Study Of New Religious Movements Research Articles

The Helen Crovetto Award: For Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements with Ties to South Asia

The Helen Crovetto Award: For Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements with Ties to South Asia

Twenty-First Annual Thomas Robbins Awards: For Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements

Twenty-First Annual Thomas Robbins Awards: For Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements

Whatever happened to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles' guru, and the “TM” movement?

AbstractThis article redacts certain sections of the author's recent book on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement. Specifically, it offers an updated overview—based on earlier studies—of the TM movement's development and what led to its enormous success, while also providing analysis of the movement using metrics gleaned from the academic study of new religious movements. The author places primary attention on assessing whether or not TM and its attendant philosophy constitutes a religion, and, based primarily on metrics offered by Bainbridge and Stark, argues that it is not only a religion but a variety of Neo‐Hinduism. Attention is also given to the TM movement's deep appeal for the youth culture of the 1960s.

The spirit of populism: sacred, charismatic, redemptive, and apocalyptic dimensions

ABSTRACT Populism is a global phenomenon with a power and resilience that frequently surprises political observers. This article builds from the theoretical work of Margaret Canovan and others to investigate the “spirit” of populism in terms of its quasi-religious and post-rational dimensions. It puts forward a theoretical account of four spiritual dimensions of populism: the sacred, charismatic, redemptive, and apocalyptic. Each of these dimensions is underpinned by previous research from political science, sociology, and the study of New Religious Movements, and is explained with various international case examples of populist leaders and movements ranging from India to the United States. The four dimensions are brought together in a shared analysis here for the first time. It is argued that these dimensions together amount to emotionally powerful dynamics that give the meaning-orientation and motivation that propel populist movements forward and hasten democratic backsliding.

Perspectives on ‘Cult’ Rhetoric (And Its Future)

The ‘Cult Rhetoric in the 21st Century’ panel at the 2022 BASR conference brought together six scholars, specialising in the field of minority religion, to discuss developing trends in ‘cultic’ discourse. The panellists all argue for a nuanced, contemporary approach toward understanding the use of ‘cult’ rhetoric and have a clear focus on the lived reality of adherents and ex-members. In this article, the contributing panellists outline the dominant themes emerging in the contemporary use of ‘cult’ rhetoric, challenging scholars to move beyond the ‘cult wars’ and study of New Religious Movements to a more holistic study of everyday religion – in which ‘cult’ rhetoric is a consistent part. These reflections provide a snapshot of the discussions that were had at the BASR conference whilst simultaneously indicating what to expect from their contributions in the forthcoming volume: Cult Rhetoric in the 21st Century: Deconstructing the Study of New Religious Movements.

Past the Pejorative

Within the academic study of New Religious Movements, it has become standard to understand “cult” as a pejorative term which is dismissive of minority religions and in some cases harms them. This article, through a quantitative content analysis conducted by the author of various uses of the word “cult” in twenty-five American newspapers through the 1990s, is an attempt to understand, in detail and supported by data, how “cult” was applied to particular religious groups and used more widely within popular discourse. It argues that the word “cult” was primarily used for subjects that were not religious groups, and when it was applied to religious groups, it was largely done so to a very small number that all shared several characteristics. It further argues that “cult” should be understood as a complex term with a range of meanings and applications.

James R. Lewis

James R. Lewis

The Helen Crovetto Award

The co-general editors of Nova Religio are pleased to announce the winner of the Eighth Helen Crovetto Award for Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements with Ties to South Asia. The award was established in 2010 by Helen Crovetto to encourage research and articles on new religions that originate in South Asia, as well as on new religious movements that were inspired in part or whole by religions from South Asia. The winner was selected by members of Nova Religio’s editorial board with expertise in South Asian religions, and Catherine Wessinger, co-general editor, from articles appearing in volume 25 of the journal.Emily McKendry-Smith receives the award for her article, “Public Household, Private Congregation: The Brahma Kumaris as a ‘Public Private’ Space for Nepali Women,” which appeared in Nova Religio 25, no. 3 (February 2022), https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2022.25.3.32.We thank Helen Crovetto for her generosity in providing the opportunity to encourage and reward authors for exceptional articles on new religious movements with ties to South Asia. We look forward to recognizing outstanding work in this area in the future.

Twentieth Annual Thomas Robbins Awards

The co-general editors of Nova Religio are pleased to announce the winners of the Twentieth Annual Thomas Robbins Award for Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements. The award was established in 2002 by the late Thomas Robbins to recognize outstanding articles published in Nova Religio.Prizewinners were selected by board members of the Association for the Academic Study of New Religions from articles appearing in volume 25 of the journal.The first prize has been awarded to Erica Baffelli for her article in vol. 25, no. 3 (Feb 2022), “Living Aum: Austerities, Emotion, and the Feeling Community of Former Aum Shinrikyō Members” article. (https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2022.25.3.7).The second prize has been awarded to Chris Miller for his article in vol. 25, no. 3 (Feb 2022), “Sephora’s Starter Witch Kit: Identity Construction through Social Media Protests of Commodified Religion,” (https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2022.25.3.87).We appreciate the generosity of the late Thomas Robbins in providing the opportunity to acknowledge Nova Religio’s authors in this tangible way. We look forward to recognizing outstanding contributors to volume 26 next year. To learn about the life and scholarship of Thomas Robbins, please see the “In Memoriam” published in Nova Religio 19, no. 3.

The Helen Crovetto Award

The co-general editors of Nova Religio are pleased to announce the winner of the Seventh Helen Crovetto Award for Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements with Ties to South Asia. The award was established in 2010 by Helen Crovetto to encourage research and articles on new religions that originate in South Asia, as well as on new religious movements that were inspired in part or whole by religions from South Asia. The winner was selected by Hugh Urban, Scott Lowe, Andrea Jain, and Catherine Wessinger, members of Nova Religio’s editorial board with expertise in South Asian religions, from articles appearing in volume 24 of the journal.Irina Sadovina receives the award for her article, “Legitimating New Religiosity in Contemporary Russia: ‘Vedic Wisdom’ Under Fire” (https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2021.24.3.6), which appeared in Nova Religio 24, no. 3 (February 2021).We thank Helen Crovetto for her generosity in providing the opportunity to encourage and reward authors for exceptional articles on new religious movements with ties to South Asia. We look forward to recognizing outstanding work in this area in the future.

Nineteenth Annual Thomas Robbins Awards

The co-general editors of Nova Religio are pleased to announce the winners of the Nineteenth Annual Thomas Robbins Award for Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements. The awards were established in 2002 by the late Thomas Robbins to recognize outstanding articles published in Nova Religio.Prizewinners were selected by board members of the Association for the Academic Study of New Religions from articles appearing in volume 24 of the journal.The first prize has been awarded to Kira Ganga Kieffer for her article in vol. 24, no. 2 (Nov 2020), “Manifesting Millions: How Women’s Spiritual Entrepreneurship Genders Capitalism” (https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2020.24.2.80). She will receive a one-year complimentary subscription to Nova Religio.The second prize has been awarded to Rachel Waltner Goossen for her article in vol. 24, no. 3 (Feb 2021), “‘Repent of the Sins of Homophobia’: The Rise of Queer Mennonite Leaders” (https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2021.24.3.68). She will also receive a one-year complimentary subscription to Nova Religio.We appreciate the generosity of the late Thomas Robbins in providing the opportunity to acknowledge Nova Religio’s authors in this tangible way. We look forward to recognizing outstanding contributors to volume 25 next year. To learn about the life and scholarship of Thomas Robbins, please see the “In Memoriam” published in Nova Religio 19, no. 3.

The Invent Your Own Religion Workbook

ABSTRACT The “Invent Your Own Religion Workbook” is a practice-based artistic intervention/provocation that takes the form of a short introductory essay and an accompanying participatory workbook, exploring my own invented religion as art within the larger phenomenon of invented religions that have emerged in the West from the 1960s to the present. Invented religions, a new category emerging within the larger study of new religious movements are distinctive in overtly claiming their fictional status with a propensity for their adherents to transform works of speculative-fiction into scriptures, which in turn generate “religious” beliefs that overtly surpass fandom and enter into the domain of the religious. For this intervention/provocation the author invokes the writings of Dr. Timothy Leary whose “Start Your Own Religion” manual provided a framework for how invented religions can transform works of speculative fiction into functioning belief systems.

Comparaison des représentations des amish et des mormons fondamentalistes (FLDS) dans deux téléréalités américaines.

This research explores the representations of two minority religions in United States, the Amish and the fundamentalist Mormons (FLDS), in two reality shows produced in 2013: Breaking Amish and Breaking the Faith. To which extent these reality shows contribute to reinforce stereotypes about these minority religions? The hypothesis postulates that there is a convergence in the representations of minority religions in these reality shows which contributes to the reproduction of stereotypes. Based on theories of identity construction and on the study of new religious movements, the analysis shows that the same guiding lines are recurrent in both reality shows.

Seeing “Apostates” Clearly: Reconsidering the Legitimacy of Ex-Member Testimony in Documentary Representations of Scientology

ABSTRACT This article analyzes popular and academic reviews of the book and film Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief in relation to scholarly debates over the status of “apostate” testimony in the study of New Religious Movements (NRMs). Using a Foucauldian discourse analysis – an examination of contested statements of “truth” – it accounts for the significance of ex-member testimony in recent Scientology exposés and argues the tendency to dismiss such testimony as automatically unreliable needs to be reassessed. Using these exposés and the debate surrounding them as a case study, we can see that considering ex-member testimony as disputed but productive discourse, documentary and journalistic representations of controversial new religions can operate as important sources of information, helping us better map a larger discursive domain wherein allegations of harm intermix with claims of benefit in remarkably complicated ways.

Qur’ānic imaginations in the making: New religious movements in Mughal‐era Islam

AbstractIn the study of premodern Islam, is it possible to draw fruitfully upon the theories and methods that characterize the study of new religious movements? This article examines three approaches to the Qur’ān in the sixteenth‐century Mughal Empire: the Qur’ānic imitation of Bāyazīd Anṣārī, the lipogramatic exegesis of Fayżī, and the moral commentary of Badā’ūnī. These works reveal the innovation, contingency, and “newness” of Islamic Qur’ānic traditions in the Mughal domain. Though they disagreed vehemently, Bāyazīd, Fayżī, and Badā’ūnī all approached the Qur’ān as a revelation that is emergent and ongoing rather than fixed in the historical past. This article argues that the study of premodern Mughal religion – and the history of Islam more generally – benefits from heuristically understanding Islamic texts as part of ever‐emergent “new religious movements” rather than as examples of a single transhistorical religion.

Ashcraft, W. Michael. 2018. A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements.

Ashcraft, W. Michael. 2018. A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements. London: Routledge.

New Religious Movements: A Bibliographic Introduction

This article provides a map to the bibliographic landscape for the academic study of new religious movements (NRMs). The article first considers the development of the scholarly subfield, including debates over the nature of the concept of ‘new religious movement’ and recent scholarship on the nature of this key term, as well as the most salient research areas and concepts. Next, the article introduces the most important bibliographic materials in the subfield: journals focusing on the study of NRMs, textbooks and reference volumes, book series and monographic literature, online resources, and primary sources.

Sixteenth Annual Thomas Robbins Award

Research Article| February 01 2020 Sixteenth Annual Thomas Robbins Award: For Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements Nova Religio (2020) 23 (3): 5. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2020.23.3.5 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Sixteenth Annual Thomas Robbins Award: For Excellence in the Study of New Religious Movements. Nova Religio 1 February 2020; 23 (3): 5. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2020.23.3.5 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentNova Religio Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2020 by The Regents of the University of California2020 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Romantic Indigenizing of New Religions in Contemporary Europe Critical Methodological Remarks

Romanticisms, not colonialisms, drive the indigenizing and the religionizing in the cases described and analyzed in this special issue. In what follows, I shall explain what I mean by this observation and suggest ways to think about it critically. The task of this essay is to highlight entangled methodological and political contexts for the discussion about “indigenizing” that Graham Harvey opened in his introduction, a discussion that the different case studies then continued and exemplified. Inspired by Paul Christopher Johnson’s theorizing about indigenizing (Johnson 2002a), Harvey asks whether it is useful to employ the concepts “indigenous” and “indigenizing” in studies of contemporary movements in Europe: British Druids (studied by Suzanne Owen), Italian shamans and witches (by Angela Puca), The English Bear Tribe (by Graham Harvey), Irish or Celtic Pagans (by Jenny Butler), English Powwow enthusiasts (by Christina Welch), Anastasians in Lithuania and Russia (by Rasa Pranskevi?i?t?), and Goddess devotees in Glastonbury (by Amy Whitehead). These are movements (and scholars) that have been associated with the study of paganisms and the study of new religious movements, but usually not with the study of indigenous religions (except Harvey and Owen who have worked extensively in both fields of research).

A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS. By W. Michael Ashcraft. Routledge New Religions. London: Routledge, 2018. Pp. viii + 251. Hardback, $149.95; E‐Book, $54.95.

Religious Studies ReviewVolume 45, Issue 2 p. 229-229 Short Reviews of Recent Publications: New and Alternative Religious Movements A Historical Introduction to the Study of New Religious Movements. By W. Michael Ashcraft. Routledge New Religions. London: Routledge, 2018. Pp. viii + 251. Hardback, $149.95; E-Book, $54.95. Lukas Pokorny, Lukas Pokorny University of ViennaSearch for more papers by this author Lukas Pokorny, Lukas Pokorny University of ViennaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 08 July 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/rsr.13907Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume45, Issue2June 2019Pages 229-229 RelatedInformation