Читать книгу The Atlas of Religion - Joanne O'Brien - Страница 38

New religious movements are religious or spiritual groups not officially recognized as standard denominations or Churches, but their definition is one of the most controversial in the field of religious studies. Some claim to have traditional roots and others are entirely new. All have their strongest appeal in predominantly Christian cultures where secularism has created crises of identity. The rise of new religious movements was aided by the growth of economy air travel from the 1960s, which made it possible for young people, swamis and teachers to travel extensively. Indonesia, with its long tradition of religious pluralism, has hundreds of new religious movements and is the only country in the world to offer them formal recognition and official protection. Shown here is a selection of recent movements with no historical roots, such as the Church of Scientology, or movements not accepted by their supposed parent faith, such as the Church of Unification, which is not recognized by mainstream Christians. Not covered are the thousands of people who belong to local new religious movements, who sometimes exceed the number of those involved in international movements.

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