Religious organisations 2 - NAMS Flashcards
What are NAMs?
General aim shared; achievement of self-discovery, personal growth, self perfection, harnessing inner potential and self awareness
- referred to as ‘me religion’ or ‘self religions’
- belief in natural energy
- power of nature (paganism)
Key points about paganism
80,000 people in England n Wales
- environmental movements, political activism
- diverse, fluid, individualistic
- romanticism, classicism, harkening historical/mystical past
What values may a pagan have?
- yearning towards nature
- perform rituals
- involved in protests
- following principles relating to harmony
Why is it difficult to define the movement of paganism?
Not a text-based religion
- not a theism or set of theisms
- exceptionally broad topic
- individualistic, hard to characterise
Why may NAMs with a focus of environmentalism be gaining more popularity?
The recent climate issues and problems created from climate change- people ant to save our planet and environment
Why is paganism different to other movements?
Very fluid, diverse, not text-based
- not all believe in deity (God)
- not authoritative figure
What are the 3 reasons as to why NAMs may be continuing to grow according to Bruce?
1) NAMs accommodate cultural diversity
2) mirror the PM right to choose
3) The New Age reflects consumerist society
1) NAMs accommodate cultural diversity
Inclusive and stress unity within diversity
- solution is to become relativist, your own truth if it works for you
- everyone has their own truth
- give status to each person, value whatever works for them
- conflict in modern society, all insist only 1 religion is right
2) NAMs mirror the postmodern right to choose
The right to believe what we want to believe
- no longer accept the old rules and expectations
- freedom to adopt the lifestyle of their choice
- appeal to individualism valued in society
3) The New Age reflects consumerist society
NAMs constitute a global cafeteria of beliefs and practises
- allow to become consumers or spiritual shoppers
- join special interest groups
- express interest by buying ideas and therapies
- buying and selling spirituality establishes the consumer is in charge
What does relativism mean?
Claim that standards of truth vary- cultures/history, no universal criteria for them
What is meant by a spiritual shopper?
Pick n choose aspects of religion, disregard bits that don’t fit their personal beliefs
What is meant by a global cafeteria?
Pick n choose religion in this world of consumption
What does individualism mean?
Emphasis placed on individual, their decisions and choices
Who joins NAMs and why?
A survey of New Age magazine found that almost without exception participants were MC and middle aged
- ethnic minorities very much under-represented
- more W then men attracted
Why might more women be attracted to NAMs than men?
More free time
- not working, children have grown up
- spiritually deprived
Additional concept of holistic milieu
HEELAS
- describes the environment of a NAM
- grows because individuals are encouraged within this environment to focus on their spirituality
What are the impacts of NAMs according to Bruce?
- only superficially popular,
- most interest is slight and shallow
- extension
- lacking spirituality
- just another lifestyle choice
What are the impacts of NAMs according to Heelas?
after observing growth of NAMs in Kendal in the lake district
- claimed that Christianity will be eclipsed by NA spirituality in the UK, within the next 20-30 years
Dawkins and the impact of NAMs
Thinks the rise of NAMs is a great concern
- states that they undermine civilisation
Criticisms of NAMs and NRMs
X nothing particularly new about them, regularly appearing over the last 200 years, HUNT
X Difficulties in measuring affiliation to NRM in the UK, large numbers of followers who are not formally registered
e.g. 30,000 people have attended meditation courses run by Kamaris
X The term NRM adds little or nothing to the existing classification of religious organisations
HADDEN- ‘How does NRM add anything of importance to the existing term ‘sect’ or ‘cult’
