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In the mid 1950s, a British taxi driver named George King claimed that Budha, Jesus, and Lao Tzu had been alien "cosmic masters" who had come to earth to teach mankind the right way to live. Sun Myung Moon claimed that Korean people are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. Joseph Smith claimed that some lost tribes of Israel had moved to Americas hundreds of years ago. All three people successfully founded new religious movements that have survived to this day. How and why do some people come up with such seemingly strange and bizarre ideas and why do others come to place their faith in these ideas? The first part of this book develops a multidisciplinary theoretical framework drawn from cognitive science of religion and social psychology to answer these critically important questions. The second part of the book illustrates how this theoretical framework can be used to understand the origin and evolution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at founded by an Indian Muslim in 1889. The book breaks new ground by studying the influence that religious beliefs of 19th century reformist Indian Muslims, in particular, founders of the Ahl-e-Hadith movement, had on the beliefs of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at. Using the theoretical framework developed in part I, the book also explains why many north Indian Sunni Muslims found Ahmad's ideas to be irresistible and why the movement split into two a few years Ahmad's death. The book will interest those who want to understand cults as well as those who want to understand reformist Islamic movements.

Cognitive Science of Religion, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, New Religious Movements. --- RELIGION / Islam / General. --- Cognitive Science of Religion, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, New Religious Movements. --- Cognitive Science of Religion, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, New Religious Movements.

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Religion and science --- Religion --- Study and teaching --- science of religion --- spirituality

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This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact

Science: general issues --- Psychology --- anthropomorhism --- imagination --- theory of mind (ToM) --- social cognition --- human-animal relationship --- social robotics --- cognitive science of religion --- anthropomorhism --- imagination --- theory of mind (ToM) --- social cognition --- human-animal relationship --- social robotics --- cognitive science of religion

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“Whether through immigration, birth rate, or conversion, diasporic Shi'ism has become an increasingly important phenomenon in recent decades. Minoo Mirshahvalad’s study is the first comprehensive work on Italian Shi'ism. Focusing on the interplay between the Guénonian Traditionalism and conversion to Shiʿism, Minoo examines Shiʿism in the Italian context and the challenges that Shi'i converts encounter. This is an excellent and ground-breaking work and is an important addition to the literature on diasporic Shi'ism.” —Prof. Liyakat Takim, Sharjah Chair in Global Islam, McMaster University, Canada Crises and Conversions: The Unlikely Avenues of "Italian Shiism" is a brilliant study that probes the historical and the sociological trajectories of European intellectual currents' fascination with the imagined "Orient.” Far from the mere adoption of a new religious affiliation, Crises and Conversions views the religious conversion of Traditionalists to Shi'a Islam in Italy with the utopian aspiration to overcome the crisis of modernity. Insightful and well-researched, Minoo Mirshahavalad's book is a remarkable accomplishment, which will measurably shape our understanding of religion and modernity for years to come. —Prof. Babak Rahimi, Associate Professor of Communication, Culture and Religion at the University of California, San Diego, USA This book explores the phenomenon of conversion to Shiʿa Islam in Italy. It thoroughly examines the motivations behind this religious transition and scrutinizes the doctrinal characteristics that Shiʿism incorporates thanks to the contributions of Italian converts. The text emphasizes the significance of René Guénon’s Traditionalism as a pivotal factor in driving this religious mobility. Additionally, the book delves into the writings of figures such as Julius Evola, who introduced Guénon to Italy, shedding light on Evola’s impact on the youth in the post-World War II era. Furthermore, it evaluates the influence of Henry Corbin on this spiritual journey. To realize this study, between 2018 and 2023, Minoo Mirshahvalad employed multidisciplinary methods that integrated sociology and history. Minoo Mirshahvalad is a Subject Expert in Islamic Studies at the University of Pisa. She is also a visiting fellow at the University of Religions and Denominations in Qom (Iran).

Islam. --- Religion and sociology. --- Religion and politics. --- Europe --- Sociology of Religion. --- Political Science of Religion. --- European History. --- History.

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“This volume casts new light on an age-old issue--the role of religion in forced migration. With chapters by both academics and practitioners, it contributes immensely to our knowledge of forced migration and religion.” —Susan Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor Emerita of International Migration, Georgetown University “A welcome addition to the expanding literature on religion and forced migration. It both expands the theoretical framing of how we think about the religion and forced migration nexus and enriches the available case studies. By combining perspectives from both advocates and scholars, this book breaks down the false dichotomy between them.” —Dianna Shandy, Professor of Anthropology, Macalester College and Scholar-in-Residence, Elon University This open access book brings into dialogue migration and religion scholars with spiritual leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations assisting refugees. Migration has always been part of spiritual development. The current 'refugee crisis' has brought to the fore debates regarding the role of religion in defining difference, linking the ‘refugee crisis’ with Islam, and fear of the ‘Other.’ Many religious leaders and politicians invoke religious values and call for strict border controls while many humanitarians use religious values to welcome and assist refugees. This book focuses on politics and discourses mobilized by religious beliefs; lived experiences of religion; and faith actors’ responses to forced migration. Elżbieta M. Goździak is Visiting Professor in the Center for Migration Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland. Izabella Main is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnology and Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.

Political science. --- Emigration and immigration. --- Religion and politics. --- Anthropology. --- Security, International. --- Political Science. --- Human Migration. --- Political Science of Religion. --- International Security Studies.