World Religions and Spirituality Project

In this article, we are going to explore in depth the fascinating world of World Religions and Spirituality Project. From its origins to its current evolution, we will discover all the facets and aspects that make World Religions and Spirituality Project such an intriguing and relevant topic today. We will analyze its impact in different areas, as well as its social, cultural, and economic implications. With the help of experts and trusted sources, we will take a look at its influence on the modern world and how it has shaped the way we see and understand World Religions and Spirituality Project. Prepare to be immersed in a journey that will leave you with a new understanding and appreciation for this exciting topic.

World Religions and Spirituality Project
FounderDavid G. Bromley
Established2010
Location
Virginia Commonwealth University
,
Richmond
,
Virginia
,
United States
Websitewrldrels.org

The World Religions and Spirituality Project (WRSP, formerly known as the New Religious Movements Homepage Project[1]) publishes academic profiles of new and established religious movements, archive material related to some groups, and articles that provide context for the profiles.[2][3] It is referenced by scholars,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] journalists,[12][13][14] and human rights groups[15] to provide a scholarly representation of threatened communities.

History

WRSP developed from Jeffrey K. Hadden's Religious Movements Homepage Project, which he founded in 1995. After Hadden's death in 2003, Douglas E. Cowan became Project Director. In 2007, it was described as "one of the largest information sites on new religious movements".[16] In 2010, David G. Bromley became the Project Director.[3] He expanded the scope of the project to recruit international scholars instead of local students and renamed it the World Religions and Spirituality Project.[3][17]

Purpose

In an article that discusses the challenge of teaching students about new religious movements, Douglas E. Cowan explains that, because of "the thousands of NRMs that exist in the world at any one time, only a relative handful are ever discussed in the various print resources , and the Internet is, by default, the only source of information available. The issue then becomes how credible the information is that they obtain online."[18] Websites like CESNUR, the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, the Internet Sacred Text Archive, the Association of Religion Data Archives, and WRSP are understood as examples of websites that respond to this problem.[19] These websites serve to popularize the academic study of new religious movements.

Special projects

In addition to publishing profiles, it has ten special projects, thematic or regional, which are directed by recognized scholars.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Nova Religio and the World Religions and Spirituality Project". University of California Press. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  2. ^ Bromley, David G.; Willsky-Ciollo, Lydia (January 2016). "The World Religions & Spirituality Project". Religious Studies Faculty Book Gallery. Fairfield University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "About Us". World Religions and Spirituality Project. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  4. ^ Knott, Kim (2018-09-02). "Applying the study of religions in the security domain: knowledge, skills, and collaboration". Journal of Religious and Political Practice. 4 (3). Informa UK Limited: 354–373. doi:10.1080/20566093.2018.1525901. ISSN 2056-6093. S2CID 158937341.
  5. ^ Krebs, Jill M. (2017). "Teaching and learning guide for contemporary Marian apparitions and devotional cultures". Religion Compass. 11 (5–6). Wiley: e12234. doi:10.1111/rec3.12234. ISSN 1749-8171.
  6. ^ "COVID-19: Scapegoating Shincheonji in South Korea". CESNUR. 1984-03-14. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  7. ^ "Notes". Dynamism and the Ageing of a Japanese 'New' Religion. Bloomsbury Academic. 2019. doi:10.5040/9781350086548-008. ISBN 978-1-350-08651-7.
  8. ^ Bromley, David (2016-06-03). "Santa Muerte as Emerging Dangerous Religion?". Religions. 7 (6). MDPI AG: 65. doi:10.3390/rel7060065. ISSN 2077-1444.
  9. ^ Deo, Nandini (2018). Postsecular feminisms : religion and gender in transnational context. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1-350-03806-6. OCLC 1039718550.
  10. ^ Kitts, Margo, ed. (2018-05-24). "Martyrdom, Self-Sacrifice, and Self-Immolation". Oxford Scholarship Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190656485.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-065648-5.
  11. ^ Bromley, David G. (2009-09-02). "New Religions as a Specialist Field of Study". Oxford Handbooks Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199588961.013.0041.
  12. ^ "HBO's 'Going Clear' leaves future of Scientology unclear". Washington Post. 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  13. ^ "N.Y. church descended into fear before teen's fatal beating, ex-members say - CBC News". CBC. 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  14. ^ "Church where teen was beaten to death fueled by fear, ex-members say". CBS News. 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  15. ^ "Bodu Bala Sena (Army of Buddhist Power) / BBS". People's Rights Group. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  16. ^ Cowan, Douglas E. (2007). Bromley, David G. (ed.). Teaching New Religious Movements on the World Wide Web. Oxford University Press. p. 300. ISBN 9780195177299.
  17. ^ "Nova Religio and the World Religions and Spirituality Project". Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions. 19 (2): 130. November 2015. doi:10.1525/nr.2015.18.4.140. JSTOR 10.1525/nr.2015.18.4.140.
  18. ^ Cowan, Douglas E. (2007). Bromley, David G. (ed.). Teaching New Religious Movements on the World Wide Web. Oxford University Press. p. 294–295. ISBN 9780195177299.
  19. ^ Cowan, Douglas E. (2007). Bromley, David G. (ed.). Teaching New Religious Movements on the World Wide Web. Oxford University Press. p. 295–296. ISBN 9780195177299.
  20. ^ "Organization & Leadership". World Religions and Spirituality Project. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Thematic Projects – WRSP". Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  22. ^ "Regional Projects – WRSP". Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  23. ^ "Local Community Projects – WRSP". Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  24. ^ "About". Arch City Religion. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  25. ^ "People". A Journey through NYC religions. 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  26. ^ "Professor Melanie Prideaux | School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science | University of Leeds". ahc.leeds.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-06.