This thesis examines the discursive position of 'goddess feminism', in relation to some of the difference- and eco feminist positions from the1960s and until today. In focus are the texts of the two goddess feminists, Monica Sjöö and Starhawk. The thesis contributes to a historiographical (re)situating of their political and religious narratives. It also contributes to an elaborated understanding of these goddess feminists and the goddess feminist discourse they are part of. The tentative feminist figuration 'the goddess identified feminist’ is articulated as a tool to discuss the religious and political discourse of goddess feminists as part of contemporary feminist and environmental political conversations and practices. Donna Haraway’s and Karen Barad’s post humanist theoretical interventions are used to explore and discuss the affinities between goddess feminists (re)negotiation of the subject/s 'goddess/nature/human' – and the (re)negotiation of 'nature/human’ made by new materialist/post humanist difference- and eco feminists of the 2000s. Rosi Braidotti’s writings on sexual difference, becoming and feminist figurations further informs the conclusions drawn in the thesis. Drawing on the methodological approaches of Clare Hemmings and Mieke Bal in the analysis of story-telling and subject construction, a contribution is also made, to the understanding of how story-telling as part of a discourse, produces meaning and asymmetric subject relations. In particular the thesis shows how a compassionate feminist storytelling involuntarily produces subject positions through, essentialist dualisms, hierarchical ordering and othering. In parallel, the thesis also discusses alternative narrative strategies that focus on both the discursive boarders and affinities. / Baksidestext: Det här är en bok om två gudinnefeminister och deras religiösa och politiska berättande. Men det är lika mycket en bok om ’gudinnefeminism’ och hur denna feministiska position relaterar till, skiljer sig från och överlappar med andra skillnads- och ekofeministiska positioner från 1960-talet och till idag. Magdalena Raivios doktorsavhandling omförhandlar historien om ’gudinne-feminism’. Den synliggör även innehållet i Monica Sjöös och Starhawks berättelser om samhället, gudinnan/naturen/människan, framtiden och revolu-tionen. Här visas hur problematiska generaliseringar och uppdelningar i ”vi” och ”de andra” skapas i berättandet – men att Sjöö och Starhawk även vidgar och omförhandlar innebörden av begrepp som ’kvinna’ och ’natur’. En feministisk figuration kallad ’den gudinneidentifierade feministen’ används som tentativ utgångspunkt för nutida samtal om feministiska och miljöpolitiska visioner och för-ändringsstrategier. Avhandlingens resultat styrker tidigare forskning som visat att ett ”feministiskt medkännande berättande” – trots sin välmenta ambition – ofrivilligt medverkar i skapandet av diskursiva gränser, hierarkier och generaliseringar. Som ett teoretiskt bidrag, formuleras och diskuteras här några skillnadsfeministiska ansatser till alternativa berättandestrategier.

God never died as scholars of secularization theory from the 1960s and 1970s proposed that he eventually would, but He rather reappeared within the context of Pop music. This work analyzes the lives and music of Yusuf Islam a.k.a. Cat Stevens, Kanye West, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison in order to see how their inner quest for peace brought upon by religious conversion affected their supreme message. Once the artists realized the phenomenal peace found in experiencing personal relationships with the Divine, their music changed so as to inspire others to seek the same greater freedoms from which they benefited upon turning within. These four elite members of secular society did not privatize their faiths, and by sharing their new found beliefs with the world, they turned the minds of millions Godwards.

The wave of gurus in America brought with them cultural transformations particularly in how they interpret Hinduism, how their teachings have adapted in engaging a Western audience, and the sustainability of their religious communities, thus changing the landscape of contemporary Hindu spirituality. The traditional model of the guru and disciple relationship according to Yoga and Vedanta is undergoing a transformation allowing for greater autonomy of the disciple to make decisions in how they appropriate the authority of the guru. This thesis examines the guru and disciple relationship within the institutional organization of the Yoga Research Foundation, founded by the contemporary guru, Swami Jyotirmayananda. Research of Jyotirmayananda’s unique following of Western disciples illuminates the nature of his authority through the establishment of his order and methods by which disciples navigate identity formation and experience religious transmission.

This paper aims to examine the development of political thinking of Heathenry and the factors that determine the political identity of particular heathen groups, namely their tendency to right-wing radicalism. The first chapter (after introduction) consists of four case studies; each one represents a different type of group in regard to where and under which circumstances they emerged, to the context that has been shaping their religious and political beliefs, and to the way they legitimize their possible political activism. The following two chapters analyze the historical influences that marked the difference in the ideological development of the two main types of Heathenry, Ásatrú and Odinism, in two distinct cultural milieus - Europe and the US. The final chapter is a synthesis of the case studies in relation to their historical background. The outcome of this synthesis offers a possible interpretation of the process of radicalization of the heathen groups. KEY WORDS: New religious movements, Germanic neopaganism, religious racism, political religion, nationalism, extremism, Asatru, Odinism

Denna essä ämnar fördjupa förståelsen av yogalärarens profession genom att undersöka dess vardagliga praktik i ljuset av filosofiska och historiska grunder. I synnerhet undersöks villkoren för dagens moderna yoga i en narcissistisk kultur och hur den moderna yogaläraren kan förhålla sig till dessa villkor utifrån en filosofisk förståelse om yoga som självtranscendens. Modern yoga har blivit ett exempel på sakraliserad självdisciplin och möjligen en form av ritualiserad narcissism. En narcissistisk kultur som sådan med den upanishadiska självtranscendensens språkbruk, tillsammans med en kommersiell nyandlighet uppmanar oss att perfektionistiskt söka uppnå känslan: jag är gudomlig. Essän undersöker dock potentiella vägar och praktiska kunskaper hos yogaläraren som inte leder undervisningen i en narcissistisk riktning utan snarare söker vända blicken mot en värld vi gemensamt delar offentligt med andra människor. / This essay aims to deepen the understanding of the yoga teacher's profession by examining its everyday practice from philosophical and historical foundations. In particular, the conditions of today's modern yoga in a narcissistic culture are examined, and how the modern yoga teacher can relate to these conditions of yoga from the perspective of self-transcendence. Modern yoga has become an example of sacralized self-discipline and possibly a form of ritualized narcissism. A narcissistic culture as such with the language of Upanishadic self-transcendence, together with commercial spirituality, urges us to achieve the feeling: I am divine. However, the essay explores potential paths and practical knowledge of the yoga teacher who does not want to lead the teaching in a narcissistic direction but instead seeks a common world publicly shared with other people.

Marie Ogden's Home of Truth colony—a religious community that was located in southern Utah during the 1930s and 40s—was part of a segment of the American religious landscape that has largely been overlooked. As such, her movement points to a significant gap in the historiography of American religion. In addition to documenting the history of this obscure community, I situate Marie Ogden as part of what I call the early new age of American religion, an underdeveloped part of the broader categories of metaphysical religion or Western esotericism. This thesis also points to several other overlooked figures from the same era, suggesting several avenues for further study.

This study focuses on how Asatrú movements in Sweden are depicted and discussed in digital news articles through two different lenses: How are these movements depicted and which aspects of these movements and their faith are brought up most frequently? The theoretical framework for the study consists of Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory, positive and negative Essentialism as well as Erving Goffman’s theory of Stigma. The method consists of a qualitative content analysis focusing on analyzing the ideas, ideologies and narratives presented in the studied articles, and the material consists of digital articles picked from various Swedish news publications such as Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter and Expressen, published between 2015 - 2021. The study shows that the discussion of these Asatrú movements is dominated by their perceived connections to racism and right wing extremist groups. On the other hand, the articles and their authors also make attempts to counterbalance this depiction by discussing aspects of the religion such as Blót, ritual sacrifices, as well as by interviewing members of these movements to show their thoughts and feelings about their religion.

Работа посвящена анализу роли синтоистских сект в современном японском обществе. Автор рассматривает феномен новых религиозных движений в мире и в Японии, анализирует особенности вероучений групп сектантского синто, и показывает их место в обществе и отношение к ним населения. / The paper is devoted to the analysis of role of Shinto sects in contemporary Japanese society. Author explores phenomenon of new religious movements in world and Japan, analysis characteristics of sectarian Shinto believes, and investigates place of Shinto sects in society and people’s attitude toward them.

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The representation of new religious movements in documentaries and mainstream media affects our understanding of and attitude toward new religious movements. Scholars argue that media shapes our knowledge of new religious movements and that we most often trust this information as truthful. This study aims to investigate and analyze the representation of Heaven’s Gate in HBO’s documentary series Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults and whether this representation can be useful in a classroom context. The data was retrieved by closely watching the four episodes of the documentary series while taking notes and rewatching the documentary series until relevant information and quotes were retrieved. The research method employed was a movie analysis, more specifically a qualitative content analysis. The theoretical framework used is drawn from Joseph Laycock and his three identified narratives in which media tend to portray new religious movements: medicalization, deviance amplification, and convergence. The results reveal that the documentary series uses these narrative features in various ways, but it also challenges and contrasts them. Furthermore, the conclusion of the representation is complex and nuanced. The documentary series presents a respectful, informative, and somewhat equitable representation, but also reinforces stereotypical and negative societal discourses. Additionally, this study suggests further study in the field of documentaries and new religious movements to explore the representation of other new religious movements.