Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do new religious movements combine beliefs and practices from different traditions?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
new religious movement
As the leader of Peoples Temple, Jim Jones was notorious for instigating a shocking mass murder-suicide, the Jonestown Massacre, in 1978.
New religious movements (NRMs) are often highly eclectic and syncretistic, meaning they freely combine doctrines, symbols, and practices from diverse sources to create innovative religious responses to the modern world.1
These movements integrate beliefs from different traditions in several ways:
- Synthesis of Philosophies: Some groups blend Eastern philosophical conceptsâsuch as Hindu monism or the belief that the cosmos is sacredâwith Western mysticism, Neoplatonism, or Kabbala.2
- Adaptation and Repackaging: Leaders may adapt ancient techniques to fit modern contexts. For example, some movements have repackaged traditional Tantric practices into forms that appeal to audiences familiar with Western psychotherapy.2
- Liturgical Fusion: Neotraditional movements often retain indigenous rituals and beliefs while operating within the framework of a different religious liturgy. The Bwiti movement, for instance, fuses traditional ancestral cults with Christian theology and symbolism.3
- Universalism: Many NRMs emphasize religious Universalism, claiming that all world religions teach fundamentally the same truth, which allows them to justify the integration of various teachings into a single, unified doctrine.2
By combining these elements, NRMs attempt to address specific spiritual or social needs that followers feel are not met by mainstream institutions.13