New Age in Norway [Paperback]

This volume investigatesalternativespiritualities that increasingly cater for the mainstream within the secularized society of Norway, making Norwegian-based research available to international scholarship. It looks at New Age both in a restricted (sensu stricto) and a wide sense (sensu lato), focusing mainly on the period from the mid-1990s and onwards, with a particular emphasis on developments after the turn of the century. Few, if any, of the ideas and practices discussed in this book are homegrown or uniquely Norwegian, but local soil and climate still matters, as habitats for particular growths and developments. Globalizing currents are here shaped and molded by local religious history and contemporary religio-political systems, along with random incidences, such as the setting up of an angel-business by the princess Martha Louise. The position of Lutheran Protestantism asnational religionparticularly impacts on the development and perception of religious competitors. . . . what we find is a selection of texts that covers a wide range of topics, making for a rewarding reading experience. --Swartz, Karen, International Journal for the Study of New Religions 10.1 (2019) New Age in Norway has two objectives: 1) to make research on New Age spirituality in Norway available to the international research community; and 2) to help develop what the editors call a third wave of New Age studies that takes seriously the theoretical potential of New Age for general studies of religion (p. 5). . . . The book succeeds in both of its aims. . . . New Age in Norway is a commendably well-edited anthology, with a clear red thread, balanced in scope, methods, and theoretical perspectives, and offering a coherent view of the subject matter. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in contemporary religiosity in the Scandinavian countries, and required reading for scholars wishing to follow the research trends on New Age and NRMs globally. --Egil Asprem, Stockholm Universit