| Description |
1 online resource (vi, 309 pages) : illustrations |
| Contents |
Introduction -- Defining contemporary religions -- Defining new adherents -- The book's approach -- The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation and the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association as case studies -- Appropriate access -- Role of the researcher -- Fantasy-theme analysis -- An alternative to secularisation theory -- Outline of the study -- Religion in Chinese/Taiwanese society -- Religion in Chinese/Taiwanese society -- The dominance of Confucian political theology -- Folk religion -- The weak position of institutional religion -- Taiwanese religions and modern society : the impact of modernisation -- The rise of civil society : a social structural change -- The changing mentality -- Religious secularisation and Chinese society -- The crisis and change in religious communication -- The Tzu Chi Buddhist foundation as traditional religious revivalism -- The profile of Tzu Chi : first impressions -- The operation of the organisation -- Apparent identity -- Heterogeneity -- Marketing -- The approach of cultivation : the path of Bodhisattva -- The idea of "Buddhism in the human realm" -- Great love -- The importance of practice -- The atmosphere of a congregation -- Adoration of Master Cheng Yen -- Paternalism -- Wenqing Zhuyi -- Self-pride -- Cosmetology of Tzu Chi -- The four noble truths : suffering -- The idea of karma -- Reincarnation -- Retribution -- Summary : Tzu Chi as a Buddhist revival -- Falun Gong as a new religious movement -- The profile of Falun Gong -- A loosely organised organisation -- Health benefit attractions -- Strong commitment -- Homogeneity vs. heterogeneity : a sociological observation -- The cultivation approach : both mind and body -- Qigong practice -- Heritage of the Daoist religion : one master and mantra of practice -- Studying the dharma (xuefa) -- Asceticism -- Getting rid of attachments : a Buddhist idea -- The necessity of tribulation -- The idea of regimen -- The atmosphere of a congregation -- Self-pride : "cultivator" as an idiolect -- Egocentricity -- Apocalypse -- Cosmology -- The structure of the universe -- The war between good and evil forces -- Summary : a new religious syncretism -- Tzu Chi and Falun Gong's rhetorical visions and their implications -- The phenomena of shared fantasies -- The fantasy theme of the discourse -- Theme of setting : the sacred vs. the profane -- Theme of character -- Plot -- The sanctioning agent : crisis -- Discourse fantasy type -- Tzu Chi's fantasy types -- Falun Gong's fantasy types -- Tzu Chi and Falun Gong's rhetorical visions -- The hall of mirrors -- The implications of rhetorical visions -- The sociolinguistic implications of rhetorical visions -- The explanatory power of rhetorical vision and the theories of conversion -- Why do Tzu Chi and Falun Gong's rhetorical visions not attract everyone? -- Conclusion -- Conclusion, reflections and suggestions -- Summary -- Observant reflection and reflexivity -- Suggestions |
| Summary |
This book is a study of the recruitment strategies and conversion rhetoric in contemporary religious movements, focusing primarily on two movements in Taiwan, Tzu Chi and Falun Gong. The author demonstrates that an examination of such rhetoric has the potential to provide genuine insights into how a given religion gains adherents. This book contains seven black and white photographs of figures |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-305) and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
RELIGION -- History.
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TRAVEL -- Special Interest -- Religious.
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Religion
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Religion
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Falun Gong
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| SUBJECT |
Taiwan -- Religion.
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85132003
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| Subject |
Taiwan
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Taiwan
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| Form |
Electronic book
|
| ISBN |
9780773412354 |
|
0773412352 |
|
