Download
1 / 4
40 likes | 156 Vues
New Religious Movements (NRMs) attract young, affluent, educated, unmarried, and geographically mobile individuals seeking friendship, acceptance, and recognition. These individuals desire to experience religion rather than merely contemplate it, looking for authenticity in a perceived “artificial” world. Successful NRMs develop innovative ideas, establish legitimate authority, and maintain a balance with the host society to recruit and retain members. They emphasize non-empirical teachings, make use of dedicated volunteer labor, and socialize the youth to prevent defection while navigating a complex and unregulated religious landscape.
E N D
Who Is Drawn To NRM’s and Why Young Affluent Educated Unmarried Geographically Mobile • Search for friendship, acceptance, recognition • Desire to experience religion rather than think about it • Something and someone to believe in • Authenticity and naturalness in an otherwise “artificial” world
Conditions For Successful NRMs Ability to develop novel ideas and recruit/retain members • Maintain continuity with the host society • Maintain a medium level of tension with host society • Teach doctrines that are non-empirical • Legitimate leaders who some kind of authority • Generate highly motivated volunteer labor force • Maintain fertility • Tread carefully in our unregulated religious economy • Sustain strong internal attachments • Maintain sufficient strictness • Socialize young to minimize defection
Asceticism self-denial or pain Mysticism unmediated experience with “God” Soteriological Differences Between Western Churches AndEastern New Religious Movements focus on the by-and-by Otherwordly focus on the here-and-now Innerwordly
