Survival strategies of new religions in a secular consumer society: a case study from Estonia

In this article, I argue that in contemporary neoliberal consumer societies, traditional religious missionizing activity is superseded by religious branding and marketing. An example of this at a national level is Estonia, a small secular society in Europe where the majority of the population define...

Description complète

Enregistré dans:  
Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Ringvee, Ringo (Auteur)
Type de support: Numérique/imprimé Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
En cours de chargement...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Publié: University of Californiarnia Press [2017]
Dans: Nova religio
Année: 2017, Volume: 20, Numéro: 3, Pages: 57-73
Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés:B Estland / Nouvelles religions / Laïcité
RelBib Classification:AZ Nouveau mouvement religieux
KBK Europe de l'Est
Accès en ligne: Volltext (doi)
Description
Résumé:In this article, I argue that in contemporary neoliberal consumer societies, traditional religious missionizing activity is superseded by religious branding and marketing. An example of this at a national level is Estonia, a small secular society in Europe where the majority of the population defines itself as religiously unaffiliated. Over the last quarter-century, Estonia has been characterized by neoliberal reforms and governance and has seen the creation of a religious or spiritual marketplace. I examine three strategies for survival in this marketplace by using three examples: a native Neopagan association with legal status as a religious association; a Kriya Yoga community with legal entity status as a non-profit association; and a Neo-Tantric organization with legal entity status as a regular business enterprise. I show that despite the differences in their approaches, each case shows how branding and marketing are increasingly important for new religious groups seeking to establish a successful presence in contemporary neoliberal consumer society.
ISSN:1092-6690
Contient:Enthalten in: Nova religio
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1525/nr.2017.20.3.57