Developing new religions

Description

Organizing religious movements which share a preoccupation with a material and spiritual salvation realizable in this world; charismatic leadership; and simple, popular forms of worship and participation. Direct access from the individual to the sacred is emphasized. Membership is drawn from across former hereditary and geographical boundaries.

Context

While membership is drawn from across former hereditary and geographical boundaries, most participants are lower middle class. Considerable psychological and social support is provided by small groups for individual members. The new religions of Japan have had a phenomenal growth in the post-World War II period. They include Soka-gakkai, Reiji-kai and many others. The new religions have roots in Shinto, Buddhist, Confucian and Christian traditions.

Claim

It is clear that such movements mobilize massive numbers of people, providing the community networks which urban crowding and impersonality tend to destroy.

Counter-claim

Unlike geographical communities of past centuries, these communities based on new religions focus around a group of ideas, a basis far more transient and potentially explosive.