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CONTEMPORARY SPIRTUAL MOVEMENTS

Religious Studies 454

America’s Alternative Religions

Crossing the Millennial Threshold: Myths, Messiahs, and Mayhem in America

Contemporary Spiritual Movements: Class Structure

Part I: America’s Alternative Religions

Answering the "why" about religion

The dynamics of emergent spiritual movements

Sect and cult formation

Alternative religions in American history

Current trends in American spirituality

Contemporary Spiritual Movements: Class Structure

Part 2: Crossing the Millennial Threshold: Myths, Messiahs, and Mayhem in America

The meaning of the millennium for America’s alternative religions

Religion and violence

Christian millennial interpretations

Secular apocalyptic theodicies

Other end-time predictions

Religion in the 21st Century: Global Processes

1. Modernization

2. Globalization

3. Exclusivism

4. Humanism and Scientific Inquiry

5. Postmodernity

… these processes have and will continue to change the religious contours of America

Religion in the 21st Century: Global Processes

1. Modernity = changing social structures

population shift from country to cities

technological progress: shift from agrarian to manufacturing enterprises

political control in nation states

tradition cultural patterns are diluted

educated, occupationally specialized middle class develops

Religion in the 21st Century: Global Processes

2. Globalization - increasing interlinking of people from all corners of the plant

the spread of religion around the planet

increased missionary activity

The "Global Village" - the planet as a single community linked by telecommunications = computer links, the Internet, "God on the Web," cyber-religion???

Religion in the 21st Century:
Global Processes

3. Exclusivism: a reaction to the "culture shock" of modernization and globalization

Reactionary "Fundamentalism"

Political Use of Religious Identity

Group Identification

Racism

Religion in the 21st Century: Global Processes

4. Humanism and Scientific Inquiry: the questioning or rejection of religion

"scientific atheism"

human ethics over supernatural concerns

rational human thought over awe and mystery - "how" v. "why?"

What of Quantum physics?

Religion in the 21st Century: Global Processes

5. Postmodernity: the "crisis of modernity"

environmental degradation

social violence

disparity between rich and poor

unemployment and homelessness

over 24 million people in 107 countries take the drug Prozac to control depression and anxiety - YIKES!!

Postmodern Spirituality

8 characteristics leading toward new religious expressions in the 21st century:

1. A person’s identity is not isolated, but determined by relationships with family, society, and the natural environment.

2. Humans are not separate from the natural or divine reality; they can experience their essential oneness with nature, example = wicca or neo-paganism

Postmodern Spirituality

3. Both the past and the future are of value and should be considered in the present.

4. The Divine and all living beings are co-creators of reality.

5. The sexes are equal and metaphors for the Divine may be female or male.

6. Local communities should be the context for public policy, not nation states.

Postmodern Spirituality

7. Religion is no longer separate from economic, moral, or political policy-making. Religions are seen as plural and equal.

8. The subordination of everything social, moral, religious, and aesthetic to materialistic economic policy is rejected.