New Age Movements Flashcards
intro
New Age Movements are seen as an alternative NRM, and the term serves as a kind of umbrella that groups together a diverse range of beliefs with a focus on concerns such as inner spirituality, the environment, mysticism, astrology, paganism and magic. NAM’s are traditional beliefs and practices that have been given a modern interpretation. They are said to be a phenomenon of the post-modern age.
Most NAMs are either client cults eg a consumer buying herbal medicine for ‘self-healing or audience cults with a commercial, mass distribution of their message eg astrology books and courses. Emphasis is placed on personal choice and on religion being a private experience
Bruce
Bruce argues there are 3 major themes in NAMs
Alternative Science
In the Postmodern Age many people are said to have become disillusioned with science. NAMs reject traditional scientific ways, as they believe that events such as global warming and other environmental problems have shown the harm that can be done in the name of science, with its emphasis on rationality and logic. New Age followers accept alternative beliefs (existence of UFO’s, ability to contact the dead) without the need for observation and testing. New Agers tend to see older forms of knowledge eg witchcraft, as superior to modern science and they also put their faith in the power of inner spirituality.
New Age is also ‘green’ in 2 main senses, firstly it claims the planet is an organism, a living being which must be cared for and protected and secondly it links personal problems to the environment. Everything a person does has implications for animals, the climate, the oceans etc…Therefore New Agers believe it is vital that people should live in peace with the environment, (eg. they should be vegetarian),
New Agers will also take part in environmental protests to promote their beliefs eg direct action to stop fracking by chaining themselves to trees and disrupting drilling.
Self- Spirituality
Rather than worshipping external gods, there is great emphasis on the self and the spirit. New Agers promote individualism, rather than following collective beliefs as they believe in the human potential for self-improvement.
Self help manuals such as ‘The Power is Within You’ stress the importance of releasing the ‘inner God’ as the means for future wealth, health and happiness.
Heelas says self-improvement is a central aim of NAM’s and a reason why people join such organisations. The self must be mastered and changed for a person to improve their relationships, physical health, mental well-being, career etc…New Age Movements are also a good example of post-modern religion in that they provide a modern application of traditional practices (yoga, meditation), that claim to offer knowledge, techniques and therapies that enable people to unlock spiritual powers within them, helping them to reduce stress and anxieties at work and in their personal lives.
Lyon says the growth of NAM’s reflects a common desire for people to be a better person by having greater spirituality in their lives. Today, people are said to be starved of spirituality and NAM’s offer people the opportunity to achieve inner spirituality and to remystify their lives. eg as seen in the growing popularity of Paganism and in practices such as Mindfulness, a form of meditation, with its origins in Buddhism, that has grown in popularity in western society in recent years.
Detraditionalisation
NAM’s reject traditional sources of authority such as churches and conventional moral or ethical values. NAM’s have no holy text, no central organisation, no formal membership, no ordained ministers and no central body of belief.
Emphasis is placed on relativism and a belief that there is no such thing as the ‘absolute truth’ that is claimed by traditional religions. NAM’s say people are responsible for their own actions and for finding their own source of spirituality.
In the postmodern age tradition has lost its significance as society has undergone a process of detraditionalisation. There has been a dramatic decline in traditional church attendance in Europe. This has happened because most parents no longer socialise their children into a religious belief.
As a result, young people no longer inherit a fixed religious identity and they are ignorant of traditional religion. This trend has increased the appeal of NAM’s which reject religious organisation and hierarchy and emphasise self-responsibility.
