What types of New Age thinking, therapies and objects have you come across? In groups, design a simple questionnaire asking people about their religious beliefs and about whether they believe in any aspects of New Age thinking. Find out if respondents have used any New Age products, such as crystals, Hopi ear candles or tarot cards, and whether they share New Age ideas, such as astrology, … [Read more...]

Women have often had a leadership role in religious sects and cults. In small groups, search for information about one of the following women. Each has been a visionary, founder or leader of the movement concerned. How far do these examples of women in leadership roles disprove the idea that religion is always patriarchal? Ellen White (top left) Seventh Day Adventist Mary Baker … [Read more...]

Discuss these two questions in pairs. How might the ideas of ‘fragmentation’ and ‘consumer choice’ be used to argue that the growth of sects is simply one more postmodernist aspect of today’s society? How could you argue the case for the New Age simply representing a new element of consumerism? Is it just selling to meet artificially-produced ‘needs’? … [Read more...]

Where religion gives meaning to deprivation and helps people cope with it. Both churches and sects see their interpretation of faith as the only correct one; both have a moral code to which members must adhere. Important differences are that sects are usually smaller; they have less ritual and hierarchy; churches are usually open to the whole community. Examples such as Jehovah’s … [Read more...]