Henrietta

Has anyone read the cover story on Atlantic Monthly's February issue? "An explosion of new religions will shake the 21st century."

Religion is mutating with "Darwinian restlessness" rather than dying out as some would have expected by now. They have identified nine thousand nine hundred distinct separate religions, and two or three new ones are added everyday. Americans are largely unaware of the religious movements around the globe that could become major religions in the future.

The article also discusses the 'marketplace' of religion. Rodney Stark says that "success [of a religious movement] is really about relationships and not about faith. What happens is that people form relationships and only then come to embrace a religion." Also giving people something to do makes them feel that they have an investment in the success of the movement. The mormons are an example of this. The free market religious economy helps explain why secularization and separation of church and state have made way for the amazing growth in number of religious sects. People tend to "value religions of the basis of cost."

There has been a shift in the christian world from north to south. It is expanding rapidly in Africa and Latin America. Sometimes they even send missionaries north to save us poor godless Americans.

Bottom line: what will be the big 'problem cult' of the 21st century? Christianity.

(Sorry I can't post a link. I read it hard copy. I don't think the Atlantic posts their articles until the next month.)

gravitybow

Funny coincidence you should post about the Atlantic Monthly article. I just picked up that issue two nights ago, and I have never bought the Monthly before. I got it because of the "Oh, Gods!" cover story, and I wanted to read a take from a more mainstream publication. Won't be able to get to it until this weekend, though.

Amos

<strong>It is expanding rapidly in Africa and Latin America. Sometimes they even send missionaries north to save us poor godless Americans.</strong>

Nice line! We need more wolves of a different cloth.

Henrietta

Gravitybow, hope I didn't spoil it for you. That's the same reason I picked it up. They may find it to be their best seller of the year. I did notice on their website, though that last month's cover story was 'Women of God'. What it's like to be a modern day nun. So I guess religion sells but at least they seem to be taking a rational aproach to it.