New Religious Movements in Historical and Political Contexts: Interactions, Conflicts, and Identities

Dear Colleagues,

The field of New Religions Studies has grown over the past fifty years into a vibrant, multidisciplinary field. Scholars working in this area utilize many different areas of theoretical discussion and reflection, from ethnography to sociology to religious studies and more. One of those areas is politics, the study of government and governmental policy, on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to electoral behaviors and developments, international conflict and cooperation, economic policies, to name only a few. While NRMs have been the subject of extensive academic inquiry, the intersection of their historical development and political dynamics remains an area of growing interest, yet often underexplored.

This Special Issue seeks to explore the complex and multifaceted relationship between NRMs and the political spheres in which they exist, examining how these movements interact with, conflict against, or even influence political systems, laws, and societal norms. From their early historical origins to their modern-day expressions, NRMs have engaged with politics in various ways—ranging from peaceful advocacy for religious freedom to more contentious conflicts with state authorities, as well as their involvement in activism, social justice movements, and even political regimes.

For both subject areas in this call for papers for this special issue, the opposite is not always understood very well, much less studied in detail. Scholars of New Religious Movements focus much of their work on internal developments in NRMs, while politics—even when political scientists take notice of NRMs—is rarely a central feature of study of a specific NRM or NRMs in general.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of how NRMs challenge, negotiate with, and influence the political environments they inhabit. These movements not only reflect the changing dynamics of religion in modern societies but also offer a mirror to broader struggles for identity, rights, and autonomy within the political arena. We are pleased to invite you to engage with the diverse perspectives presented in this issue, which together aim to advance both the historical understanding of NRMs and their contemporary political significance.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

1. NRM practices that bring NRMs in conflict with other aspects of larger society, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses objection to blood transfusions;
2. NRMs defining themselves as ‘religions’ or ‘churches’ when those NRMs’ beliefs and rituals may depart significantly from definitions of religions and churches accepted as normative for society;
3. Gender and politics—how are women, for example, seen as citizens when they affiliate with or reside in communities that have high tension with larger society (for example the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ’s practice of polygyny);
4. The legal status of individuals who adhere strictly and rigidly to their religious group’s beliefs and practices (for example individuals who claim to have been brainwashed by the group or leaders of a group)

This Special Issue will try to contribute to a deeper, more informed dialogue about the role of New Religious Movements in shaping political and societal transformations across the globe.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor Prof. Dr. William Ashcraft, or to the Assistant Editor Sandee Pan (sandee.pan@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the special issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. William Ashcraft
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• New Religious Movements
• New Religious Studies
• the history of NRMs
• NRMs and politics
• NRMs’ beliefs and practices