Bible Lessons with Raël: On Religious Appropriation in ET-Inspired Religions

As an introduction to Nova Religio's special issue on ET-inspired (UFO) religions, this article maintains that despite less media attention since the furor surrounding the Heaven's Gate suicides, ET-inspired religions are still active. Moreover, increasing speculation linking extraterrestr...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Thomas, Paul Brian (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: University of Californiarnia Press 2010
In: Nova religio
Year: 2010, Volume: 14, Issue: 2, Pages: 6-13
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:As an introduction to Nova Religio's special issue on ET-inspired (UFO) religions, this article maintains that despite less media attention since the furor surrounding the Heaven's Gate suicides, ET-inspired religions are still active. Moreover, increasing speculation linking extraterrestrials to 2012 apocalyptic scenarios, coupled with a significant percentage of the population who believe in extraterrestrial visitation, seems to indicate that purveyors of ET-inspired religious perspectives will continue to have a market. Rather than focusing upon the "strange" and seemingly "bizarre" nature of these religious groups, the articles in this special issue endeavor to demonstrate how members of ET-inspired religions appropriate materials and theological ideas from widely-accepted mainstream religious traditions. This article maintains that the value of such an approach lies in bridging the gulf between normalized religious perspectives and the marginalized religious "other."
ISSN:1541-8480
Contains:Enthalten in: Nova religio
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1525/nr.2010.14.2.6