The 21st Century Religious Awakening and the Conversion to New Religious Movements
The New Religious Movements (NRMs) have a dynamic guideline of the sacred and spiritual, but are often based on a cultural background without the necessary theological and historical knowledge. Moreover, many of these new religious experiences are based on salvation messages that find fertile ground...
| Published in: | Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Morcelliana
2012
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| In: |
Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni
Year: 2012, Volume: 78, Issue: 2, Pages: 471-509 |
| Further subjects: | B
Falun Gong
B Salvezza B Nuovi Movimenti Religiosi B Jesus Fellowship (UK) B Conversion B CONVERSION (Religion) B NRMs (New Religious Movements) B conversione B Salvation B Chinese cults B Love B amore B Jesus Army |
| Summary: | The New Religious Movements (NRMs) have a dynamic guideline of the sacred and spiritual, but are often based on a cultural background without the necessary theological and historical knowledge. Moreover, many of these new religious experiences are based on salvation messages that find fertile ground in the esoteric tradition. In this context, occasionally the NRM can become a way to get out from the devastating contemporary vortex and to find (or to find again) a cosmic equilibrium through the trajectories of a sacrality that our civilization seems to have put aside. The NRMs are also syncretistic, so the eminently spiritual requests are melted with esoteric interpretations, with marked references to New Age (this is the case of Falun Gong/ Whereas in the case o/Jesus Army, it is inspired by the basic principles of the great monotheisms. In both cases, the need of a new religious "conversion" seems a consequence of the failure of "materialism". Although attempts to influence people come from every quarter, it is in religion that we find attempts to transform people in the most fundamental yet comprehensive ways. Religious changes are intended to be foundational. People have needs for meaning, belonging, identity, and definition. Commitment to a religion (or a NRM) is a way to meet them. It is claimed that if someone adopts a new religion, there will be positive changes in the person 's life and state of well-being. This research is meant to understand and compare the reasons why people convert to NRMs and, in particular, Falun Gong and Jesus Army. In this view, the Lofland/Skonovd conversion motifs (1981) and the Lofland/Stark conversion model (1965) are rediscussed, using data mainly drawn from books and articles published in the Western world. (English) |
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| ISSN: | 2611-8742 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni
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