Theory of Religious Cycles

Tradition, Modernity, and the Bahá'í Faith
Erscheinungsjahr 2015
ISBN: 978-90-04-30003-3
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 284, 162 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 295 g

Reihe: Value Inquiry Book Series / Contemporary Russian Philosophy

In Theory of Religious Cycles: Tradition, Modernity and the Bahá’í Faith Mikhail Sergeev offers a new interpretation of the Soviet period of Russian history as a phase within the religious evolution of humankind by developing a theory of religious cycles, which he applies to modernity and to all the major world faiths of Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.

Sergeev argues that in the course of its evolution religion passes through six common phases—formative, orthodox, classical, reformist, critical, and post-critical. Modernity, which was started by the European Enlightenment, represents the critical phase of Christianity, a systemic crisis that could be overcome with the appearance of new religious movements such as the Bahá’í Faith, which offers a spiritual extension of the modern worldview.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sergeev, Mikhail

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Religionssoziologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religion & Kultur
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionssoziologie und -psychologie, Spiritualität, Mystik
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Sonstige Religionen Östliche Religionen Bahaismus

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface

Part I

1. Cycles of Religion: Theory and Application
1.1. Model of Religious Cycle
1.2. The Cycle of Judaism
1.3. The Cycle of Buddhism
1.4. The Cycle of Christianity
1.5. The Cycle of Islam

2. The Project of Modernity: Pro et Contra
2.1. Defining Modern Times
2.2. The Project of the Enlightenment
2.3. Critics of Modernity

Part II

3. The Bahá’í Faith: A New Paradigm
3.1. Modernity as a Point of Departure
3.2. Traditional vs. Bahá’í Religion
3.3. The Enlightenment vs. Bahá’í Teachings

4. Principles of Bahá’í Organization
4.1. Interpretation vs. Administration
4.2. Approaches to Unity and Dissent
4.3. Conflation of Religion and State

Conclusions

Postscript: Theses on Modernity and the Bahá’í Faith

Appendices
Charts
Structure of Religious cycle
Religious Cycles of Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam
World Religions: A Comprehensive Chart
Comparative Tables
Phases of Religion: A Comparative Table
Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition in World Religions
Three Main Trends of the Enlightenment Thought
Piotr Chaadaev and Two Main Ideological Trends in Modern Russia
Theory of Religious Cycles vs. Classical Westernism and Slavophilism
Comparative Table of New Religious Movements
The Enlightenment Ideology / Soviet Marxism vs. the Bahá’í Faith
Christianity vs. the Bahá’í Faith: A Doctrinal Summary
Traditional Religions vs. the Enlightenment: Controversial Issues
The Bahá’í Faith vs. Catholicism: Organizational Principles / Practices
Religion and State: Comparative Table of Possible Bahá’í Models
Timelines
Timeline of World Religions
Self-Governance, Parliamentarism and Democracy: A Timeline

Bibliography
Works Cited
Additional Reading

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Mikhail Sergeev, Ph.D. (1997), Temple University, is Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia). He has published numerous books and articles on his areas of expertise, including Sophiology in Russian Orthodoxy: Solov’ev, Bulgakov, Losskii, Berdiaev, (2006).