Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
New Age Movements - Coggle Diagram
New Age Movements
Weakness of the New Age
THE PROBLEM OF SCALE
New Age movements are not springing up enough to fill the gap left by the decline of traditional institutionalise religions
KENDAL PROJECT: There was a decrease from 14,500 churchgoers to 3,000 - the 270 involved in the holistic milieu don't make up the difference.
-
WEAK COMMITMENT
Glendinning and Bruce found that although many people dabbled in meditation etc, serious commitment to New Age beliefs and pracitces was very rare.
Those who described themselves as spiritual often did not describe such practices are important in their lives.
STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS
-
- Lacks an external power to extract commitment
- Cannot achieve consensus about its beliefs as everyone is free to believe what they want; lacks cohesion
- Cannot evangelise because they believe that enlightenment comes from within
The Kendal Project
Heelas and Woodhead investigated whether traditional religion had declined, and if spirituality was compensating for it, in the town of Kendal.
They distinguished between two groups:
- The Congregational Domain - traditional and evangelical Christianity; 7.9% of the population attended church
- The Holistic Milieu - spirituality and the New Age; 1.6% participated in these activities
Within the Congregational Domain, traditional churches where losing support, while evangelical churches were doing well. In addition, the holistic milieu was growing:
- Subjective turn in today's culture --> exploring your inner self
- Traditional religions that demand duty and obedience are declining
- Evangelical churches more successful than traditional churches as evangelicals emphasis the importance of spiritual healing
The winners are those who appeal to personal experience rather than the teachings of traditional religion.
-
-