The Problem of Invented Religions

Invented religions have been described as modern religions which advertise their invented status and reject traditional strategies of authorisation. But what does it mean for a religious formation to be ‘made up’, and how might this status affect perceptions of its legitimacy or authenticity in wider society?

Based in original fieldwork and archival sources, and in the secondary literature on invented and constructed formations, this volume explores the allure of, as well as the limits of, the invention of religion. Through a series of case studies, the contributors discuss strategies of mobilization and legitimation for new traditions at their point of emergence, as well as taking issue with simplistic interpretations of the phenomenon which neglect wider cultural and political dimensions. This book was originally published as a special issue of Culture and Religion.

Steven J. Sutcliffe is Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion at the University of Edinburgh, UK. He is the author of Children of the New Age: A History of Spiritual Practices (2003), editor of Religion: Empirical Studies (2004), and co-editor (with Ingvild Gilhus) of New Age Spirituality: Rethinking Religion (2013).

Carole M. Cusack is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. She is the author of Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction, and Faith (2010), The Sacred Tree: Ancient and Medieval Manifestations (2011), and co-editor (with Alex Norman) of New Religions and Cultural Production (2012).