Travel and new religious movements

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    Abstract

    Travel, be it for leisure, work, exile, or under duress, is of great interest to scholars of religious phenomena, and particularly new religious movements (NRMs) from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. Indeed, the emergence of many NRMs, throughout history, can be traced to cultural flows enabled by the mobility of human beings. While travel has been a constant in human societies, the advent of steam powered travel, followed by the internal combustion engine, and then air travel enabled the exposure of millions of people around the world to the societies, cultures and religious ideas of others often quite distinct from their own. The inevitable reflexive social critique that comes with exposure to the worldviews and lifestyles of others has subsequently given rise to a multitude of religious iterations and innovations. Travel, however, can also be part of the history and formation of many NRMs, such as when leaders travel to a new place to distribute the teachings, or when the group itself is forced to move homes. Indeed, in many instances the designation 'new religious movement', meaning 'new to the people around it', relies upon some kind of travel to have taken place, be it of people or ideas. NRMs themselves can also become touristic attractions, or part of the social milieu of a place that attracts tourists. The subject of travel, including tourism, pilgrimage, trade, and a variety of other forms of human mobility, thus provides a useful inroads to NRMs and the social dynamics of their 'newness'.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationBloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements
    EditorsGeorge D. Chryssides, Benjamin E. Zeller
    Place of PublicationU.K.
    PublisherBloomsbury
    Pages313-318
    Number of pages6
    ISBN (Electronic)9781441198297
    ISBN (Print)9781441190055
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

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