ISSN 0967-8948     D I S K U S   A disembodied journal of international Religious Studies Vol. 1 No. 1 Spring 1993 If you know how to use DISKUS, please go to CONTENTS/1#1. If you are new to DISKUS, please read on... ===========================================================* HELP/1#1 HELP FOR READERS OF DISKUS Welcome to the first issue of DISKUS. We hope you enjoy it. You can print out the contents of DISKUS or read DISKUS on-screen. If you haven't already looked at the file on your disk called !WHAT_TO.DO, please read that file before proceeding any further. It may save you a lot of time! In a conventional printed journal, page numbers are used to find items. There are no page numbers in DISKUS. Instead, each item in DISKUS - an article, a book review, an advertisement, etc. - is given a unique code to help you find it immediately using your wordprocessor's 'FIND' or 'SEARCH' function. 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Contents of Vol. 1 Part 1 Editors' Introduction................................EDIT/1#1 ARTICLES Ninian Smart 'The Formation rather than the Origin of a Tradition'...................................SMART/1#1 Klaus-Dieter Stoll 'Pay now, Pray later: Part 1: The emergence of the Electronic Church'...STOLL/1#1 Peter Woodward 'Empathetic Guidelines for the Ethnographic Study of Jewish Children in Britain'..........WOODWARD/1#1 Kim Knott 'Contemporary Theological Trends in the Hare Krishna Movement'............................KNOTT/1#1 Andrew Rawlinson 'A History of Western Sufism'..................RAWLINSON/1#1 =* ANNOUNCEMENTS (Please send notices and news for inclusion in the next issue of DISKUS by 1 SEPTEMBER 1993) Conferences NEW RELIGIONS & THE NEW EUROPE - London, March 1993..............................NEWRELS/1#1 POSTMODERNITY & RELIGION - Bristol, March 1993............................POSTMOD/1#1 18th SYMPOSIUM ON INDIAN RELIGIONS - Oxford, March 1993..............................INDIAN/1#1 CONTEMPORARY & NEW AGE RELIGIONS IN THE BRITISH ISLES - Bath, May 1993.................................CONTEMP/1#1 BASR Annual Conference - Newcastle, September 1993.........................BASR/1#1 CONTEMPORARY BUDDHISM - Text and Context - Leeds, April 1994.............................BUDDHISM/1#1 Publications RELIGION TODAY...................................RELTODAY/1#1 WINDOWS ON THEOLOGY...............................WINDOWS/1#1 Information Sources INFORM.............................................INFORM/1#1 GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS.........................GUIDE/1#1 DISKUS ADDRESSES AND INFORMATION.....................INFO/1#1 ===========================================================* EDIT/1#1 Editorial Welcome to DISKUS, the first computer disk-based Religious Studies journal in the UK. The first issue contains five papers which cover a range of subjects and issues within the field, with a focus on contemporary religious traditions. Future issues of the journal will continue, as we have begun, with an emphasis on the analysis and understanding of religious traditions in the contemporary world. The first article by Ninian Smart is a short piece which makes the point that the formation of a religious tradition may be distinct from its origin. Professor Smart illustrates his idea with several examples. Klaus-Dieter Stoll traces the development of the 'Electronic Church', Peter Woodward examines issues arising in the study of Jewish children in the UK, and Kim Knott explores some recent developments in Hare Krishna theology. Finally, a longer article by Andrew Rawlinson surveys the history of Western Sufism. Our thanks are due to these authors for their contributions to the launch issue of DISKUS. In this file (1#1__DIS.KUS) you will find only abstracts of the main articles. The full versions are held in separate files - details are given with each abstract. This helps to avoid DISKUS becoming unmanageably long, and means that you can move back & forth within the journal without scrolling through lengthy articles each time. Please refer to the Contents page above (CONTENTS/1#1) to see what other items may be found in this issue of the journal. In future issues we plan to include articles of varying lengths, and we are willing to consider for publication correspondence, announcements, reviews and information relevant to scholars, educators and all readers interested in the open-ended study of religions. We hope that you enjoy the first issue of DISKUS and find something of interest. Please send contributions for future issues to Dr. Gavin Flood at the University of Wales, Lampeter. Addresses and contributors' guidelines can be found at the very end of this DISKUS file. As a subscriber to this first issue you should find a 'DISKUS RESPONSE' form and return envelope enclosed with your disk. Please take a few minutes to fill in this form and return it to the editors. DISKUS is a new project, and your responses will help us to improve future issues. Thank you in advance for your help. EDITORIAL ===========================================================* SMART/1#1 THE FORMATION RATHER THAN THE ORIGIN OF A TRADITION Ninian Smart University of California at Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA Abstract This brief paper argues that the formation of a tradition is more important than its supposed origins. The periods of formation have been very different from those of starting or 'origin', though scriptures can give a different impression. The argument is considered in relation to the formation of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism. The full paper is contained in DISKUS file SMART.1#1 ===========================================================* STOLL/1#1 PAY NOW, PRAY LATER Part 1: The emergence of the Electronic Church Klaus-Dieter Stoll 68 Windermere Road Lancaster LA1 3EZ Abstract The Electronic Church (EC) has now become a significant part of the religious life of many countries. It is neither a new phenomenon, since it already has a history spanning more than seven decades, nor has it reached its full potential by far. The article maps out the development of the Electronic Church form the first EC broadcast in 1912 to the Bakker scandal in the late 80's, under the headings: Definition, History, Theology, Electronic Church and Politics, the Electronic Church around the world, present and future of the Electronic Church. The intention of the article is to introduce the reader to the world of the EC and provide him or her with the basic facts of its development. (Part two of the article, to be published at a later date, deals specifically with the emergence of the EC in Europe and current developments.) The full paper is contained in DISKUS file STOLL.1#1 ===========================================================* WOODWARD/1#1 EMPATHETIC GUIDELINES FOR THE ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF JEWISH CHILDREN IN BRITAIN Peter Woodward, Research Fellow, Religious Education and Community Project, Department of Arts Education, University of Warwick, Coventry. CV4 7AL UK. Abstract This article explores a number of issues emerging from ethnographic research among Jewish children. It focuses attention on the use of school and home based interviews and of participant observation in the study of a minority community. A project examining the nurture of Jewish children in the centre of England highlights a number of methods appropriate for this purpose, while revealing at the same time some of the difficulties, dangers and disadvantages inherent in the use of such approaches in respect of Jewish belief and practice. This exploration of Jewish nurture in a specific locality reinforces the need for depth of understanding, which is best gained through contact over an extended period to help ensure that a satisfactory relationship is forged between the research team and the subjects observed. The full paper is contained in DISKUS file WOODWARD.1#1 ===========================================================* KNOTT/1#1 Kim Knott Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT Abstract: Most scholarship on the Hare Krishna Movement written by those outside it is sociological or historical in nature. The theology of Krishna Consciousness is dealt with briefly, except by those within the Movement. This article presents one aspect of this theology through an examination of the work of Ravindra-svarupa dasa, a devotee-theologian. In particular, his discussion of a typology of spiritual stages is examined. These stages, present in the Bhagavad-gita, provide a means of analysing different religions and ideologies, including modernism. Ravindra-svarupa dasa's use of this typology in his dialogue with scholars of religion and those of other faiths is considered, particularly in so far as he offers this as a model for other devotees in their public relations activity. The extent to which Ravindra-svarupa dasa can contribute to an innovative theological approach is discussed in the light of ISKCON's place in the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya. The full paper is contained in DISKUS file KNOTT.1#1 ===========================================================* RAWLINSON/1#1 A HISTORY OF WESTERN SUFISM Andrew Rawlinson Department of Religious Studies, University of Lancaster, Lancaster LA1 4YG, England Abstract: This history of Western Sufism focuses on a particular form: Sufism that has been taught by Westerners. It is part of a larger phenomenon: the emergence of Western teachers in all the major Eastern traditions. Hence this account does not mention many 'Eastern' Sufis who would figure in a complete history. Topics covered: the distinctiveness of Western Sufism: how it differs from the development of Western forms of Theravada Buddhism, Zen, Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism; Ivan Agueli and the beginnings of the Western Shadhiliyya; the importance of Ren‚ Gu‚non and his idea of Tradition; the later significance of Frithjof Schuon and his Western pupils (such as Martin Lings and Michel Valsan); the establishment of the Sufi Order in the West by Hazrat Inayat Khan; its later development under various members of his family (including its present leader,Pir Vilayat Khan); and the assorted schismatic groups such as those led by Rabia Martin in America (which later went over to Meher Baba), and by Samuel Lewis (often known as Murshid Sam); other Western teachers with some form of Sufi affiliation: J.G.Bennett, Idries Shah (who is half-Scottish), Irina Tweedie, Reshad Feild. There is also a list of 'Sufi dates' (from 1864 to 1987). The full paper is contained in DISKUS file RAWLINSO.1#1 ===========================================================* =*NEW RELIGIONS & THE NEW EUROPE....................NEWRELS/1#1 Major International Conference organised by INFORM/CESNUR/ISAR 25-28 March 1993 The London School of Economics Houghton St, off the Aldwych, ca. 54 papers on new and contemporary religious movements For further information contact INFORM Houghton St London WC2A 2AE Tel: 071-955-7654 ===========================================================* POSTMODERNITY & RELIGION..........................POSTMOD/1#1 British Sociological Association Sociology of Religion Study Group Conference Churchill Hall, University of Bristol Mon 29 March - Thursday 1 April 1993 Provisional Programme: 29/3 4pm Registration 8.15pm Plenary session on postmodernity & religion 30/3 9.15am Postmodernity and belief 11.15 Postmodernity & Islam 4.15 Postmodernity, Theology & Religion 8.15 Author meets critics 31/3 9.15 Postmodernity and emptiness 2.15 Sociology of Religion Group AGM 4.15 Postmodernity, religion & politics Postmodernity & the Gift Relationship 7.00 Postmodernity and sublime risks 1/4 9.15 Postmodernity and Protestantism 11.30 Postmodernity & Aesthetics ===========================================================* 18th SYMPOSIUM ON INDIAN RELIGIONS................INDIAN/1#1 - Wolfson College, Oxford, 26-28 March 1993 8 papers on Indian religion in Indonesia, Jaina philosophy, Women in Buddhism, Indian Buddhist sealings, Kant and Sankara, Umapati Sivacarya and the dance of Siva, Esoteric Southern Buddhism, Manjusri and the chanting of his names. Fee œ10 standard, œ5 unwaged. Various accommodation/meals options. For further details contact Dr Peter Connolly, West Sussex Institute of HE, College Lane, Chichester, W.Sussex PO19 4PE or Sue Hamilton, Wolfson College, Oxford, OX2 6UD, Isobel Glover, 70 Claremont Road, London W13 ODG ===========================================================* .................................................CONTEMP/1#1 ************************************************************* * * * CONTEMPORARY AND NEW AGE * * RELIGIONS IN THE BRITISH ISLES * * * * ONE DAY CONFERENCE * * * * organised by * * STUDY OF RELIGIONS * * BATH COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION * * * * SATURDAY 22 MAY 1993 * * * 9.30 - 10.00 Registration 10.00 - 10.15 Opening address 10.15 - 11.00 Michael York New Age in Britain: An Overview 11.00 - 11.15 Coffee 11.15 - 12.00 Richard Roberts Power and Empowerment: New Age Managers and the Dialectics of Modernity/Postmodernity 12.00 - 12.45 Monica Sjoo Patriarchy and the New Age 12.45 - 1.45 Lunch 1.45 - 2.30 Ronald Hutton Paganism, Neo-Paganism and Christianity 2.30 - 3.15 Graham Harvey The Roots of Pagan Ecology 3.15 - 3.30 Tea 3.30 - 4.00 Marion Bowman Religion in Bath: A Case Study 4.00 - 4.30 Concluding Session ______________________________________________________________ I wish to register for Contemporary and New Age Religions in the British Isles Name .......................................................... Address .......................................................... ....................... Tel ...................... Costs: œ15 (Waged); œ10 (Unwaged); Lunch (optional) œ3.50 I enclose: Registration fee œ5 OR: a) Conference fee (waged) œ15 OR: b) Conference fee (unwaged) œ10 Plus: c) Lunch if required œ 3.50 (Lunch MUST be ordered with registration) Cheques to be made payable to 'Bath College of Higher Education' For further details contact Marion Bowman, Study of Religions, Bath College of Higher Education, Newton Park, Bath BA2 9BN Tel: 0225-873701, ext279. ===========================================================* ....................................................BASR/1#1 British Association for the Study of Religions Annual Conference 20-23 Sept at the University of Newcastle Organisers: Peter Moore & Jon Davies Theme 'Encounters of Religions: Conflict, Coexistence and Cooperation' Enquiries to: Dr Peter Moore Darwin College Univ of Kent Cante Kent CT2 7NY Tel: 0227-764000 ===========================================================* .................................................BUDDHISM/1#1 CONTEMPORARY BUDDHISM - Text and Context A Conference 8-10 April 1994, University of Leeds First announcement and call for papers. The nature of Buddhism in the contemporary world is notoriously difficult to assess. This is due partly to its presence in a variety of cultures, defined variously as traditional. modern and postmodern. The result is that scholarship is fractured into a variety of regional studies and a diversity of methodological approaches, many of which offer competing and conflicting visions of contemporary Buddhism. Textual scholars, for example, often appear to be interested in reconciling modern developments with classical writings, characteristically tending towards the portrayal of Buddhism as an essentially unbroken tradition. Many sociologists and anthropologists, on the other hand, often see modern forms of Buddhism as being radically disjoined from the past, emphasizing the disruptive, transformative nature of modernity. The methodological and practical difficulties associated with the study of contemporary Buddhism mean that a braod overview of the area is generally beyond the capacities of individual scholars. It is intended, however, that this conference will enable students of Buddhism to begin to realize a more coherent vision of the subject. It should at least be possible for researchers of differing intellectual backgrounds to enter into a constructive debate with others. The conference will consist of lecture presentations by internationally recognized scholars, formal debates and special interest group sessions. Areas for discussion will include Buddhism and modernity, Buddhist nationalism, regional varieties of Buddhism, Buddhism in the West, Buddhist economics, Buddhism and Christianity, and others. It is intended that conference proceedings will be published. The conference will represent an important first attempt to define the character and status of Buddhism in the contemporary world, and should be of interest to all scholars of Buddhism, and also to students of contemporary religion in general. Conference Organisers: Dr Ian Harris St Martin's College, Lancaster Dr Philip Mellor, University of Leeds Conference Administrator: Ingrid Lawrie, University of Leeds Call for papers: We welcome all interested parties to the conference and sincerely invite offers of papers. Preliminary registration forms are available from the Conference administrator (address below) and should be returned no later than 15 AUGUST 1993. Registration fees œ25 pounds paid before 30 November 1993 and œ35 thereafter. Students œ10. Venue: Tetley Hall, University of Leeds Fee: œ85 pounds covering all meals and residence Conference Office: CBTC Office, c/o Ingrid Lawrie Dept of Theology and Religious Studies University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT, England Tel: 0532-333640 Fax: 0532-336017 Telex 556473 UNILDS G ===========================================================* Publications ................................................RELTODAY/1#1 RELIGION TODAY A Journal of Contemporary Religions Ed. P.B.Clarke Centre for New Religious Movements King's College University of London Strand London WC2R 2LS Tel: 071-836-5454 x 3796 RELIGION TODAY is a journal of contemporary religion which provides a forum for discussion and analysis of new religions as well as trends and developments within mainstream churches and the world's major religions. Religion today plays a unique role in the academic debate in this field, as there is no other British journal of its kind. Produced in a magzine format, the journal is published three times per year, with a Spring, Summer and Autumn/Winter edition. The current issue, vol. 8, No. 2, features an article on the appeal of non-Christian religions in Britain. Further, there are articles on the growth of Buddhism in Britain, Contemporary teaching of goddess spirituality, Chinese Buddhism in Britain and Recent developments in religion in Estonia. Subscriptions: œ9 pounds for annual subscription (3 issues including postage & packing) œ18 for two years subscription (6 issues) US$20.00 for an annual subscription overseas (3 issues) Please send the journal to: Name................................. Address.................................................. ......................................................... Country ===========================================================* NOTICE WINDOWS ON THEOLOGY / FENSTER ZUR THEOLOGIE UK Registered Charity No. 1015052 Windows on Theology / Fenster zur Theologie is a charity which aims to promote the publication of theological works. The fact that there is no shortage of theological books on the market today doesn't necessarily mean that all the voices which deserve a wider audience are heard. Even authors of outstanding ability find it increasingly difficult if not impossible, to find publishers and even more difficult, publishers who are prepared and able to offer them the conditions and terms they deserve. The problem becomes even greater for authors who come from underdeveloped countries. Despite their ability to make outstanding contributions to world theology, they are often unable to overcome the problems of production, distribution and appropriate price in their own countries. What good is a book when it can't be distributed and sold at an affordable price where it is most needed. Klaus-Dieter Stoll Full details of the 'Windows on Theology' project can be found in the DISKUS file WINDOWS.1#1 ===========================================================* Information Sources INFORM.............................................INFORM/1#1 INFORMATION NETWORK FOCUS ON RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS INFORM is a non-sectarian Charity which was started in 1988 in order to conduct research into new religious movements and to help enquirers by providing information about the movement that is as objective, balanced and up-to-date as possible. Honorary Director: Prof. Eileen Barker (LSE) Further information available from: INFORM Houghton Street London WC2 2AE Tel: 071-955-7654 Fax: 071-242-0392 (mark for INFORM) ===========================================================* INFO/1#1 Joint Editors of DISKUS: Dr Brian Bocking Dr Gavin Flood Study of Religions Dept. Dept. of Theology Bath College of Higher Education & Religious Studies Newton Park St David's Univ. College Bath BA2 9BN Lampeter, Dyfed SA48 7AR Tel: 0225-873701 x 368 Tel: 0570-422351 x 315 Fax: 0225-874082 Fax: 0570-423641 ===========================================================* GUIDE/1#1 DISKUS: Guidelines for Contributors Version 1 October 1992 PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE SENDING IN YOUR CONTRIBUTION 'DISKUS: Guidelines for Contributors' will be included in each issue of DISKUS and amended in the light of experience. If you plan to submit an item to DISKUS, please look in your most recent issue of DISKUS for updated Guidelines. CONTENTS GUIDELINES DISKUS will feature:  an emphasis on contemporary religions, and contemporary issues in Religious Studies.  a mix of religious traditions in each issue of the journal  a broadly phenomenological approach, by which we mean articles about religion rather than articles written from a religious standpoint.  articles written in a lucid style, accessible to an international readership of researchers, students and educators in Religious Studies. Style Guide: DISKUS has a liberal policy on referencing and layout of articles. Referencing may be done through numbered endnotes or in the author-date style e.g. (BROOKS, 1979:23). Some writers may wish to number paragraphs in order to refer backwards and forwards in their paper; others may wish to write in more discursive style. Sub-headings are often useful. Remember that DISKUS cannot handle automatic footnoting, italics, etc. and that readers may not wish to scroll backwards and forwards looking for endnotes - incorporate as much as possible in the main text. All book etc. titles should be placed in single quote marks for clarity. Papers intended for publication in DISKUS should be submitted initially in printed form only, double spaced and page-numbered. Short announcements, letters etc. may be submitted on paper, or on paper and disk. IF YOUR PAPER IS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION, PLEASE ASK FOR A COPY OF 'DISKUS: TECHNICAL GUIDELINES' BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR CONTRIBUTION ON DISK. ===========================================================* COPYRIGHT NOTICE With the exception of (1) a single backup disk copy, (2) a single printed copy made for a subscriber's own use and (3) limited quotation for scholarly purposes, no part of DISKUS may be copied or distributed by any means without the written permission of the Editors. In particular, no part of the text may be replaced, deleted or in any other way altered. (Copyright) DISKUS 1993 "Respect for intellectual labour and creativity is vital to academic enterprise. This principle applies to works of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgement, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution. Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments. Violations of authorial integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorised access, and trade secret and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community." Reprinted from the EDUCOM Code