Search results

This book explores the elective affinity of religion and post-secularism with neoliberalism. With the help of digital capitalism, neoliberalism dominates, more and more, all aspects of life, and religion is not left unaffected. While some faith groups are embracing this hegemony, and others are simply following the signs of the times, changes have been so significant that religion is no longer what it used to be. Linking theories from Fredric Jameson and George Ritzer, this book presents the argument that our present society is going through a process of i-zation in which (1) capitalism dominates not only our outer, social lives (through, for example, global capitalism) but also our inner, personal lives, through its expansion in the digital world, facilitated by various i-technology applications; (2) the McDonaldization process has now been normalized; and (3) religiosity has been standardized. Reviewing the new inequalities present in this i-society, the book considers their impact on Jurgen Habermas's project of post-secularism, and appraises the roles that various religions may have in supporting and/or countering this process. It concludes by arguing that Habermas's post-secular project will occur but that, paradoxically, the religious message(s) will be instrumentalized for capitalist purposes.

Popular culture can no longer be exclusively seen as a source of escapism. It can amuse, entertain, instruct, and relax people, but what if it provides inspiration for religion? The Church of All Worlds, the Church of Satan and Jediism from the Star Wars series are but three examples of new religious groups that have been greatly inspired by popular culture to (re)create a religious message. These are hyper-real religions, that is a simulacrum of a religion partly created out of popular culture which provides inspiration for believers/consumers. These postmodern expressions of religion are li

Preliminary Material -- Yoda Goes to Glastonbury: An Introduction to Hyper-real . Religions /Adam Possamai -- Hyper-real Religion Performing in Baudrillard's Integral Reality /Martin Geoffroy -- Occultural Bricolage and Popular Culture: Remix and Art in Discordianism, the Church of the SubGenius, and the Temple of Psychick Youth /Danielle Kirby -- Heaven's Gate, Science Fiction Religions, and Popular American . Culture /Benjamin E. Zeller -- Brain, Biological Robots and Androids: Prophecies in the Realm . of Science Fiction and Religion /Carly Machado -- "A World Without Rules and Controls, Without Borders or Boundaries": Matrixism, New Mythologies, and Symbolic Pilgrimages /John W. Morehead -- Alternative Worlds: Metaphysical Questing and Virtual Community amongst the Otherkin /Danielle Kirby -- Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire . Community /Joseph Laycock -- The Sanctification of Star Wars: From Fans to Followers /Debbie McCormick -- The Spiritual Milieu Based on J. R. R. Tolkien's Literary Mythology /Markus Altena Davidsen -- The Road to Hell is Paved with D20s: Evangelical Christianity and Role-playing Gaming /John Walliss -- "An Infinity of Experiences." Hyper-real Paganism and Real Enchantment in World of Warcraft /Stef Aupers -- Dealing a New Religion: Material Culture, Divination, and Hyper-religious Innovation /Douglas E. Cowan -- Who Is Irma Plavatsky? Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and the Internationalisation of Popular Culture from the Dime Novel to The Da Vinci Code /Massimo Introvigne -- The Gods on Television: Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, Politics and . Popular Piety in Late Twentieth-century India /Carole M. Cusack -- Hinduism and Hyper-reality /Heinz Scheifinger -- Poetic Jihadis: Muslim Youth, Hip-hop and the Homological . Imagination /Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir -- Playing for Christ: Christians and Computer Games /Lauren Bernauer -- Some Angel Some Devil: Harry Potter vs. The Roman Catholic . Church in Poland /Krzysztof Olechnicki -- Contemporary Atheism as Hyper-real Irreligion: The Enchantment . of Science and Atheism in This Cosmos /Alan Nixon -- Fantasy, Conspiracy and the Romantic Legacy: Max Weber and . the Spirit of Contemporary Popular Culture /Johan Roeland , Stef Aupers and Dick Houtman -- Conclusion: The Future of Hyper-real Religions? /Adam Possamai -- Contributors' Biographies -- Index.

This article discusses the sociological understanding of popular religion by first exploring the theories of Gramsci. It then critiques this approach by arguing that the social construction of popular religion in contrast to institutionalized religion is not as clear cut in our late modern, multi-faith and global world as it was in the early modern period. Indeed, through consumer culture, some institutionalized religions are now reaching for the popular. Through the use of new Internet methodologies (e.g. Ngram Viewer), the article explores the various understandings of the words popular religion, mysticism and spirituality. It discovers that the usage of these words has evolved over time and reflects wider socio-cultural changes. The article then argues that spirituality (technical or unchurched) can be sociologically understood as an outcome of two processes that intertwine within late modernity; that is the gentrification of popular religion and the democratization of mysticism.

This edited book explores the impact of globalisation on the relationship between religion and politics, religion and nation, religion and nationalism, and the impact that transnationalism has on religious groups. In a post-Westphalian and transnational world, with increased international communication and transportation, a plethora of new religious recompositions religions now take part in a network society that cuts across borders. This collection, through its analysis of historical and contemporary case studies, explores the growth of both national and transnational religious movements and their dealings with the various versions of modernity that they encounter. It considers trends of religious revitalisation and secularisation, and processes of nationalism and transnationalism through the prism of the theory of multiple modernities, acknowledging both its pluralist world view but also the argument that its definition of modernity is often so inclusive as to lose coherence. Providing a cutting edge take on 21st century religion and globalization, this volume is a key read for all scholars of religion, secularisation and transnationalism.

With a clear statement of the theoretical issues in the debates about secularization and post-secularism, 'Religion and the State: A Comparative Sociology' considers a number of major case studies – from China, Europe, Singapore and South Asia – in order to understand the rise of public religions in the modern state. By distinguishing between political secularization – the separation of state and religion – and social secularization – the transformation of the everyday practice of religion – this volume offers an integrating framework within which to analyze these different societies.