The newly emerging religious movements and the religions of the new age are two Sankhs.
First row: New religious movements or cults are somehow rooted in one of the heavenly religions such as: They have Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto, etc. Structurally, this sankh is also somewhat institutional like Mainstram Religions and has a theological and organizational framework.
Second row:
They are not institutional groups and they cannot be considered as emerging from traditional religions or new interpretations of them. Most of them are a set of esoteric and mystical ideas and beliefs, psychological mysticism, emphasis on the “self” of man, rationalism and egalitarianism, reduction of God to a being within man, emphasis on the inner talents of man and things like this. The main features of this style are[1]
The factors that have played a role in creating these movements or new religions are numerous and are related to different motivations, some of which are mentioned.
1. Waiting for the Savior:
Among sociologists and anthropologists of religion, it is known that the era of rapid social changes in many societies has started with messianic movements. According to these sociologists, in Europe before the industrial revolution and in colonial countries, these movements were influenced by the two factors of colonial rule and technical developments, and new religious sects or movements, often with a kind of traditional Messianism in emerging societies. have been accompanied by growth.
2. Traditional and historical link between religion and culture:
There is another sociological reason. The growth of new religions indicates the traditional and historical link between religion and culture. New religions have created profound social changes in religious practices and rituals, economic products and social organizations, as well as in family structures and relationships between them, in the structure of societies and in the importance of the concept of life and death. In fact, this phenomenon has also passed through new religions and is progressing in a direction as if it is creating a new type of religiosity within organized religions.[2]
3. Spiritualism:
Mostafa Melkian, a contemporary religious scholar, answered the question, “Is the growth of new religions indicative of the revival of religion in the present era or the growth of secularism?” It explains as follows:
New religions are not religions, and as a result, their growth is not considered a return to religion, and they are not considered as a revival of religion. But these approaches are spiritual approaches for three reasons:
a. In all of them, there is some kind of internal behavior. It can almost be said that none of them are jewels, but they are more related to Javanh, and in this sense they can be a treatise or an explanation of the issues.
b. These new rituals are not to be referred to for material matters.
J. They usually pay attention to the shared funds of all religions. In other words, their approaches are more like the essence of religions.[3]
Getting into the essence of spirituality and finding the answer for spiritual needs has led humanity today towards modern spirituality. A spirituality that has broken the traditional forms and constructions and challenges the existing dualism in traditional religions and introduces itself with the name of religion (Self Religion) which speaks of the unity of God and man.[4]
4. The conflict between philosophy and the religion of Christianity or reason and faith:
In the 18th century, the study of religion, and consequently, the question of human expectations from religion, was confused with the three movements of Enlightenment, Romantic and Philosophical. Enlightenment movement was invented by French philosophers; Then their radius included Germany, England and the American colonies. This group interpreted nature as an algebraic mechanism. Laplace followed the mathematical analysis of the mechanics of planetary motions, and the problems that Newton’s clothed god was solving, disappeared with his nebular hypothesis. He stated on this point that the solar system was obtained from the cold and compaction of nebular gases and it is the justification for the co-plane orbits of the planets. without needing God’s intervention. Enlightened philosophers of the 18th century believed that religion was created and paid for by clever clerics to maintain their authority over the uneducated and ignorant masses. In this era, rational and spiritual Sharia is no longer relevant. Natural worship of God and “deism”, which was considered a substitute for revelation in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, fell from prosperity and the era of skepticism and rejection and error of religion was revived and removed any rational and reasonable expectations from religion.[5]
5. Avoiding institutionalization and insisting on remaining individualistic:
One of the factors of the emergence of religion in the new era is that it strongly avoids institutionalization and turning into an official institution or organization that has a specific structure and hierarchy. The place of worship, specific acts and rituals, theology, beliefs and moral system are the four main issues for any group and institution that wants to be religious. Among the emerging religious movements, those who are world-rejecting have more or less these four principles, but the movements that are world-oriented usually pay attention to the common and secular world and have a very positive view of the Humans and themselves, therefore, they are trying to be a set of comprehensive mystical and spiritual beliefs rather than an institutional format and structure with the above four topics.[6]
6. The role of the church in tending to new ways:
In the Middle Ages, when the issue of God fell into the hands of the priests, a series of childish and inadequate concepts about God arose, which did not correspond to the truth in any way and naturally did not convince intelligent and intellectual people, but made them hate and oppose The school of God was awakened.
On the other hand, the church has an important role in leading people to think against God, which has been much more effective than the insufficiency of the church’s divine concepts, and that is the imposition of specific religious and practical ideas and theories of the church in the form of coercion and deprivation of any freedom of opinion in these two is the part
It was that scientists and researchers did not dare to think contrary to what the church considers science, that is, they had to think the way the church thinks. This severe pressure on thoughts, which was common in France, England, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Poland, and Spain from the 12th to the 19th century, naturally created a very bad reaction towards religion and religion in general.[7]
7. Colonization:
Another factor that plays a role in the emergence of newly emerging religions is the behavior of colonialism in colonial countries. In order to crush the resistance and unity of the colonized masses and subjugate them, the colonial class resorted to religion. The witness of this claim is the sects that have abrogated the duty of Jihad. Because with the duty of Jihad, Muslims prevented foreigners from encroaching on their country and religion.
With further research, many factors can be found in the emergence of new trends, some of which were mentioned in this article.
Introduction of resources for further study:
1. Akhbar Adyan Magazine No. 7 and 8.
2. Haft Asman magazine No. 7 and 19.
3. Collection of works, Volume 1, Professor Shahid Motahari.
4. Philosophy of religion, Professor Mohammad Taghi Jafari.
[۱] . Akhbar Adian magazine, second year, number 8, page 29.
[2] . Ibid., No. 7, p. 97.
[3] . Ibid., p. 98.
[4] . Ibid., No. 8, p. 29.
[5] . Khosrow Panah, Abdul Hossein, Human Expectations from Religion, Cultural Institute of Knowledge and Contemporary Thought, first edition, 82, p. 153.
[6] . Akhbar Adian magazine, second year, number 8, page 32.
[7] . Motahri, Morteza, collection of works, Sadra Publishing House, 1368, volume 1, page 479.
[2] . Ibid., No. 7, p. 97.
[3] . Ibid., p. 98.
[4] . Ibid., No. 8, p. 29.
[5] . Khosrow Panah, Abdul Hossein, Human Expectations from Religion, Cultural Institute of Knowledge and Contemporary Thought, first edition, 82, p. 153.
[6] . Akhbar Adian magazine, second year, number 8, page 32.
[7] . Motahri, Morteza, collection of works, Sadra Publishing House, 1368, volume 1, page 479.
