religious improvisations general Flashcards
features of revivalism
o Revivalist characteristics. Renewal of individual against apocalyptic background o Interpret signs of times o Warns of impending trouble o Charismatic leaders o Well-defined boundaries o Disputes with rival theories o Salvation on a wider scale
power of the mind
o Changing and developing your mind
o Key to radical social change
o Outside world has lost sight. Can no longer effect change e.g. due to greed
Mind over matter = symptom of Enlightenment ideas
utopian aspect
o Investigation of Protestantism and mindfulness
♣ Protestantism – develops Weber’s view on religious impulse to salvation
♣ Mindfulness – Durkheim. Classification
♣ Both of these constitute the sociological imagination
conflict and reception of messages
- Conflict
o Inherent in a view that condemns the present world
o Call to repent and change - Reception of messages
o Wider society distrusts certain groups (separation groups)
o Violence between perceptions e.g. seen in Jones massacres
♣ Catherine Wessinger, How the Millenium Comes Violently
o Sense of distrust and separation
o Groups = sensitive to matters of the mind. Easy to suppose mental influence from group
o Anti-cult groups emerge
♣ Cults are viewed as preying on young, vulnerable people
♣ They brainwash and programme their recruits
james beckford, cult controversy
o Religious movements are not isolated
♣ they need context
♣ look at the movements in relation to the reaction they provoke
♣ reception = part of description
o Controversies have particular courses
♣ family conflicts over recommitment
♣ wider reaction
• anti-cult organisations
• media involvement
• using courts e.g. involvement of state
♣ movement often viewed as exploitation. Conflicts gain legal and political dimension
♣ can see how controversies of Jones Massacre etc. are generated
o National responses to cults
- However… he does not say how these organisations arise and why people join – why do cases arise and why do they go to court?
use of science to think about movements
- How science is exploited
- Improvisations using scientific method
o Movements = modern
o Science = part of rhetoric. USP is their modern awareness - Susan Palmer, Aliens Adored: Rael’s UFO Religion
o Raëlians – apparition from aliens that cloned themselves. Genetic technology
o Awaits return of alien creators
o Revivalism and power of mind = key features of movement
o Construct themselves using improvisation