TRANSFORMATIVE MOVEMENTS


 

Transformative Movements are those which employ radical means to support or expand covenantal organization and lifestyles

Transformative movements include movements such as

Unification Church

The Family

International Society of Krishna Consciousness

Branch Davidians


Orientation of Transformative Movements  – Create innovative covenantal forms as the basis for both contractual and covenantal relationships. Permit limited contractualism within predominantly covenantal organization
 

MYTH

Construct myths that challenge and replace the myths that legitimate existing institutions so as to bring those institutions under religious authorization

Family  – Existing family relationships are depicted as based on a physical, legal connection rather than a spiritual foundation

Economy  -- The established economic structure is depicted as based on laws of the market rather than spiritual community.

Government  – The established political system is depicted as based on human political priorities rather that as moral leadership reflecting divine priorities

Religion  – Established churches are depicted as having become corrupted and fallen from their true divinely ordained purpose

Bureaucracy  –  Established organization is depicted as undermining responsiveness to divine revelation

Technology  – Conventional technologies are depicted as operating independently of divine intent

Construct myths that create dramatic discontinuity between the transcendent and everyday realms by creating discontinuity between the divine plan for humans and the organization of the current social order. Sacralize community (covenantal bonds) and embeddedness in spiritual community as the natural condition of humans.

Construct myths that define salvation as reunification with deity and freedom to carry out
divine purpose

Construct myths that employ covenantal symbolism

Family

Members as children and leaders as parents

Heart over mind

 
Construct myths that make strong uniqueness claims for the movement’s prophetic revelations based on violation of the human-divine covenant
 

RITUAL

Extensive ritualization of everyday life to maintain continuous connection with the transcendent

Extensive ritualization of everyday life to maintain distance from conventional society

Create ritualistic demonstrations of the power of the movement and of covenantal bonding

Witnessing

Fundraising

Provisioning

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

Create organizational forms that eliminate institutional differentiation and incorporate all institutional forms in a communal organization

Family

Education

Economy

Government


Create organizational forms that remove individuals that remove individuals from established institutional networks and engage in identity transformation

New Name

New birth date

New family

New lineage