New Religious Movements

Instruction in the course will include areas such as the following:

1. An overview of sociological, psychological and anthropological definitions and theories regarding “cults” and an overview and assessment of various theories regarding “conversion.”
2. An historical overview of the first dissenting movements in North America (e.g., Unitarians and Transcendentalists), the role of Swedenborgianism and Mesmerism, the rise of Spiritualism, Theosophy and the New Thought movement, and how they all play an important role in contributing to alternative religions and a certain metaphysical perspective found to be prevalent among them.
3. An overview of how various eastern religions and eastern thought in general came to the West and their ideological contribution to alternative religions.
4. The rise of the sixties counterculture and its receptivity to, and role in, popularizing various groups and the ideology associated with various alternative religions.
5. A discussion of the roots of contemporary Wicca and neo-paganism in gnosticism and western esotericsm at large, as well as their contemporary expressions
6. A critical analysis of how the current popularity of New Age, Wicca, the “pop” psychology and metaphysical teachings of various best-selling authors represent the most recent expressions of the continuing evolution of the alternative religious tradition in North America.
7. An analysis of whether these new religious movements reflect and consequently are better adapted to the current social context than mainstream religions with an evaluation of the benefits and pitfalls stemming from this.
8. A consideration of the congruency among various new religious movements due to historical influence; and how these religions may reflect the social context. One can observe how these historical and social factors shape religion at both an ideological and institutional level.