The satsang dispositif: Mooji’s teachings, power, authority, and self-transformation
This article seeks to contribute to the study of power and authority in the context of the contemporary sociology of religion. It provides a discursive and ethnographic account of the neo-Advaita guru Mooji and his teachings, with a focus on the main practice he advocates, namely the satsang. The ar...
| Published in: | Journal of contemporary religion |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Carfax Publ.
2022
|
| In: |
Journal of contemporary religion
Year: 2022, Volume: 37, Issue: 3, Pages: 457-474 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Satsang-Bewegung
/ Religious leader
/ Dispositive
/ Authority
/ Teacher
/ Pupil
/ New religion
|
| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy AE Psychology of religion AZ New religious movements |
| Further subjects: | B
Self-transformation
B teacher–student relationship B Authority B satsang dispositif B sociology of religion B Power |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article seeks to contribute to the study of power and authority in the context of the contemporary sociology of religion. It provides a discursive and ethnographic account of the neo-Advaita guru Mooji and his teachings, with a focus on the main practice he advocates, namely the satsang. The article explores the guru–disciple relationship, the authoritarian and charismatic role of the teacher, and the devotees’ processes of disciplining and self-transformation as they attempt to reach self-realisation or enlightenment. Following a Foucauldian framework, the article introduces the concept of the satsang dispositif, the main disciplining, confessional, and self-transformative apparatus characterising Mooji’s teachings. The article ends by summarising the findings of the case study presented, discussing their relevance to the study of contemporary spiritualities in general and underlining the importance of questioning the claims of spiritual seekers regarding self-determination and self-actualisation. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1469-9419 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2022.2081311 |