Genealogy of Religion

Exploring the Origins, History and Future of Religion

Entries Tagged as 'Recent and New Religions'

Iranian Jews, Zoroastrians & Bahai

August 28th, 2010 · No Comments · Axial Age Religions, History of Religions, Recent and New Religions

Over at The Atlantic, Elizabeth Weingarten reports on Iranian Jews in America.  I was surprised to learn there is still a community of Persian Jews in Iran and that so long as they are silent on the issue of Israel, they are free to do as they please.  Iran truly is a fascinating country with [...]

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Death of a Pastoral Salesman

August 10th, 2010 · No Comments · Cultural Evolution of Religion, Economy and Religion, Globalization and Religion, Recent and New Religions, Ritual and Religion

In a curiously titled (“Congregations Gone Wild“) op-ed piece for the New York Times, pastor Jeffrey MacDonald bemoans the pressures that now assail the American clergy.  What are these pressures?  Entertaining the flock.  Selling religion as a commodity for comfortable consumers-parishioners.
Despite the title tease alluding to a sophomoric video series in which college-aged women bare [...]

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The Ancient Astronaut Religion

August 4th, 2010 · No Comments · Archaeology and Religion, Daily Devolutions, Recent and New Religions

I have attempted to watch every episode of the History Channel’s series on Ancient Astronauts.  Invariably, a time will come when I have to stop watching an episode because the commentary becomes so bizarre, speculative, and ridiculous that I just cannot take it any longer.
It is truly unfortunate that the so-called “History” Channel chooses to [...]

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Nationalism as Religion

July 20th, 2010 · No Comments · Civil Religion, Classifications of Religion, Cultural Evolution of Religion, Definitions of Religion, History of Religions, Power and Religion, Recent and New Religions, Ritual and Religion

In a previous post, Religious Wars and Nationalism, I discussed two factors that play a major role in group cohesion.  The first factor, which played a dominant role for the majority of human evolution, was extended and fictive kinship.  This is what primarily held groups together during the Paleolithic.  After the Neolithic Revolution, another factor [...]

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Does God Write Fiction?

July 15th, 2010 · No Comments · History of Religions, Magic and Religion, Recent and New Religions

Over at HuffPo Religion, Pete Enns wonders whether God speaks to him and others through fiction.  Although Enns is discussing “a non-literal interpretation of the bible,” which raises critical and unresolved issues of reader-responses and interpretive communities, my guess would be that if he did write, evidence for it can be found in J.R.R. Tolkien’s [...]

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“God Can Be Experienced But Not Explained”

July 9th, 2010 · No Comments · Cognition and Religion, Emotions and Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Recent and New Religions

Over at WaPo’s Faith section, Martha Woodroof has posted a dreary piece that discourages people from asking religious questions or seeking answers.  Here are some of the more defeatist excerpts:

As people of faith, should we concern ourselves with God’s nature, relatives, ways and history?  I, for one, think we should not. It seems to [...]

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Is “Hinduism” Science Friendly?

July 8th, 2010 · No Comments · Axial Age Religions, Classifications of Religion, Definitions of Religion, Globalization and Religion, History of Religions, Power and Religion, Recent and New Religions

In yesterday’s post, I discussed Philip Goldberg’s contention that “Eastern religions” (i.e., Hinduism and Buddhism) are science friendly.  To support his argument, Goldberg relies on a very specific — and Westernized — understanding of these traditions.  Yesterday’s post was devoted to the Western construction and consumption of Buddhism; today’s post will cover the highly problematic [...]

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Are Eastern Religions More Science-Friendly?

July 7th, 2010 · No Comments · Classifications of Religion, Definitions of Religion, Economy and Religion, History of Religions, Recent and New Religions

This is the question asked by Philip Goldberg in a recent article in which he boldly answers yes: “Religious faith in the case of the Hindus has never been allowed to run counter to scientific laws. The same can be said for Buddhism, which derives from the same Vedic roots.”
Setting aside for a [...]

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Deepak Chopra’s “Theory”: Consciousness as Godhead

June 26th, 2010 · 3 Comments · Cognition and Religion, Daily Devolutions, Definitions of Religion, Evolution and Selection, Recent and New Religions

Over at HuffPo Religion, Deepak Chopra opines on the non-existent “war between science and religion.”  Religion is of course being investigated by scientists and examined by historians, but this does not make the interrogation a war.  Religion is simply another object or category of positivist inquiry.
Chopra’s piece begins with some surprising concessions:
What is the war [...]

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Enlightened Religionists Chide the Masses

June 20th, 2010 · No Comments · Atheism and Religion, Axial Age Religions, Classifications of Religion, Cultural Evolution of Religion, Definitions of Religion, Emotions and Religion, Recent and New Religions

In the beginning, I had some hope for the Huffington Post’s relatively new section devoted to religion.  Here was a forum, I thought, where difficult questions could be asked and possible answers ventured.  Not once, however, have I read a post which asks a tough question, which might include any of the following:

What is “religion”?
Why [...]

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