"Ireland's New Religious Movements" book launch

dublin | miscellaneous | event notice Wednesday March 02, 2011 23:13 by Laurence Cox - NUI Maynooth

Marion Bowman to speak on "Contemporary Celticity"

Marion Bowman will launch the just-published "Ireland's New Religious Movements" (editors Olivia Cosgrove, Laurence Cox, Carmen Kuhling, Peter Mulholland) with a talk on "Contemporary Celticity" in Dublin on Wednesday, March 30th.

The book brings together researchers exploring changes in religious practice and belief, the rise of new religious movements, the revival of magical-devotionalism, the arrival of migrant religion and the spread of New Age and alternative spirituality in Ireland.

Dr Bowman is Senior Lecturer and Head of Dept. of Religious Studies at the Open University and a leading researcher on contemporary paganism, Celtic spirituality, the New Age, folk religion, place and tradition. More details on her work are available at http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/religious-studies/bowman.shtml.

The book launch is at 6.30 pm on Wed. March 30th in the Gutter Bookshop ("We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars"), Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 8 (opposite Lord Edward St.) Admission is free and refreshments will be provided. For more information on the event, please contact Ciara at 086 3678501.

The event will also see the launch of an Irish research network on alternative spiritualities, the New Age and new religious movements (contact: olivia.cosgrove AT ul.ie).

Ireland's New Religious Movements
Editors Olivia Cosgrove, Laurence Cox, Carmen Kuhling, Peter Mulholland
Cambridge Scholars Publishing | ISBN 978-1-4438-2588-7 | hbk | €60 | 425pp illustrated

Until recently Irish religion has been seen as defined by Catholic power in the South and sectarianism in the North. In recent years, however, both have been shaken by widespread changes in religious practice and belief, the rise of new religious movements, the revival of magical-devotionalism, the arrival of migrant religion and the spread of New Age and alternative spirituality.

This book is the first to bring together researchers exploring all these areas in a wide-ranging overview of new religion in Ireland. Chapters explore the role of feminism, Ireland as global "Celtic" homeland, the growth of Islam, understanding the New Age, evangelicals in the Republic, alternative healing, Irish interest in Buddhism, channelled teachings and religious visions.

"Ireland's new religious movements" will be an indispensable handbook for professionals in many fields seeking to understand Ireland's increasingly diverse and multicultural religious landscape, as well as for students of religion, sociology, psychology, anthropology and Irish Studies. Giving an overview of the shape of new religion in Ireland today and models of the best work in the field, it is likely to remain a standard text for years to come.

“This collection of essays offers a unique insight into the emerging scene. The papers are well-written and informative, combining both empirical data and theoretical insight. It is a book that should be read well beyond the confines of Ireland - and it will be an enjoyable read for scholars and lay alike” - Prof. Eileen Barker, LSE

“Provides a comprehensive map of an area of Irish culture that has been previously ignored. It shines an important new light on the diversity of religious life in Ireland. With the decline in the significance of institutional religions, it reveals the alternative ways in which contemporary Irish people seek to be spiritual and moral. It is a remarkable achievement.” - Prof. Tom Inglis, UCD

“The breadth and depth of scholarship and the wide range of topics addressed in this volume signal a new energy, resolve and spirit of co-operation among the growing ranks of scholars of religions in Ireland. This is in every sense a pioneering volume.” - Prof. Brian Bocking, UCC

Chapters

1) Editors’ Introduction: Understanding Ireland’s New Religious Movements. Olivia Cosgrove, Laurence Cox, Carmen Kuhling and Peter Mulholland
2) Mapping the “New Religious Landscape” and the “New Irish”: Uses and Limitations of the Census. Malcolm Macourt

Part I: The Changing Religious Faces of Ireland
- The Long History of New Religions in Ireland
3) The Wild Irish girl and the “Dalai Lama of Little Thibet”: The Long Encounter between Ireland and Asian Buddhism. Laurence Cox and Maria Griffin
4) Inventing the Concept of Celtic Buddhism: A Literary and Intellectual Tradition. John L. Murphy

- Alternative Spiritualities and New Religious Movements in Contemporary Ireland
5) Irish Travellers and “Powerful” Priests: An Alternative Response to New Age Healing Techniques. Attracta Brownlee
6) Irish Neo-paganism: World-view and Identity. Jenny Butler
7) The Changing Face of Irish Christianity: The Evangelical Christian Movement in the Republic. Ruth Jackson Noble
8) A Course in Miracles in Ireland: From Channelled Authority to Therapy and Self-help. Ruth Bradby

- Making Sense of Religious Experience
9) The Psychological Dimension of Religious Experience: Spirituality and Schizotypy. Diarmuid B. Verrier and Brian M. Hughes
10) Marian Apparitions, the New Age and the FÁS Prophet. Peter Mulholland

Part II: Irish Religion as Global
- The Globalised Irish Religious Market
11) New Age Re-enchantment in Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland. Carmen Kuhling
12) “Becoming Whole”: An Exploration of Women’s Choices in the Holistic and New Age Movement in Ireland. Ciara O’Connor
13) A Crucial Site of Difference? Minority Religions and Attitudes to Globalisation in Ireland. Olivia Cosgrove

- Ireland as Global Homeland
14) Irish Base, Global Religion: The Fellowship of Isis. Catherine Maignant
15) “Celticity” in Australian Alternative Spiritualities. Carole M. Cusack
16) “Celtic Spirituality” in Contemporary Ireland. Bozena Gierek

- Migrant Religion in Ireland
17) Islam in Ireland: Organising a Migrant Religion. Oliver Scharbrodt
18) Turkish Islam in Ireland: Exploring the Modus Operandi of Fethullah Gülen’s Neo-brotherhood. Jonathan Lacey

About the editors

Carmen Kuhling (senior lecturer in sociology, University of Limerick) is author of several books on Ireland, modernity and the New Age. Laurence Cox (lecturer in sociology, National University of Ireland Maynooth) is author of various pieces on the history of Irish Buddhism. Peter Mulholland (independent scholar) holds a PhD in anthropology from NUIM and specialises in the study of Irish religiosity. Olivia Cosgrove (PhD candidate in sociology, University of Limerick) is carrying out research on religion, globalisation and identity.