Non-Traditional Religions in the Context of Consolidation Processes in Modern Ukraine

Abstract

The article represents an attempt to identify consolidation’s opportunities for non-traditional religious practices of our culture. The crucial mechanisms of mass consolidation around the personality of the leader in non-traditional religions and charismatic cults are usually around its founder, mentor, guru or charismatic leader who is endowed with mystical divine qualities. Christianity, as noted by Z. Freud, consolidated mass due to the implementation of the idea of a personal “God as I am” like the ideal of each individual and illusory achieving of social justice and equality, because every member of the religious community has the right to equal share with other divine love, granted by Christ. In contrast of image about abstractive god, which embodied consolidated picture of the spiritual essence of social life, in the form of new religious leader is usually embodied marginal social ideas and spiritual practices that are not capable to consolidate society.

Keywords: Non-Traditional Religions, Consolidation Processes, New Oriental Cults, Charismatic Neochristian Church, Neopaganism, Slavic Neopaganism.