Fiction, invention and hyper-reality : from popular culture to religion / edited by Carole M. Cusack and Pavol Kosnáč.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Cusack, Carole M., 1962- editor.

Kosnác, Pavol, editor.

Series:

Ashgate Inform series on minority religions and spiritual movements

Routledge Inform series on minority religions and spiritual movements

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and culture.

Popular culture.

Religion in literature.

Cults.

Physical Description:

xiii, 299 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.

Summary:

The twentieth century was a period of rapid change for religion. Secularisation resulted in a dramatic fall in church attendance in the West, and the 1950s and 1960s saw the introduction of new religions including the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) the Church of Scientology, and the Children of God. New religions were regarded with suspicion by society in general and Religious Studies scholars alike until the 1990s. When the emergence of a second generation of 'new new' religions - based on popular cultural forms including films, novels, computer games and comic books - and highly individualistic spiritualities confirmed the ulter transformation of the religio-spiritual landscape. Indeed, Scientology and ISKCON appeared almost traditional and conservative when compared to the radically de-institutionalised, eclectic, parodic, fun-loving and experimental fiction-based, invented and hyper-real religions. In this book, scholarly treatments of cutting-edge religious and spiritual trends are brought into conversation with contributions by representatives of Dudeism, the Church of All Worlds, the Temple of the Jedi Order and Tolkien spirituality groups. This book will simultaneously entertain, shock, challenge and delight scholars of religious studies, as well as those with a wider interest in new religious movements. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I Tolkien's Legendarium, the Elven lineage and the Internet 13

1 The Elven Path and the Silver Ship of the Valar: two spiritual groups based on J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium / Markus Altena Davidsen Davidsen, Markus Altena 15

Appendix 1.1 Tië eldaliéva / Reverend Michaele Alyras De Cygne Cygne, Reverend Michaele Alyras De, Calantirniel 31

Appendix 1.2 Ilsaluntë Valion / Gwineth 34

2 Spirituality and self-realisation as 'other-than-human': the Otherkin and Therianthropy communities / Carole M. Cusack Cusack, Carole M. 40

3 Salvation and animation: religion, fandom and identity in the romantic narratives of mystics and Soulbonders / Venetia Laura Delano Robertson Robertson, Venetia Laura Delano 58

4 The development of spirituality in the Brony community / Pavol Kosnác Kosnác, Pavol 79

Part II Film and television as sacred texts 99

5 Spirituality-struck: anime and religio-spiritual devotional practices / Katharine Buljan Buljan, Katharine 101

6 Jediism and the Temple of the Jedi Order / Ash Williams Williams, Ash, Benjamin-Alexandre Miller Miller, Benjamin-Alexandre, Michael Kitchen Kitchen, Michael 119

7 Virtual knights and synthetic worlds: Jediism in Second Life / Helen Farley Farley, Helen 134

8 A brief history of Dudeism / Oliver Benjamin Benjamin, Oliver 148

9 Diego Maradona and the psychodynamics of football fandom in international cinema / Marcus Free Free, Marcus 158

Part III Online mediation of invented, fiction-based and hyper-real religions 179

10 "Discordians stick apart": the institutional turn within contemporary Discordianism / J. Christian Greer Greer, J. Christian 181

11 SubGenius vs The Conspiracy: playfulness and sincerity in invented religions / David G. Robertson Robertson, David G. 198

12 Kopimism and media devotion: piracy, activism, art and critique as religious practice / Danielle L. Kirby Kirby, Danielle L., Elisha H. Mcintyre Mcintyre, Elisha H. 213

13 Beyond belief: revival in virtual worlds / William Sims Bainbridge Bainbridge, William Sims 226

Part IV Countercultural personal spiritualities and religions 241

14 African-American ufology in the music and mythos of Sun Ra / Johanna J. M. Petsche Petsche, Johanna J. M. 243

15 The Church of All Worlds / Oberon Zell Zell, Oberon 261

16 An implicit hyper-real religion: real-life superheroes / Adam Possamai Possamai, Adam, Vladislav Iouchkov Iouchkov, Vladislav 272.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781472463029

1472463021

OCLC:

966252440