New Religious Expression

Question 1

Recognise the reasons for the rise of new religious expressions as people: Search for personal fulfillment

Answer 1

• Indiv quest for meaning + purpose / answers to the existential questions of life like creation and the afterlife
• Characterised by a ‘shopping around’ mentality
• Traditional religions don’t provide a way of contentment or peace - no longer provide the answers + appear to be outdated and irrelevant
• New religious expressions fulfil need + provide a way to heal distress or promote healing
• E.g. practicing yoga and tai chi to relieve the anxieties of everyday life, or use crystals to deal w/ stress + heal, MindBodySpirit Festival
• Buying artefacts → ‘New Age’: crystals, yoga, palm reading, aura read, tarot cards
• Rejecting traditional ethics (e.g - Islam and homosexuality, Catholic Church and contraception)
• Travel - new influences, meditation and food
• Rejection of need to go to Church
• Emphasis on environment/ecology
• modern understanding of PF has become increasingly influenced by secular values + ideals
• PF may have been best expressed in past through trad faith values e.g. family, acts of charity etc –> today’s society motivates people to desire acquisition of material goods, wealth, climbing corporate ladder to be fulfilled
• These measures of PF = stark contrast to basic tenets of mainstream religions e.g. Christianity + Islam, which ask adherents to forgo personal desire for building up of faith community to pursue a life of charity + prayer to fulfil oneself in this life + to prepare oneself for next life
• contradiction b/w trad sacred + contemp secular ideas of PF has contributed to rise in NRE as ppl seek something that ‘fits’ w/ modern, secular understanding of PF e.g. can be seen in emergence of Happy Science Aus

Question 2

Recognise the reasons for the rise of new religious expressions as people: seek ethical guidelines

Answer 2

• desire for ethics that align w/ specific values + adapt to changes in society can be seen in new religious E&S
• rise of new expressions can be seen through the rejection of ethics that are perceived as outdated or irrelevant within traditional religions e.g. contraception for Catholics or homosexuality in Islam, bioethics e.g. abortion and IVF = seen as controlling + do not allow for adequate self-determination + freedom, restricting people’s individuality –> hence seek ethics elsewhere
• new E&S = strong env ethics e.g. preserving env + many placing value on women, have drawn people towards these expressions.
• Practices e.g. yoga, veganism + mediation place emphasis on protection of env + are highly nature-based = draws people towards these expressions as they promote values of environmentalism + universalism = beneficial to society e.g. Neo Paganism, WICCA
• Moreover, indivs = inclined to make own ethical choices, promoting individualism + self-determination to search for answers relevant to the indiv, allowing for self-expression + flexibility/fluidity of one’s own beliefs
• e.g. through ideas of moral relativism

Question 3

Recognise the reasons for the rise of new religious expressions as people: seek to clarify their r/s with society

Answer 3

• Trad religions no longer provide a supportive com
• Beliefs that religions cause oppression. e.g. oppression of women + minority groups + men
• failure of religious communities to provide meaningful support + cult of individualism in Western societies has left some indivs feeling isolated from rest of the com
• The sexual revolution of the 1960s led some away from the church + towards supporting the LGBTQ movement
• Rejection of feeling guilt: church: sin, punishment, judgement, superstition
• A person’s acceptance of a new religion may be due to the desire to express individualism within society
• May feel that new religions offer closer r/s, more meaningful celebrations + consequently more freedom to express their individualism

Question 4

Explain how the following have influenced the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities: rise of materialism

Answer 4

Some new spiritualities embrace materialism, while others reject them
NRE = means of gaining wealth: sig goal of some NRE
→ advocate ways of achieving individual wealth + prosperity + appeal strongly to indivs; → Many NAR claim to facilitate a quick + certain accumulation of wealth –> as society has become more materialistic in nature
- other NRE promote buying things to assist in the accumulation of material wealth → prosperity seen within expressions as a form of blessing or validation of indiv + community
- material success can be viewed as a reward for spiritual
application
Buy many things for NAR:
→ Mind Body Spirit, crystals, new age shops, books, lecture gurus, holistic medicines e.g. acupuncture, technology (internet), holistic foods, tarot cards = costly
Rejection of wealth of Church:
→ believe there is unequal distribution/colonisation power → less consumerist approach through NAR e.g. Neo-Paganism, Yoga, meditation
- materialistic nature of some mainstream churches (or secular society) = caused some to seek NRE that reject materialism
- desire for a simpler life, free from pressures of financial woes has led to the creation of spiritual communities = that focus on communal sharing + self-sufficiency
- Some of these expressions have their origin in forms of animism = focused on natural world + spiritual power (eg Wicca) rather than material world + financial power
- Other expressions are loosely based on Eastern religions (eg Hare Krishna) = have also trad focused on simplicity + mysticism rather than materialism
Negative
Personal well being offered as a commodity:
→ consumerism - personal fulfillment, happiness + wellbeing can be purchased as a commodity
→ Individuals use their wealth to try + buy things that make them happy

Question 5

Explain how the following have influenced the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities: scientific progress

Answer 5

• Science can be seen to undermine faith in traditional religious institutions e.g. Big Bang theory to replace creation story Ge 1 = disenchantment with these religions due to a lack of rationality
• Scientific developments that question worldviews of trad religions e.g. evolution reduces authority of these religions, consequently increasing the search for answers elsewhere such as in new religious expressions.
• Science can challenge religion w/ developments in medicine e.g. creation of contraceptive pill + bioethical issues e.g. IVF, not aligning w/ trad religious beliefs
• NRES claim to provide healing, fulfillment + wellbeing from powers drawn from science e.g. eastern asian practice of acupuncture provide healing for body + mind, using the healing nature of medicine –> also healing power of crystals, magnets, oils
• some NRES e.g. Neo-Paganism + MindBodySpirit Festival offer a return to a more simple life, in tune w/ nature + not dependent on science, drawing people towards these expressions = focus on nature + personal development of the indiv

Question 6

Explain how the following have influenced the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities: growth of ecological awareness

Answer 6

• NRES offers an active stewardship of planet + are more closely connected w/ nature + reducing harmful substances from entering atmosphere = increases growth as feel addressed by NR and not trad religions
• Many NRES are closely linked to env e.g. crystals, holistic medicine, tai chi + natural practices like meditation + yoga for healing, thus their place of worship or practice is amidst nature - increases growth - more acceptance of these practices
• NRES incorporate aspects of animistic + ancient religions E.G. Shinto which recognise the beauty and sanctity of creation, thus pulling people towards these NRES
• Many indivs recognise the r/s b/w human action + the state of the env
• Some = been able to achieve a sense of spiritual freedom through a humble existence, choosing to live simply
• Developing positive + lifegiving r/s w/ ecology can provide these indivs w/ purpose + meaning

Question 7

Explain how the following have influenced the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities: disenchantment w/ ‘traditional’ religious practice and guidance

Answer 7

• dis w/ trad religion due to perceived outdated/ conservative practices + guidance e.g. contraception for Catholics = pushed people away from trad religions in search for answers in other or new ways = trad religious practices do not provide a relevant + meaningful support system
• fixed nature of some of their ethical teachings has led to dis among adherents, especially in response to contemporary issues e.g. gender-equal, marriage
• as a result = have sought more progressive spiritualities for liberal guidance towards purpose/ meaning
• no personal choice → unable to address advancements in society + global problems e.g. Global Warming
• trad religious hierarchy may be seen as male-dominated + oppressive of females leading to disenchantment w/ these religions e.g. Christianity, Islam.
• In search for more relevant + less oppressive answers to exist questions, indivs may turn to NRES such as Wicca and Neo-Paganism which are more women orientated and are perceived as relevant in modern society
• Problems such as sexism, hypocrisy + child abuse have led to disenchantment w/ trad churches
• Less important because of materialism, consumerism or other commitments such as sport
• Socially acceptable not to follow a traditional religion = young ppl view trad religions as having no suitable expressions/practices that celebrate youth + modern
• However many still hold religious beliefs of some form
  → evident in attendance of religious services, beliefs: divine being, afterlife, rebirth