Od „religii” do „nowych ruchów religijnych”. Dyskusje terminologiczne

Abstract

The lack of precise terminology in studies of religion, social sciences and sociology, which can describe the manifestations of human thirst for religious truth, makes it easy for various religious movements, sects and cults to sustain religious ambiguity. Often new religious phenomena are described and their origins and main ideas are presented without the presentation of their true essence. Sects, cults and new religious movements quite arbitrarily take on the names such as „church”, „community”, „society”, „union”, „organization”, „school”, „centre”, „religion”, etc. The difficulties in the aspect of setting the terminology and right definitions describing the „peripheries” of religion make the scientists use interchangeably such terms as: „sect”, „movement”, „ideas”, „attitudes”, „communes” and „religious phenomena” The characteristics of sects are mingled with the features of new coming religious groups which are far from the traditional meaning of the term ‘sect’. Often, instead of using this term, only one aspect of the phenomena is named and more descriptive terms such as „sect activity” or „sect attitude” are used. Since the terms „sect” or „cult” may have pejorative meanings and thus a negative opinion may be suggested, more objective terms such as „new religious movements” are widely used. In order to be called religious, a social movement should fulfil, according to some scientists, two out of three following conditions: 1. Give the answer to the question about the sense of existence and eternal redemption in the course of history or outside it; 2. Take on the belief in the existence of the Absolute beyond and above the world of sensual experience, which can be contacted through prayer or contemplation; 3. Contain rites and rituals manifesting worship, propitiation or requests towards the Absolute and aiming to obtain redemption. Religious movements are called „new” in two senses: a historical one, referring to the movements created after the Second World War and a qualification one, referring to the alternatives towards official and institutional religions and dominating culture. „New religious movements” are often described as: „new religions”, „marginal religions”, „free religious movements”, „alternative religious movements” and (especially in English-speaking countries) „cults” Because of the lack of common and uniform terminology and ambiguity in defining given ideas, Vatican documents are very reluctant to use concrete and defining terms in relation to sects, cults and new religious movements. This is an important principle of each document dealing with these problems. Therefore it is suggested to use concrete material to illustrate the thesis, empirical data, facts and statistics rather than classify given places of the „peripheries of religion.”