Counter Religious Movements Flashcards
(33 cards)
What are the three characteristics of cults, according to the traditional view?
- deviate widely from the dominant faith of the society in which they exist
- led by one person, a charismatic leader, who is accessible to each member and seen as the embodiment of some cosmic force or transmitter of supernatural reality
- membership is transient and turnover is large and quick
What is the modern definition of “cults”?
a cult is a religious group that presents a distinctly alternative pattern for doing religion and adhering to a faith perspective than that dominant in the culture; cults are therefore relative to the culture they are present in and deviate from
Since “cult” is such a derogatory term, what is the new term used to replace it?
New Religious Movement (NRM)
What are the 8 categories of NRMs in America?
- The Latter Day Saints (Mormons)
- Communalists
- Metaphysicians (Christian Scientists, Scientology)
- Psychic-spiritualist groups (mediums, paranormal)
- Ancient Wisdom Schools (occult knowledge)
- Magical groups (Wicca, Neo-paganism)
- Eastern Religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism)
- The other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Islam)
What does “occult” mean?
knowledge of the hidden
What is an interchangeable term for the word “occult”?
esoteric
What is “occult” associated with?
magical groups
Define esoteric.
knowledge reserved for the few
Define exoteric.
knowledge accessible to all
Who founded Scientology?
L. Ron Hubbard in the mid 1900s
In Scientology, who are Thetans?
commands the body/soul through communication points; “the source of life and life itself” and true identity
What is rehabilitation?
In Scientology, it is the spiritual concept of humans getting back to their true nature
What is auditing?
part of the process of rehabilitation where individuals are repeatedly interrogated
What are the two types of minds in Scientology?
reactive (pain, emotional, trauma) and analytical (responsible for consciousness)
Who is Zenu?
the intergalactic leader of scientology who trapped Thetans in human bodies
Where is Scientology recognized?
recognized as a religion in the U.S. but very controversial and contested in other countries
Where did Wicca develop?
England in the mid to early 1900s (falls under Neo-paganism)
Who introduced Wicca publicly?
Gerald Gardner
What was a source of inspiration for Wicca?
ancient paganism and secret societies (Golden Dawn)
What are the key elements of Wicca?
magic (witchcraft) and paganism
What is the Wiccan rede?
“an it harm none do what ye will”
What are Wiccan festivals like?
based on the seasons and heavily influenced by nature
Who were the first major group to question religious systems?
the Greeks; often favored rationalism and an explanation of phenomena through natural processes?
What is theodicy?
attempts to answer the question why a good God permits the manifestation of evil
a vindication of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil (aka evil comes from the gods)
