How far religion goes: a study of the religious element in New Age movements

Abstract

Studies of the New Religious Movements raise questions about the nature of religion. Many of these movements can be seen far from what is usually accepted as a religion. This paper aims to understand the religious element that is present in the New Age practices, also called new spiritualities. Four examples of groups and individual practices were raised in order to understand what make them religious. The use of certain concepts of religion allowed perceiving those practices as examples of religion in modern society, demonstrating that religion goes beyond what is usually recognized as such.

Keywords

• conceito de religião
• natureza da religião
• novos movimentos religiosos
• novas espiritualidades
• nova era.