Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

New Age Religions

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions

Related Terms

Meditation; Metaphysics; Mind; Self-help; Spiritualism; Spirituality; Theosophy

Description

New Age religions lack a formal social structure as a whole. Any easily discernible social group is usually based on a common interest in a specific topic, such as meditation, healing, or energy, rather than a formal commitment (Albanese 2008). Any social structure usually develops out of an audience membership or with local teachings from a knowledgeable source. A lot of material familiar to the traditions comes from mass media such as books, videos, and Internet websites and may contribute to the nonsocial structure of New Age religions (Jenkins 2001). There is no set belief system that encompasses all New Age religions traditions; rather, markers such as an emphasis on the mind, metaphysics, meditation, human ability, and science’s role in spirituality are common characteristics.

The most recent developments incorporate scientific and pseudoscientific findings as...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,600.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,399.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Albanese, C. (2002). Rediscovering nature religion. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albanese, C. (2008). A republic of mind and spirit. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chasse, B., & Vicente, M. (2005). What the bleep do we know? DVD. 20th Century Fox.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, P. (2001). Mystics and messiahs. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melton, J. (1998). Finding enlightenment. Hillsboro: Beyond Words Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothstein, M. (2003). UFO beliefs as syncretistic components. In C. Partridge (Ed.), UFO religions (pp. 256–273). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Anthropology, St. Peter’s College, University of Oxford, 51/53 Banbury Road, Oxford, UK

    Justin E. Lane

Authors
  1. Justin E. Lane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin E. Lane .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systematic Theology, Faculty of Theology, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Anne L. C. Runehov

  2. Pontificia Universita Antonianum, Roma, Italia

    Lluis Oviedo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Lane, J.E. (2013). New Age Religions. In: Runehov, A.L.C., Oviedo, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1497

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1497

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-8264-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-8265-8

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation