Handbook of hyper-real religions [electronic resource] /
edited by Adam Possamai.
- Leiden : BRILL, 2012.
- 1 online resource (456 p.)
- Brill handbooks on contemporary religion ; v. 5 .
- Brill handbooks on contemporary religion ; v. 5. .
Preface; Introduction Religion, Popular Culture and Baudrillard; Yoda goes to Glastonbury: An Introduction to Hyper-Real Religions; Hyper-Real Religion Performing in Baudrillard's Integral Reality; Part One 20th Century Case Studies of Hyper-Real Religions; Occultural Bricolage and Popular Culture: Remix and Art in Discordianism, the Church of the SubGenius, and the Temple of Psychick Youth; Heaven's Gate, Science Fiction Religions, and Popular American Culture; Brain, Biological Robots and Androids: Prophecies in the Realm of Science Fiction and Religion. Part Two 21st Century Case Studies of Hyper-Real Religions"A World Without Rules and Controls, Without Borders or Boundaries": Matrixism, New Mythologies, and Symbolic Pilgrimages; Alternative Worlds: Metaphysical Questing and Virtual Community Amongst the Otherkin; Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analysing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community; The Sanctification of Star Wars: From Fans to Followers; The Spiritual Milieu Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Literary Mythology. Part Three The Internet, Computer Games and Casual Dealings with the Hyper-Real Religious PhenomenonThe Road to Hell is Paved with D20s: Evangelical Christianity and Role-Playing Gaming; "An Infinity of Experiences." Hyper-Real Paganism and Real Enchantment in World of Warcraft; Dealing a New Religion: Material Culture, Divination, and Hyper-Religious Innovation; Who Is Irma Plavatsky? Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and the Internationalisation of Popular Culture from the Dime Novel to The Da Vinci Code. The Gods on Television: Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, Politics and Popular Piety in Late Twentieth-Century IndiaHinduism and Hyper-Reality; Part Four Reacting to the Hyper-Real Religious Phenomenon; Poetic Jihadis: Muslim Youth, Hip-hop and the Homological Imagination; Playing for Christ: Christians and Computer Games; Some Angel Some Devil: Harry Potter vs. The Roman Catholic Church in Poland; Contemporary Atheism as Hyper-Real Irreligion: The Enchantment of Science and Atheism in This Cosmos; Conclusion Anomie, Alienation and the Future of Hyper-Real Religions. Fantasy, Conspiracy and the Romantic Legacy: Max Weber and the Spirit of Contemporary Popular CultureConclusion: The Future of Hyper-Real Religions?; Contributors' Biographies; Index.
'Hyper-real religions' are innovative religions and spirituality that mix elements of religious tradition with popular culture. Through various case studies, this book studies the on and off-line religious/spiritual consumption of these narratives through a social scientific approach.