Transcript REL2300U NewReligMovS2015

New Religious Movements
Mary Fisher Living Religions
Chapter 12
Terms (1): Concepts & Movements
Apocalypse
apostasy
 Millennium
Rapture
 Cult
“Audience Cults” “Client cults”
 New Age
Thetan
 Sect
“Church”
 Progressive millennialism
Progressive revelation
 Babi movement
Baha’i Faith
 Syncretism
Universalism
 Ethnic religions
Goddess spirituality
 Neo-Paganism/ Wicca/ Witchcraft

Terms (2): Names & Movements
Depak Chopra
 L. Ron Hubbard
 Rev. Sun Myung Moon
 Sathya Sai Baba of India
 Joseph Smith

New Age
Scientology
Unification Movement
Sai Baba followers
Mormonism/
Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints
Charles Taze Russell
 Caodaism
 Madame Blavatsky
 Baha’ullah
 Marcus Garvey, Ras Tafari

Jehovah Witnesses
Santaria
Theosophical Society
Baha’i Faith
Rastafari
Learning Outcomes
Be able to identify and comprehend key
concepts, main beliefs, and practices of each
of these movements
 Be able to distinguish, compare and contrast
these movements with each other and with
the developed religions
 Be able to comprehend these expressions
within the broader Humanities discipline

New Religious Movements
Introduction
 History
of Religions – continual change
 Times of rapid social change – spawns new
religious movements
 Experience – ranges from fleeting to deep
change
Social Context of New Religious
Movements (1)
Cult
 Sect
 “New Religious Movements” – label intended to be
neutral and used by scholars
 Sociologists study new religious movements
 “Church” and “sect” distinction; W. Bainbridge’s
distinction
 Stark and Bainbridge: “Audience cults” New Age
groups tend to fall in this category (e.g. Depak
Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws for Success”)

Social Context of New Religious
Movements (2)
“Client Cults” – e.g. 1: Scientology
 L. Ron Hubbard ( 1911-1986)
 Hubbard’s Teaching – the “thetan”
 Stark & Bainbridge’s “cult movement” definition
 Apocalypse
 Millennium
 Rapture

Charismatic Leadership
Unification Movement
Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920--)
Basic Teachings/Beliefs
 Sathya Sai Baba of India (1926-1986)
Claims reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba & Avatar
Center is in Puttaparthi; massive ashram
Basic Teachings/ Beliefs, and practices

Offshoots of Older Religions
The Mormon Church/ Mormonism/ The Church of
Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints
Joseph Smith
The Book of Mormon
Mormon Central Teachings, Beliefs, & Practices
 Jehovah’s Witnesses
 Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916)
 Central Beliefs, Teachings, and Practices

Offshoot’s View of Christianity
Mormonism:
Apostasy (apostate): Christian Church fell away from
the truth and Mormonism comes in 19th cent. and
restores the true biblical view, the true priesthood,
the true Church
 Jevovah’s Witnesses:
Christian Church also viewed as corrupt and
apostate, focusing on corrupted non-biblical terms
such as “Trinity,” and generally anti-institutional

Syncretistic “New” Religions
 Syncretism
 Caodaism
– 1926 Vietnam
 African-Inspired Syncretic Religions:
 Santaria
 Theosophical Society
 Madame Blavatsky (1831-1891)
 “Ascended Masters”
The Baha’i Faith
“Universalist beliefs have also
manifested in a ‘new’ global
religion, the Baha’i Faith” M.
Fisher, p.482
Map of West Asia (Turkey, Persia,
Afghanistan), 1863
Birthed in Persia & Ottoman Empire
Bahai Faith Spreads through the exiled
journey of the Founder
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i Faith
(1)
the Bab) and the Babi Movement
In 1844, Ali Muhammad announces that he
has been sent by God to prepare humanity for
a new age and the imminent appearance of
another messenger even greater than himself
[from US Baha’i website].
 (This section is taken from the
Hopfe/Woodward text) In 1844, a Shi’a
Muslim named Ali Muhammad declared that
he was the promised twelfth imam and called
himself the Bab (the Gate). He advocated
sweeping religious and…

The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (2)
 social
reforms, such as raising the
status of women; thus, the Bab
gathered around him a group of
disciples who called themselves Babis.
The movement was short-lived, as the
religious and political forces of Persia
moved to crush it. The Bab was publicly
executed in 1850, and many of his
disciples were imprisoned or executed.
Religious, Political, and Geographic Contexts
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (3)
 Before
he died, however, the Bab
predicted that he had prepared the way
for one who was yet to come, one who
would found a universal religion.
 Hopfe/Woodward text summarizes it this
way: What began as a sect of Shi’ite
Islam in Persia moved so far away that
it is now considered a separate religion
altogether.
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (4)
[This next portion of the story is taken from
Gloria Faizi’s The Baha’i Faith: An
Introduction, Baha’i Pub. Trust]
 Baha’ullah (Ali Husayn) was in Tirhan at the
time when the Bab declared His mission to his
first disciples in Shiraz. The new message
reached Husayn through the Bab’s first
disciple, and he accepted it without the least
hesitation though he had not met the Bab.
Husayn was 27 years old.

The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (5)

Having identified himself with the Cause of the Bab,
Husayn arose to promulgate its teachings and share
in the sufferings of its followers. Before long, all his
property was confiscated, and he himself was thrown
into a dungeon called “The Black Pit,” for murderers
and robbers. Husayn spent 4 months there with a
heavy chain on his neck. Yet, while in this gloomy
dungeon, he became fully aware of the Revelation
which was to flow through him to the rest of
mankind.
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (6)

The Bab was now executed (martyred), and
many others had laid down their lives for the
Cause, and the few remained were being
hunted down by their cruel enemies. But
Baha’ullah knew that the blood of martyrs had
watered the mighty tree of God’s Cause & that
nothing could stop its growth until it had
gathered all the peoples of the world under its
shadow.
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (7)
After 4 months, Husayn was so ill they
thought he would die. He was released from
the dungeon and banished from his land to
Baghdad, and some friends and family
volunteered to go into exile with him.
 He remained in exile in Baghdad for 10 years.
Though he was destitute and branded a
heretic, people of all backgrounds and
denominations came..

The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (8)

seeking his presence. Forgetting their
differences of classes, color, and religion, they
sat down together listening to his teachings.

The Iranian gov’t heard about this, hoping the
movement was dead, and so persuaded the
Turkish gov’t (under which Baghdad was) to
send Baha’ullah further away from his native
country.
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (9)

He was going to be banished to
Constantinople. On the eve of his departure,
he revealed that he was the promised one,
the “Great Teacher promised in all the Holy
Scriptures of the world, whose advent the Bab
prepared the way [at which time he took on
the name Baha’ullah, meaning the “Glory of
God.” This Declaration was a turning point in
the history of this new Cause. The promise of
the Bab…
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (10)
 had
been fulfilled. The Day of the Unity
of Mankind had now been ushered in.
 His exile in Constantinople lasted 4
months during which time a number of
notables of the city came under the
influence of his teachings.
 Then he was sent to Adrianople, where
he stayed for 5 years.
The Story of the beginning of Baha’i
Faith (11)
There, Baha’ullah proclaimed his Mission to
the kings and rulers of the earth, and to
ecclesiastical leaders of all religions. He called
them to listen to the Message of God, to come
together to resolve their differences, to work
toward world peace.
 The Revelation of Baha’ullah, which had been
born in the dungeon of Tirhan and declared on
the eve of his departure from Baghdad,
reached its zenith in Adrianople.

Baha’ullah’s Banishment Journey
Chronological Overview




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1844 – Ali Muhammad, a 25 year old merchant,
declares himself to be the 12th Imam
1858 – Ali Muhammad executed, his followers are
persecuted
1863 – Baha’ullah (Husayn Ali) founds Baha’i faith
1892 – Baha’ullah dies; Abbas Effendi assumes
leadership of Baha’i movement
1863-1908 – Repression of Baha’is in Middle East
1908—present Global missionary efforts taken
1963 – Universal House of Justice established
Baha’i Key Terms/Concepts
Bab-”Gate”, Ali Muhammad of Persian, “12th
Imam”
 Bab-ud-Din-”Gate of Faith”, Founder of the
Babi movement, Ali Muhammad
 Babis-Religious group, followers of the Bab,
immed. Forerunner of the Baha’i religion
 “Twelfth Imam”-Shi’ite Muslim Iranian
prophecy that the 12th one to come, a
Messiah-type figure

Key Terms/Concepts, continued
Baha’ullah – the “Glory of God,” title of Ali
Husayn, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith
 Abdu'l-Baha – Baha’ullah’s successor and son
 Ridvan – annual festival commemorating Ali

Husayn revealing to the Babis that he was the
promised one, occurred in Ridvan (near Baghdad) in
exile

Universal House of Justice –international seat of
the Baha'i community located in Haifa, Israel
The Main Baha’i Beliefs (1)
One God, one World, one Humanity
 Baha’ullah: the Promised One of the Ages
 Baha’ullah is the most recent messenger of
God
 All religions come from the same Divine
source
 Divine revelation: continuous and progressive
the Messengers of God: Moses, Zoroaster,
Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, the Bab, and
Baha’ullah represent successive stages in the
spiritual growth of humanity

Main Baha’i Beliefs
 Baha’ullah
(2)
fulfills prophecies of the past
manifestations of God & that his coming
ushers in the age of fulfillment in
religion.
 One God and one humanity: his
greatest message was in the oneness of
the human race; all races, sexes, and
religious truths are the expressions of
the one God.
Abdul-Baha’s Message
to the World
Abdul-Baha (Baha’ullah’s successor) left Acre
(north of Haifa) to preach the following Baha’i
doctrines around the world:
 There is oneness in the entire human race.
This is a fundamental doctrine of faith and
essential to Baha’i.
 There must be an independent search after

truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition.

There is a basic unity of all religions. Baha’i
teaches that all religions essentially preach the same
message.
The Baha’i Practices
Daily obligatory prayer: morning and evening
 Weekly devotional/worship & community
meetings/fellowship locally, internationally
 No clergy or priests & neither local assembly
leader-designate

Baha’i Practices, continued
*Note: In U.S., Baha’is meet on Sundays
 Festivals, some of which follow the Sunday
devotionals, and includes potluck food
 Visiting the international Baha’i Shrine in
Haifa/pilgrimages on high festival, e.g. Ridvan

Practices: Festivals/Fasts
New Year: March 21 (1st day of spring)
 Ridvan (occurs between April 21 - May 2)
commemorates Baha’ullah’s declaration that
he was the promised one
 Other certain feasts throughout the year to
celebrate events in the life of Baha’ullah
 Fast during month of Ala (daylight fast,
compare w/ Islam’s Ramadan)

Taboos
 Alcohol
 Narcotic
drugs
The Baha’i Sacred Texts
Katib-i-Aqdas “The Most Holy Book” (written
by Baha’ullah)
 Katib-i-Iqan “ The Book of Certitudes”
(written by Baha’ullah)
 The Hidden Words (written by Baha’ullah)
 The Tablets of Abdul-Baha
 The Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’ullah,
translated by Shoghi Effendi

The Main Baha’i Symbol
The nine-pointed
star is a main Baha’i
symbol.
 Each of the Baha’i
national shrines has
nine sides, which is
the largest unit
number (single
digit), and thus
symbolizes unity

The Baha’i Religion Today
A
mission-focused religion-globally
 Int’l Shrine, Haifa, & National Shrines
 Structure of three levels:
Universal House of Justice
National Spiritual Assemblies
Local Spiritual Assemblies (20,000+)
 6+ million adherents (estimate)
Factors in its Growth & Success as a
modern World Religion
 Universal
Outlook: one God, one world, one
humanity (all races are a part of)
 Progressive: Theologically (relative to Islam)
and Socially: equality of men and women and
justice for all
 Missionary Focus-globally
 Banishment of Baha’ullah from Persia ended
up working to spread their message
Baha’i: Review and Summary
What was the historical, political, cultural, and
religious context of the birth of this religion?
 (empire, country, religion?)
 What was the name of the forerunner and the
name of the Founder & founder’s successor?
 Summarize of the story of its origin
 How did the banishing of Baha’ullah end up
leading to the spread of this new Faith?

Baha’i: Review and Summary
What
 What
 What
 What

are the main beliefs?
are the main practices?
are the sacred texts (holy books)?
is the profile of this religion is today?
Baha’i Discussion Questions





How is the Baha’i Faith related to Islam, particularly
Shi’ite Islam in Iran during its origin?
How may the Baha’i faith be related to other religions
like Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism,
etc.?
How do you think Baha’is regard the holy Scriptures
of other religions?
How can persecution, even the executing of
thousands of its follows, be fuel for its growth into an
unstoppable religious/spiritual movement?
Why do some consider the Baha’i religion to be more
in step with the modern world?
New Religious Movements:
Social Trends
Ethnic-based Religions:
Rastafari
 Nature Spirituality:
Neo-Paganism, Wicca, Goddess spirituality & Gaia
Ethnic Religions
 Deep Ecology
 New Age Spirituality:
Drew from: progressive millennialism,
spiritism/channeling, nature-reverence, universalism
New Thought, Unity School Christianity

New Religious Movements:
Conclusion:
Will they last?
Four Factors in determining their longevity and
success:
 1) Balance with similarities to existing beliefs
 2) Organization, personal commitment, & bonds
 3) Social Setting- is freedom of choice allowed?
 4) Spiritual aspects-perceived true & genuine

New Religious Movements
Probing Questions:
In modern times, there has been a “come-back” of
nature-based religion which some refer to as the “old
ways.” Some have been trying to reproduce these
old sacred ways. What does the textbook say why it
is difficult to reproduce the “old ways”? (c.f. p. 486)
 When religious groups or cults isolate themselves
and believe the apocalypse is about to come, what
usually results?

New Religious Movements
Small Group Discussion 1:
 Textbook
states, “Religion is best when it is
community and humanitarian focused.”
Discuss this statement, its value, and whether
you agree with it based from what you
learned in this course.
New Religious Movements
Small Group Discussion 2:

In the section of Nature Spirituality, in the topic of
ethnic religions, the example from Russia, the
textbook states, “Now that the freedom of religion is
permitted, people are returning to the traditional
agrarian rites for the earth’s fertility….Some
members of ethnic religions question why they
should revere the myths of West Asian desert tribes,
as in Judeo-Christian tradition, rather than the ethnic
myths of their own ancestors.” (p. 489) Discuss this
assessment and discern the meaning of “West Asian
desert tribes.” Is this a fare assessment?