Terms Module 1-3 Flashcards
Cult
- Newer than Sects and Churches; less accepted by media
- Attempt to satisfy one’s needs and desires
- Organized around a charismatic leader; new knowledge/revelations
- Demanding initiations
Sect (denominations)
- People join voluntarily; more exclusive
- Beliefs are more extreme or radical
- Charismatic leader but look more like churches through hierarchies and formal training
Church
- Most organized and hierarchical; most members
- Inclusive and heterogenous; people are born into and seek to bring others
- Different levels of commitment
- Pastor or priest with formal training; specialized training or undergrad/graduate degree in ministry
New Religious Movement (NRM)
Synonym for Cult, often interchangeable
Sociology of Religion
Churches, Sects, and Cults/NRMs are all forms of religion
Anti-Cult Movement (ACM)
Skews the general publics perception of cults
Primary Construction of Reality
How people on the inside of the cult understand NRMs and shares their experiences with those on the outside
Secondary Construction of Reality
How people outside the cult understand NRMs and share their understandings of NRMs with others
QAnon
A conspiracy theory/group that believes the governing power is running a sex ring with adolescents
NXIVM
Sex cult marketed to help people overcome their anxieties and fear
Deprogramming
Kidnapping and confining individuals to change their cult-like beliefs/ways
Monotheism
Religions with one God
Reincarnation
Taking on a new form after death
Dianetics
Counselling program developed by Hubbard (scientology) which connects the mind and soul
Auditing
Practice of scientology that seeks to clear the reactive mind of engrams
Thetan
The eternal part of humans that reincarnates (soul/spiritual being)
Analytic Mind
Part of the mind that thinks critically, makes decisions, recalls memory, and solves problems. The key to helping humans survive, “primary urge”
Reactive Mind
Part of mind that stores traumatic experiences in mental pictures (engrams). Gets in the way of spiritual progress/healing
Engrams
Traumatic experiences that prevent spiritual growth; exist from this life and past lives
Time track
Stores engrams from previous lives and is the source for mental, spiritual, and physical illnesses
Hagiography
An idealized depiction of a leader/saint (ex. Ron Hubbard in the case of Scientology)
Sea Org
Scientology organization comprised of the most dedicated members of scientology
Religious Technology Center
Organization formed in 1982 to preserve, maintain, and protect scientology
Church of Scientology International
The mother church of Scientology that oversees the activities of all scientology churches
Electropsychometer (E-Meter)
Measures the bodies response to questions and determines whether an engram has been removed
Syncretism
Combination of different beliefs and various schools of thought
Hindu Caste System
Four main categories:
1. Brahmins; highest and most esteemed caste; often priests or teachers.
2. Kshatryas; known as warriors; often farmers, trader, or merchant.
3. Waishyas; often farmers, trader, or merchant.
4. Shudras; often do manual labour; assigned at birth and are based on families caste.
TM-Sidhi
Form of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1976; requires intense meditation and yogic-flying
Yogic-flying
Happens when someone enters a deep meditative state through Yogi’s meditation allowing a person to ‘fly’
Natural Law Party
Political wing of TM
Advaita Vedanta
Part of Hinduism (Yogi is part of the tradition)
Atman
Synonym for soul
Brahman
Synonym for ultimate reality/God
Guru Dev
Real name is Swami Brahmananda Saraswati and he taught Advaitic Hinduism
Conscious mental activity
Concerned with everyday activity and can be easily unfocused, cluttered, and chaotic
Pure creative intelligence
Universal creativity that is shared with humanity and the universe. Accessing this part of the mind relaxes an individual giving them more clarity, authenticity and an ability to have better relationships
Elohim
Race that Yahweh descended from
Raël
Vorilhon’s name given by Yahweh. Raël became the messenger for the Elohim
Yahweh
A representative from the race of Elohim. Varilhon saw him come from a spacecraft from the sky
Flirty-fishing
Women used sex to convert no-members into the Children of God cult
Mo-Letters
Short for Moses: They were letters David wrote that contained news, bible teachings, prophecies, etc.
Evangelicalism
A movement within protestant Christianity that is characterized by biblicalism, crucientrism, conversionism, and activism
David Berg
Founder of Children of God (COG) cult; he was anti-establishment, he believed history was entering end times and that Jesus was a revolutionary
What was the year of the Loving Jesus Revolution?
1996
Neo-Paganism
Religious movements outside the commonly practiced and popular Christian traditions
Core themes of Neo-Paganism
- nature is sacred (support environment movement)
- the divine(s) is/are in nature
- the cycle of nature is celebrated
- a person can interact with energies (magic)
Druidry
Part of Neo-Paganism; focus’ on power within nature and being in harmony with it
Heathenry
Part of Neo-Paganism; placed into trances which bring a person closer with unseen powers and forces
Margaret Murray
1863-1964, influenced Gardner. Suggested that witchcraft existed in Europe in ancient times (Wicca)
Gerald Gardner
1884-1964, founder of modern Wicca and is known as Britains most popular witch.
Two biggest achievements are writing the Book of Shadows and created Gardnerian witches
Doreen Valiente
1922-1999, initiated by Gardner, who became influential in spreading Wicca through Britain and U.S. She was Gardners secretary and high preisetes
Aleister Crowley
Defriended by Gardner. Founder of the religion Thelema
Book of Shadows
Religious text/manual for Wicca written by Gardner
Coven
Small group of up to 13 individuals, led by Priestess and Priests
Wheel of the Year
Used to follow the natural cycles of fertility, death, and rebirth in the natural order
Sabbats
Name of eight gatherings that follow the cycle of the sun
Esbats
Celebrations during full moon, thirteen times a year. Various rituals occur at these celebrations (healing, spell-work, teaching, etc.)
Wiccaning
Initiation rite into the coven (does not include children)
Handfastings vs. Handpartings
Handfasting = Marriage ceremony
Handparting = Divorce ceremony
Great Goddess
One of the Gods worshiped by Wiccans, the feminine deity (duotheism)
Horned God
The second God worshiped by Wiccans, the masculine deity (duotheism)
Drawing Down the Moon
Ritual expression of human interaction with divine principles. This ritual focuses on the Priestess invoking and seeking to embody and welcome the power of the Great Goddess.
Drawing Down the Sun
Ritual expression of human interaction with divine principles. This ritual focuses on the Priest invoking and seeking to embody and welcome the power of the Great Goddess.
The Great Rite (Heiros Gamos)
An important ritual in Wicca, performed by the priest and priestess who engage in symbolic or actual intercourse. It represents the coming together of the diving energies, creativity, and fertility. Most wiccans prefer to symbolic intercourse to avoid sexual pressure.
