Showing papers in "Journal of Contemporary Religion in 1997"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors apply a general theory of why religious movements succeed or fail to explain why the Jehovah's Witnesses are the most rapidly growing religious movement in the western world.
Abstract: This paper applies a general theory of why religious movements succeed or fail to explain why the Jehovah's Witnesses are the most rapidly growing religious movement in the western world. In addition to qualitative assessments of Witness doctrines, organisational structures, internal networks, and socialisation, we utilise quantitative data from a variety of sources to assess such things as the impact of failed prophesies, how “strictness”; eliminates free‐riders and strengthens congregations, the demographic make‐up of the Witness “labor force”;, and the effects of continuity with local religious cultures on success.
125 citations
TL;DR: This paper argued that careful attention to the definition of terms, together with a division of existing arguments relating to the thesis into a broad approach and a narrow approach, would greatly assist in the clarification and evaluation of arguments concerning the secularisation thesis.
Abstract: This article does not seek to argue for or against any aspect of the secularisation thesis. It argues that careful attention to the definition of terms, together with a division of existing arguments relating to the thesis into a “Broad Approach”; and a “Narrow Approach”; would greatly assist in the clarification and evaluation of arguments concerning the secularisation thesis. It argues further that it is vital for historical data to be correctly researched, handled and applied. The article concludes that there is a significant amount of confusion caused by the failure to define terms and apply historical data with care. This makes it difficult to make headway with the secularisation debate or to evaluate properly the alternative model of “Desacralisation”; (Stark & Iannaccone, 1994), so that theorists are often talking at cross purposes.
72 citations
TL;DR: A sample of 212 undergraduate students in the USA completed the Oxford Happiness Inventory and the Francis Scale of Attitude Toward Christianity alongside the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and found that the happiest individuals are those who score low on neuroticism, high on extraversion and high on the scale of attitude toward Christianity.
Abstract: A sample of 212 undergraduate students in the USA completed the Oxford Happiness Inventory and the Francis Scale of Attitude Toward Christianity alongside the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The data confirm that the happiest individuals are those who score low on neuroticism, high on extraversion and high on the scale of attitude toward Christianity, while the least happy individuals are those who score high on neuroticism, low on extraversion and low on the scale of attitude toward Christianity.
61 citations
TL;DR: The danger of imposing a white Pentecostal model also exists as mentioned in this paper, and the need of theoretical tools to study religion as a transnational phenomenon is highlighted. But the danger of using terms and observed traits in certain movements as if they were general categories also exists.
Abstract: HOW can one go beyond the existing Compartmentalisation of the research on Pentecostalism, and still escape the danger of using terms and observed traits in certain movements as if they were general categories? The danger of imposing a ‘white’ Pentecostal model also exists. The road followed in this text places the literature in its socio‐cultural conditions and traditions. To be noted is that while it is in Africa that we find the oldest literature (end of the 1940s), with British and French researchers dominating, it is in Latin America that the literature, usually written by Latin Americans, is most plentiful (about 20 books). Interestingly, it is on black US churches that the lack is greatest! This review concludes by arguing for the need of theoretical tools to study religion as a transnational phenomenon.
55 citations
TL;DR: The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) recently attracted a lot of media attention by participating in a high-profile campaign against the Dalai Lama during his visit to England in the summer of 1996 as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The New Kadampa Tradition (NKT) recently attracted a lot of media attention by participating in a high‐profile campaign against the Dalai Lama during his visit to England in the summer of 1996. The issue at stake was the protector‐deity practice of rDo rje shugs ldan which the Dalai Lama has rejected on theological and political grounds, but which the NKT defines as its ‘essential’ practice. The significance of this dispute has been analysed in terms of its implications for the Tibetan political situation and the image of Buddhism in the West, but this article focuses on the implications for observers seeking to understand contemporary forms of Tibetan Buddhism in Western contexts. In particular, it is argued that an appreciation of Tibetan Buddhism in Britain requires the adoption of a cross‐cultural approach, and so the historical divisions within the dGe lugs tradition and the development of the rDo rje shugs ldan controversy are examined as the appropriate contexts for understanding the emerg...
20 citations
TL;DR: In the case of Lubavitcher Hasidim, when their leader whom they believe to be the Messiah died, messianic fervour and activity increased in intensity.
Abstract: Failed prophecy may result in severe disillusionment for members of a religious group which, in turn, may lead to members losing their faith and leaving. However, the reverse may occur. When faced with this experience, there will be cognitive dissonance resulting in an enhanced commitment to messianic prophesy and activity. Such is the case among Lubavitcher Hasidim. When their leader whom they believe to be the Messiah died, messianic fervour and activity increased in intensity. This paper ends by speculating on the reasons for these two different outcomes.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the consequences of the relatively new policy adopted by ISKCON toward active Indian congregations in the United States are analyzed and the relationship between religious innovation and forms of power is highlighted.
Abstract: The paper provides an analysis of the consequences of the relatively new policy adopted by ISKCON toward active Indian congregations in the United States. Primary data is set within the theoretical framework of Globalisation and the relationship between religious innovation and forms of power is highlighted. The paper provides data regarding the religious and non‐religious interests of ISKCON Indian followers and ISKCON temple residents. A description and analysis of the sources of power that are available for the actors and the way they are exploited are discussed in relationship to the process of change. The paper concludes with a discussion of the impact of the interaction between the ISKCON temple and its Indian followers on the movement itself.
11 citations
TL;DR: A number of quite different typologies for cults (or new religious movements) have been fashioned over the last 30 years as discussed by the authors. But these typologies have been quite different.
Abstract: A great number of quite different typologies for cults (or new religious movements) have been fashioned over the last 30 years. This paper provides an assessment of these efforts by means of a formal analysis of the nature and limitations of church‐sect‐cult typologizing in general and the strategic options available for creating cult typologies in particular. An argument is advanced for developing cult typologies with a simplicity of substantive focus and maximum flexibility, that can be integrated into a broader nested framework of types of religious organizations. This is best achieved by using Weber's original criterion of mode of membership, with its consequent implications for forms of organization and patterns of commitment.
8 citations
TL;DR: Although magic is today visible in many new forms and is expressed differently in different social groups, it is not a novel element in contemporary Western society as mentioned in this paper, and magic as a form of knowledge control of reality has never completely disappeared, and maintains today, at a symbolic level, a close link between past and present in local cultures.
Abstract: Although magic is today visible in many new forms and is expressed differently in different social groups, it is not, however, a novel element in contemporary Western society. Magic as a form of knowledge‐control of reality has never completely disappeared, and maintains today, at a symbolic level, a close link between past and present in local cultures. Although magic refers to meaning and beliefs that are restricted to the select few, some mysteries are revealed to a large number of people, a process through which its clandestine nature is profoundly altered and its character sui generis is strengthened, especially in times of rapid social change. Where magic assumes a less fragmentary and more visible character, stepping out of the private sphere to occupy public space, its social presence is extended not only to the ‘in‐between spaces’, but also to more institutionalised environments. Magic is as present in the daily interaction between individuals as it is in wider contexts, such as the fash...
7 citations
TL;DR: The Messianic Communities (Northeast Kingdom Community Church) as discussed by the authors is one of the more dynamic and long-lived groups originating from the Jesus Movement and it is also a very interesting group.
Abstract: The Messianic Communities (formerly known as the “Northeast Kingdom Community Church”; or simply as “Island Pond") is one of the more dynamic and long‐lived groups originating from the Jesus Movement It is also one of the more under‐studied, a result of both the members’ reluctance to indulge the idle curiosity of journalists and researchers, as well as ongoing problems with litigation. This paper represents a preliminary attempt to describe the group and place it within the broader context of American religious history.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors employ ethnographic examples from peasant recruitment and life histories from a Mexican millenarian colony to draw a working distinction between "recruitment" and "conversion" phases of a seeker's involvement with a movement.
Abstract: Most studies of religious movement expansion in Latin America have stressed the concept of conversion as the major focus of research. Very often, the proposed subject of study—why peasants join a new religion—has been the effects and satisfactions resulting from joining a movement, rather than the original motives for seeking to join. Employing ethnographic examples from peasant recruitment and life histories from a Mexican millenarian colony, I favour drawing a working distinction between ‘recruitment’ and ‘conversion’ as analytically separable phases of a seeker's involvement with a movement. Conversion refers to an ongoing process of identity transformation after joining a religious movement, while recruitment refers to the decision‐making process leading to membership in a movement. An analysis of peasant processes of affiliation at the Mexican colony shows that the millenarian doctrines of the colony have played a minimal or negligible cognitive role in peasants’ decisions to join. It is arg...
TL;DR: Wicca as mentioned in this paper is a woman-centred, goddess-worshipping, nature-affirming, participative, and this-worldly-orientated religion that challenges traditional American religious motifs such as the masculinised metaphors for the divine, the radical transcendent character of the divine and the idea of the religious participants' insufficiency and need.
Abstract: Among the increasing variety of religious expressions on the contemporary American scene, Wicca has an important place—not only because of the large number of its adherents and practitioners, but also because of its implicit criticism of mainstream American religious beliefs and practice, as well as its lessons for our theorising in the sociology of religion. As a woman‐centred, goddess‐worshipping, nature‐affirming, participative, this‐worldly‐orientated religion, Wicca challenges such traditional American religious motifs as the masculinised metaphors for the divine, the radical transcendent character of the divine, the idea of the religious participants’ insufficiency and need, and the traits of religious exclusivity and particularity. Furthermore, Wicca challenges much of the contemporary sociology of religion's thinking about religion, specifically the discipline's over‐emphasis on the meaning‐giving function of religion and its overlooking the salience of empowerment in religious experience.
TL;DR: The authors argue that many aspects of contemporary Christian liturgy have undergone a significant shift from an emphasis upon bodily communication to an over-riding regard for the stimulation of the mind of the individual worshipper.
Abstract: Recent analyses of the impact of (post)modernity on contemporary expressions of religion have been influential in understanding some of the cultural transformations religious traditions inevitably experience. This article argues, within the context of gender studies (and in particular social theory about ‘masculinity'), that many aspects of contemporary Christian liturgy have undergone a significant shift from an emphasis upon bodily communication to an over‐riding regard for the stimulation of the mind of the individual worshipper. Focusing in particular on Roman Catholicism, I discuss how this increasing prioritisation of the mind over the body entails an essentially ‘masculine’ epistemological model and reflects a deeply embedded cultural assumption within modernity. I explore the nature of such an ideological transformation based upon myths about ‘masculinity’ and suggest an approach which might prevent it from spiralling into further crisis.
TL;DR: The reluctance to participate in enquiries about religious belief and practice takes a variety of forms and has a number of bases as mentioned in this paper, including negative attitudes toward the enterprise of social research, its habits of enquiry and its conceptual language.
Abstract: The reluctance to participate in enquiries about religious belief and practice takes a variety of forms and has a number of bases. This paper draws upon enquiries of belief and behaviour conducted with samples of 692 Quakers and 238 clergy in the Church of England: in both cases a postal questionnaire was followed by selective interviewing. The paper explores the hazards of operating standard designs across a variety of religious tendencies. Resistance to generalised questions commonly took the form of non‐response at. the questionnaire stage and of negotiation of terms in the interview. It particularly besets enquiries conducted among constituencies which attach special significance to correct wording or acceptable assumptions and have negative dispositions toward the enterprise of social research, its habits of enquiry and its conceptual language. Attention is drawn to the precision with which respondents represent their religious beliefs and practices and the implications of losing this precis...
TL;DR: The importance of amrit in the lives of young British Sikhs raises two related issues for religious studies and education as discussed by the authors, one is the significance of ethnography for the representation of faith traditions, and the second is finding an appropriate model for understanding the spectrum of published and observed Sikh practice and belief concerning amrit.
Abstract: The importance of amrit ('nectar’, holy water) for Sikh children in Coventry illustrates the sanctity of water in Indian tradition in ways which challenge the understanding of amrit in publications on the Sikh tradition. For these young British Sikhs amrit is water which has been transformed and, in turn, transforms. It is a readily available means of channelling the Guru's power into the individual's life and is often associated with living masters (sants, babas), so providing insight into their controversial role in Sikh communities. Examination of the meanings of amrit in the lives of young British Sikhs raises two related issues for religious studies and education. One is the significance of ethnography for the representation of faith traditions, and the second is finding an appropriate model for understanding the spectrum of published and observed Sikh practice and belief concerning amrit.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore determinants of children's religious affiliation in a county of eastern Germany to better understand the process of religious socialisation in a highly secular society, and they conclude that it is only the primary group affiliations, such as the family, which influence church affiliation.
Abstract: We explore determinants of children's religious affiliation in a county of eastern Germany to better understand the process of religious socialisation in a highly secular society. The typical determinants of religious affiliation fail to explain adolescent religious behaviour in eastern Germany. Mother's religious affiliation is the only factor that predicts religious affiliation among these young people. We conclude that in a highly secular society it is only the primary group affiliations, such as the family, which influence church affiliation.
TL;DR: This article explored the relationship between religious beliefs and secular attitudes of lay people within a single church, the Anglican Province of Wales (UK), and found that Anglicans with more "catholic" beliefs seem more concerned in their secular attitudes with issues which they perceive as involving rule breaking or attitudes to authority.
Abstract: This paper explores the relationship between religious beliefs and secular attitudes of lay people within a single church, the Anglican Province of Wales (UK). The origins of the data are described and findings as to the distinctive social characteristics of the laity reported. Results of the analysis of the interrelationship between different dimensions of religious belief are reported and discussed. The secular attitudes of the laity are compared with those of the British population, and found to be on the whole more ‘liberal’. While some differences between the secular attitudes of the laity and the general population are clearly related to the distinctive social position of the former, social location is unable to explain all of these differences. A number of relationships between belief and secular attitudes are described. Anglicans with more ‘catholic’ beliefs seem more concerned in their secular attitudes with issues which they perceive as involving rule breaking or attitudes to authority,...
TL;DR: The Family is one of the best known new religions, and perhaps the most studied as mentioned in this paper, however, one specific aspect of The Family's belief system has never been discussed by scholars.
Abstract: The Family is one of the best known new religions, and perhaps one of the most studied. However, one specific aspect of The Family's belief system has never been discussed by scholars: UFOs. The article describes the versatile notion of UFOs in The Family and is based on normative texts, as well as on quotations from believers. It attempts to explain why this aspect was originally introduced into David Berg's interpretation of Protestant Christianity and how it is understood today. The article touches upon phenomenological as well as sociological themes.
TL;DR: The number of schisms within Anglo-American Anglicanism has increased remarkably over the last 20 years, especially in relation to the ordination of women to the priesthood as mentioned in this paper, and the form of the new churches is assessed, using ecclesiological and sociological insights.
Abstract: The number of schisms within Anglo‐American Anglicanism has increased remarkably over the last 20 years, especially in relation to the ordination of women to the priesthood. This paper investigates the phenomenon and is in two main parts. First, it examines and records the recent ‘splits’, and offers some account for their occurrence. This includes some of the first work that has been done on the contemporary divisions in the Church of England following the decision to ordain women in 1992. Secondly, the form of the new churches is assessed, using ecclesiological and sociological insights. This includes an interrogation of the Anglican Quadrilateral against the background of accelerating theological and ecclesiological division within post‐modernity. The conclusion suggests prospects for Anglican schisms in the next century.