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New Age Movements

New Age movements are an alternative to traditional religion.

New Age movements

New Age movements

  • New Age movements are an alternative to traditional religion.
  • These movements promote self-spirituality, meaning that the individual can customise their own experience rather than be dictated to by an established hierarchy.
 Examples

 Examples

  • Examples of popular New Age movements include:
    • Yoga.
    • Reiki.
    • Feng Sui.
__Heelas et al.__

Heelas et al.

  • Heelas et al. conducted research into the rise of New Age movements within the rural community of Kendal in the Lake District.
  • This is known as the Kendal Project.
The Kendal Project

The Kendal Project

  • Kendal was selected as church attendance was double the national average, showing that religion was still relevant in the area. 
Conclusions

Conclusions

  • Although traditional church attendance was still the dominant religious experience, they claimed that New Age movements reflected the self-interested nature of our society and therefore are more relevant to the contemporary individual.
Subjectivisation

Subjectivisation

  • According to Heelas et al., this process signifies the increasing ‘subjectivisation’ of spiritual belief. 
  • Meaning that individuals will pick and choose elements of beliefs systems they want to adhere to.   
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