"Religion and spirituality are being transformed in our late modern and secularising times. New forms of belief proliferate, often notable for not being limited to traditional systems of reference or expression. Increasingly, these new religions present worldviews which draw directly upon popular culture - or occulture - in fiction, film, art and the internet. Fantasy and Belief explores the context and implications of these types of beliefs through the example of the Otherkin community. The Otherkin are a loosely-affiliated group who believe themselves to be in some way more than just human, their non-humanity often rooted in the characters and narratives of popular fantasy and science fiction. Challenging much current sociological thinking about spirituality and consumption, Fantasy and Belief reveals how popular occulture operates to recycle, develop, and disseminate metaphysical ideas, and how the popular and the sacred are combining in new ways in today's world." -- Publisher's description.

Kirby, Danielle, 1980-

Equinox Publishing (UK)

Equinox Publishing Ltd

Bristol, CT: Equinox

Taylor and Francis

Approaches to new religions, Bristol, CT, 2013

Approaches to new religions, Hoboken, 2014

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

2013-02-28

1, 2013

Religion and spirituality are being transformed in our late modern and secularizing times. New forms of belief proliferate, often notable for not being limited to traditional systems of reference or expression. Increasingly, these new religions present worldviews that draw directly upon popular culture - or occulture - in fiction, film, art and the internet. Fantasy and Belief explores the context and implications of these types of beliefs through the example of the Otherkin community. The Otherkin are a loosely affiliated group who believe themselves to be in some way more than just human, their non-humanity often rooted in the characters and narratives of popular fantasy and science fiction. Challenging much current sociological thinking about spirituality and consumption, Fantasy and Belief reveals how popular occulture operates to recycle, develop and disseminate metaphysical ideas, and how the popular and the sacred are combining in new ways in today's world. Book jacket

194 p. ; 24 cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
Religion, occulture, and the modern world -- Otherkin -- Fantasy and reenchantment -- Internet and popular cultures -- Conclusions -- Appendix 1: glossary -- Appendix 2: otherkin survey results

2024-08-23