggest that, at least before the recent governmental crackdown on Falun Gong, the Internet was not a significant factor in attracting potential practitioners to the group. The influences of family and friends, as well as the prospect of better health, seem far more important in establishing initial interest. As practitioners mature in faith, the complex gnostic system of the founder's teachings appears to play a growing role in sustaining practitioners' interest. |
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ISSN: | 1541-8480 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Nova religio
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1525/nr.2003.6.2.263 |