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Religion and Non-Religion New Religious Expression - Coggle Diagram
Religion and
Non-Religion
New Religious Expression
Rise of New
Religious Expression
New age spirituality,
the idea of people introducing
their own ideas of religion
Personal Fulfilment
the idea of living a purposeful and satisfying life.
new religious expressions are easy and simple ways for people to add to the overall happiness of their lives without committing to anything major and life-altering (like traditional religion would be)
eg: provides physical and mental healing, meditation and acupuncture, eliminates stress and brings about peace.
relaxation:
people want to take a break and wind down. being calm is often a large part of maintaining happiness.
new religious expressions focus on mindfulness and relaxation, which makes them very appealing.
personalisation:
people may feel that religions designed for large groups aren't personal enough for their own needs.
sources of authority for traditional religions are written thousands of years ago, and read by millions of people, making them feel disconnected.
Clarify Relationship with Society
a large part of being human is wanting to be part of a community and relate to a wider society.
new religious expressions allow people to have a meaningful relationship with society and give back, without having to adopt all the ethics of traditional religions.
eg: informal settings, astrology, numerology.
individualism:
trend growing in the western world. the idea of being independent, rather than relying on the control of large institutions such as the church.
Ethical Guidelines
religious expressions often give
a moral compass and guides them to
being good and principled people.
traditional religious ethics can often
fall short for two main reasons;
they're outdated and unclear.
eg: homosexuality, cloning, global
warming
outdated:
traditional views don't
allow for ethical independence and initiative.
unclear:
can sometimes lack clarity and specificity. people find it hard to apply ethical guidelines written a long time ago to help with modern issues like law, family and relationships.
many modern problems aren't addressed in sacred texts, so it's hard for adherents to determine what the right thing to do is.
Influence on the Growth of
New Religious Expression
Materialism
essentially the obsession with having 'things' and possessions. the idea that people find fulfilment and meaning through material objects over intellectual or religious things.
there is a big culture of consumerism and individualism in the 21st century.
eg: crystals, where materialism and spirituality collide.
consumerism:
people enjoy buying products, everything is processed quickly and in bulk.
people want things that are new and exciting, new age spiritualities focus on items and experiences that can be bought and sold.
individualism:
people like things that are personal, personalised objects bring satisfaction, not only do new age religions focus on materialism, they also sell objects and ideas that seem personal.
Scientific Progress
since the industrial revolution, the rate of scientific progress has been very quick; this rapid scientific growth can raise a lot of questions about some religious perspectives.
the more science explains the operations of the world, the less likely people are to need religious explanations for how the world works.
Spiritual but not Religious:
people who don't like traditional religious practice, but still want a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. science and spirituality can co-exist.
eg: MBS festival
Ecological Awareness
climate change is an imminent threat to our planet due to our mass production of goods and greenhouse gas emissions.
new age spiritualities place a big emphasis on having a relationship with and caring for the earth.
relationship with:
some expressions focus on having a spiritual relationship with the earth. this relationship has personal and environmental benefits. based on animism and paganism.
spiritual ecology:
look after the earth as if we have a spiritual relationship with it. have an attitude that we are more than just inhabitants on the earth, but that the earth is profoundly sacred.
caring for:
they provide a platform to be active in caring for the earth and foster attitudes of respect and gratitude for mother nature.
Disenchantment
a combination of disappointment and dissatisfaction, often with something you used to like.
ways of worship:
people can find religious practices unexciting and religious guidelines too strict.
formal ways of worship are dull and steeped in tradition. the ethical values that people are told to live by can be outdated and too prescriptive.
people feel that it does not provide a meaningful enough support system in the modern world.
perception of religion:
it is now acceptable to have no religious affiliation.
multiple factors are causing people's views of religion to transform from inherently positive to negative: instances of abuse of power in the catholic church, radicalism in islam.
people become disillusioned by incidences of unjustness.