New Age Religion

This article attempts to establish a sociology of the occult in general, and a sociology of the Western tarot in particular. The tarot is a deck of 78 cards invented in Italy in the fifteenth century. From humble beginnings as a device for gaming or gambling, the tarot became invested with occult, mystical, divine, spiritual, and even psychological significance. This investing became part of a larger strategy of discipline and indoctrination to ease the transition from pre-industrial structures of power and authority to industrial and bureaucratic structures. That tarot, associated as it was with the emergence of elite Freemasonry, helped provide new ideologies of power and ways of existing within new tightly structured, bureaucratic organizations.

Résumé. Cet article vise à établir une sociologie des sciences occultes en général et une sociologie du tarot en particulier. Le tarot comprend 78 cartes et a été inventé en Italie au XVe siècle. De ses débuts modestes en tant que jeu, le tarot s'est vu associé aux sciences occultes, mystiques, divines et spirituelles, prenant même une signification psychologique. Cette dimension s'est inscrite dans une plus grande stratégie de discipline et d'endoctrinement dans le but de faciliter la transition des structures préindustrielles du pouvoir et de l'autorité à des structures industrielles et bureaucratiques. Ce tarot, associé à l'émergence de la franc-maçonnerie d'élite, a contribué aux nouvelles idéologies du pouvoir et des moy-ens d'exister dans les confins d'organisations très structurées et bureaucratiques.

This paper principally deals with the alleged holy book written by V. Bulent Corak, the leader of Union of World Brotherhood. But as a prologue to this matter we first of all outline some traits of these kinds of movements, which find their roots mostly in USA. The Book of Knowledge encloses some claims regarding the religions and their Holy Books, primarily about Qur'an and Islam, saying that the term and function of religions are completed and there is no need to their books. In her so-called revealed book, she asserts many unacceptable claims about Islam and its book. This book is not but the copy of its similar counterparts in the States and contains many assaults about Muslims.

This lecture deals with mythology as it relates to religious practices, as well as the function of taboos, amulets and talismans in gaining and maintaining supernatural power. I look at the various forms of divination that are commonly, many of which appear in the Old Testament. We also begin to look more closely at what the Bible says about these and the power of God that is available to believers without needing these things!