Dominic Zoehrer | University of Vienna (original) (raw)
Books by Dominic Zoehrer
This booklet gives an overview to the themes religion, ideology, and spirituality from a Religiou... more This booklet gives an overview to the themes religion, ideology, and spirituality from a Religious Studies perspective. It was co-authored with Prof. Karl Baier and Prof. Lukas Pokorny, and particularly designed for professionals working in the field of life and social counceling (Lebens- und Sozialberatung).
MA thesis submitted at the Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna (Supervisor: Prof. Karl Baier), 2016
Physics deals with the fundamental principles underlying material reality. However, at its fronti... more Physics deals with the fundamental principles underlying material reality. However, at its frontiers lurk questions about mind, consciousness and transcendence. This is most salient for quantum physics which has spawned a wave of interpretations that assume the entanglement of matter and mind. Little scholarly attention has been given to Heisenberg's personal worldview and a mystical experience that sparked his decision to embark upon his career in physics. His case flatly disproves Max Weber's famous thesis that modern science must be a purely secular entreprise.
“New Age-Science“ (Wouter J. Hanegraaff) or – as it will be referred to here – “New Age-scientism” (cf. Olav Hammer) is a specific discourse within alternative spirituality. The term “quantum metaphysics” encompasses interpretations of quantum physics starting from the late 1920s as well as diverse non-academic interpretations developed in the context of New Age literature ca. 1975 onwards. According to Olav Hammer, the spokesmen of New Age-scientism strategically aimed to utilize the authority of science for legitimizing their ideology. However, already outstanding pioneers of quantum mechanics such as Bohr, Pauli and Heisenberg advocated their religious and philosophical worldviews in public lectures and publications, which often articulate motives derived from Lebensphilosophie - an ideological descendent of Romantic Naturphilosophie. This raises the question, in how far this particular stream of thought had influenced the mindset of early quantum physicists. Paul Forman answered this question by pointing out the correlation between the bourgeois-academic milieu of the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), where Lebensphilosophie played a major role, and the birth of quantum mechanics.
Based on a critique of Forman’s externalist theses, specific Lebensphilosophical influences on quantum metaphysical conceptions are analyzed. Furthermore, similarities and differences between the worldviews of Heisenberg and Fritjof Capra, a leading representative of New Age-scientism, are outlined. This thesis aims to show that Lebensphilosophie has undergone an anonymous and hybridized continuation in the form of quantum mysticism. In that process, Heisenberg's philosophy and personality carried a crucial, although little recognized bridging function.
Key words: Quantum mysticism, Lebensphilosophie, New Age-Science, scientism, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, Wolfgang Pauli, Fritjof Capra.
Papers by Dominic Zoehrer
Religion in Austria, Vol. 5, 2020
Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Applied Kinesiology, Bach flower remedies, healing with crystals, the c... more Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Applied Kinesiology, Bach flower remedies, healing with crystals, the colour therapy Aura-Soma, and Pranic Healing—the subject theme of this paper—may be counted as “classics” among the plethora of present-day energetic techniques. Arguably, Reiki was the trailblazer in the field as it prepared the social and ideological ground for several other practices that followed suit. In Reiki’s slip-stream, Pranic Healing succeeded within a decade to achieve a considerable degree of prominence, forming an integral part of the first wave of energetic techniques to gain traction in Austria during the 1990s. Pranic Healing provides an illustrative case study since it represents a vast number of practices that allude to a perennial healing wisdom of the “East,” whereas their major roots can be found in relatively recent Euro-American traditions that evolved into transcultural, globalised hybrids as shall be further elaborated here.
The present paper attempts to explore the origins and evolution of Pranic Healing by means of historical discourse analysis and to reconstruct its arrival and establishment in Austria. Section 2 sketches the Wirkungsgeschichte of mesmerism, a major progenitor of present-day subtle energy-based techniques that was developed in Vienna by the charismatic physician Franz Anton Mesmer. Disputed and finally rejected by the contemporaneous medical establishment, mesmeric practices found a fertile ground in the religio-therapeutic and alternative medical milieus especially of the American and European nineteenth century, inspiring the emergence of various alternative therapies, some of which are still widely practiced today. Section 3 explores the interpretations of mesmerism in the context of occult literature in the decades around 1900. In this regard, two major hermeneutic frameworks were crucial: the appeal to ether physics, and the appeal to an ancient, Eastern wisdom tradition. Reading mesmerism in light of occult orientalism would fuse the magnetic healing agent with a vital principle referred to as prāṇa,19 eventually leading to a hybrid system known as “Pranic Healing.” In its basic features, this system would sow the seeds for Choa Kok Sui’s healing movement, which section 4 elucidates in its historical, doctrinal, and ritual dimensions, with a spotlight on its Austrian protagonists. As will be shown, Austria’s role in exporting Pranic Healing to Central and Eastern Europe has been pivotal, which once more accentuates the country’s status as a nodal point in the globalised discourse on energy healing.
The Occult Nineteenth Century, 2021
This paper is a contribution to the Festschrift dedicated to Karl Baier. It addresses the close i... more This paper is a contribution to the Festschrift dedicated to Karl Baier. It addresses the close interrelation between specific mesmerist-derived European currents and the growing importance of Asian concepts at the end of the nineteenth century, with the Theosophical current as the crucial mediator. Thereby it traces how the originally mesmerist idea of the so-called fluidum, denoting the transmission of power between bodies, became related to the Indian concept of prāṇa. Seminal interpreters include early Theosophical thinkers such as Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891), William Walker Atkinson (a.k.a. Ramacharaka; 1862–1932), and Annie Besant (1847–1933). The subsequent development of pranic healing concepts in the later twentieth century involves figures such as the Chinese-Filipino spiritual entrepreneur Choa Kok Sui (Samson Lim Choachuy; 1952–2007) and his internationally successful Pranic Healing programme, which was clearly inspired by concepts purported by the aforementioned writers and deeply rooted in nineteenth-century occultism.
Pädagogische Horizonte, 4(1), 2021
Das ‚Weltreligionen‘-Paradigma bildet die gelebte religiös-weltanschauliche Vielfalt nur unzureic... more Das ‚Weltreligionen‘-Paradigma bildet die gelebte religiös-weltanschauliche Vielfalt nur unzureichend ab. Ein neues Verständnis von Religionsbildung muss daher über diese Denkform hinausgehen. Insbesondere die Verschränkung von Religion mit anderen kulturellen Bereichen ist stärker in den Blick zu nehmen. Hierzu gehört auch die Schnittmenge von Religiosität und Lebenshilfe, die als ‚holistisches Milieu‘ bezeichnet wird. Dieser Beitrag begründet, warum das holistische Milieu in den Lehrplan integriert werden sollte. Er vermittelt einen Überblick zu seinen weltanschaulichen, praktischen und soziologischen Merkmalen aus religionswissenschaftlicher Sicht. Die abschließende Diskussion umreißt zwei Ansätze, wie das holistische Milieu als Gegenstand für den religionsbezogenen Unterricht aufbereitet werden könnte.
Räume des Glaubens. Das religiöse Leben in der Josefstadt, 2018
Obwohl es sich bei der Josefstadt mit ihren 1,09 km^2 um den flächenmäßig kleinsten Gemeindebezir... more Obwohl es sich bei der Josefstadt mit ihren 1,09 km^2 um den flächenmäßig kleinsten Gemeindebezirk Wiens handelt, ist die lebhafte religiöse Vielfalt der österreichischen Bundeshauptstadt auch hier deutlich greifbar. Die Bevölkerung der Josefstadt macht einen Anteil von nur 1,4% der Wiener Gesamtbevölkerung aus, und doch zeichnen sich im achten Bezirk einige grundsätzliche Tendenzen der religiösen Landschaft Wiens ab. Zugleich kann ein markantes religiöses Profil der Josefstadt wahrgenommen werden, das sich deutlich vom Wiener Spektrum der Religionen abhebt. Im Folgenden wird das gegenwärtige Panaroma der Religionen in der Josefstadt mit seinen historischen, weltanschaulichen und gemeinschaftlichen Hintergründen beleuchtet.
Ideas of Possession: Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Perspectives, 2024
At its core, Unificationist millenarianism articulates an eschatological worldview where the forc... more At its core, Unificationist millenarianism articulates an eschatological worldview where the forces of good are confronting evil in a final, cosmic battle. In fact, evil is believed to have soiled humankind’s true nature through the fall of Adam and Eve. Accordingly, Unificationist (ritual) practice is deemed the only means to separate from evil in order to join forces with the Heavenly Parent. It is actually this very ontological separation from evil that makes up the quintessence of Unificationist soteriology, most resonantly enacted in the well-known blessing ceremonies.
Notably, from the 1990s, the salvific ritual corpus was saliently extended with reference to what came to be called the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence. Therein evil is engaged in two ways: Evil spirits that besiege adherents are removed, and the satanic stain contaminating one’s ancestral lineage is cleansed. Its systemically vital apotropaic and soteriological functions aside, the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence arguably also adds immensely to the economic power of the Unification Movement, as impressively displayed by a range of related construction projects. Tangible numbers are hard to come by; however, the total revenue from the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence is estimated to be tens of billions of Korean won (or several million USD), emphatically demonstrating its core relevance for Unification theology and lived practice.
Through the prism of doctrine and practice, this chapter explores both pillars of the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence: the separation of evil spirits and the liberation of ancestral spirits. It will highlight that the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence is to be taken as a crucial momentum in the history of Unificationism, hitherto ignored by scholarship.
Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, 2022
The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO established in 2005 by M... more The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO established in 2005 by Mun Sŏn-myŏng (1920–2012), the founder of the South Korean Unification Movement. Mun deemed the UPF’s formation “the most revolutionary and wondrous event since God’s creation of humankind,” assigning the organisation a pivotal role in his millenarian project. This article continues the discussion in Pokorny and Zoehrer 2022 (which addressed the context, birth, and millenarian anatomy of the UPF), outlining the history of the UPF with a focus on its changing self-conception, leadership shifts, and global activities. It examines how the UPF has articulated and put into practice its millenarian founding ideal over the course of three stages of its development. Finally, it highlights major external and internal challenges, which not only informed the UPF’s identitybuilding and public perception but render the organisation systemically vulnerable.
Religions, 2022
The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO launched in 2005 by the ... more The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO launched in 2005 by the late Mun Sŏn-myŏng , self-proclaimed Messiah and founder of the South Korean Unification Movement. Mun considered the UPF as the pinnacle of Unificationist political and interfaith engagement. Envisioned as a complement to and, eventually, a future replacement of the United Nations, the globally operating UPF spearheads Unificationist millenarianism. This paper first traces the formation history and genesis of the UPF as a merger of decades-long international political and interfaith activities under the banner of multiple Unificationist organisations and initiatives. Subsequently, it examines the Korea-centric millenarian purpose assigned to the UPF by Mun. It is ultimately argued that embracing globalism is not only doctrinally crucial to Unificationist millenarianism, but systemically relevant.
Keywords: Unification Church; new religious movement; South Korea; UPF; religion and global politics; millenarianism
Religion in Austria, Vol. 4, 2018
Ch’ŏnilguk (CIG) is a central, albeit multilayered concept in Unificationism. It is an abbreviati... more Ch’ŏnilguk (CIG) is a central, albeit multilayered concept in Unificationism. It is an abbreviation for the Nation of Cosmic Peace and Unity first introduced into the Unificationist parlance in 2001. Most basically, CIG is a new label for the formerly used notion of Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, the actualisation of God's Ideal of Creation. In this respect, CIG serves as the Unification Movement's (UM) millenarian objective, the goal of kingdom-building. As a synonym for the ideal world, the term CIG not only involves perfection of the physical realm but also the spiritual one. This meaning envelops the traditional Confucian-style continuum from the individual, the core family, the family network (or ‘tribe’), society, and the state to the world/cosmos at large. Because CIG is deemed the apex of creation itself, its constitution is understood by the UM leadership to eclipse all secular constitutions in terms of scope and providential significance.
This paper discusses the drafting process of the CIG-Constitution, analyses its perception by the Austrian UM membership, and provides an annotated bilingual translation into English and German.
This paper focuses on the dimension of contemplative spirituality, in particular the encounter of... more This paper focuses on the dimension of contemplative spirituality, in particular the encounter of Roman-Catholic contemplative traditions with Japanese Zen meditation (jap. zazen) starting from the mid-20th century. This contemplative exercise from a historically Buddhist context has provided new momentum for Christian spiritual practices. At the same time, it introduced questions on the possibilities and limits of trans-religious processes and became the starting point of intra-church controversies that have not been finally concluded yet. (Language of the paper: German.)
Book Reviews by Dominic Zoehrer
Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism, 2024
Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 7, Vienna: Praesens, 2022: ... more Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 7, Vienna: Praesens, 2022: 591–600.
Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 6, Vienna: Praesens, 2021: 477–483.
Religious Studies Review 46(3), 2020
Published in: Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 5, Vienna: Pr... more Published in: Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 5, Vienna: Praesens, 2020: 395–401
Religious Studies Review, 45 (2), 2019
Published in: Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 4, Vienna: Praesens, 2018: 307–322., 2018
![Research paper thumbnail of REVIEW of Kocku von Stuckrad. Die Seele im 20. Jahrhundert. Eine Kulturgeschichte [The Soul in the 20th Century: A Cultural History] (2019)](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/62379686/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Religious Studies Review, 45 (4), 2019
Religious Studies Review, 45 (2), 2019
This booklet gives an overview to the themes religion, ideology, and spirituality from a Religiou... more This booklet gives an overview to the themes religion, ideology, and spirituality from a Religious Studies perspective. It was co-authored with Prof. Karl Baier and Prof. Lukas Pokorny, and particularly designed for professionals working in the field of life and social counceling (Lebens- und Sozialberatung).
MA thesis submitted at the Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna (Supervisor: Prof. Karl Baier), 2016
Physics deals with the fundamental principles underlying material reality. However, at its fronti... more Physics deals with the fundamental principles underlying material reality. However, at its frontiers lurk questions about mind, consciousness and transcendence. This is most salient for quantum physics which has spawned a wave of interpretations that assume the entanglement of matter and mind. Little scholarly attention has been given to Heisenberg's personal worldview and a mystical experience that sparked his decision to embark upon his career in physics. His case flatly disproves Max Weber's famous thesis that modern science must be a purely secular entreprise.
“New Age-Science“ (Wouter J. Hanegraaff) or – as it will be referred to here – “New Age-scientism” (cf. Olav Hammer) is a specific discourse within alternative spirituality. The term “quantum metaphysics” encompasses interpretations of quantum physics starting from the late 1920s as well as diverse non-academic interpretations developed in the context of New Age literature ca. 1975 onwards. According to Olav Hammer, the spokesmen of New Age-scientism strategically aimed to utilize the authority of science for legitimizing their ideology. However, already outstanding pioneers of quantum mechanics such as Bohr, Pauli and Heisenberg advocated their religious and philosophical worldviews in public lectures and publications, which often articulate motives derived from Lebensphilosophie - an ideological descendent of Romantic Naturphilosophie. This raises the question, in how far this particular stream of thought had influenced the mindset of early quantum physicists. Paul Forman answered this question by pointing out the correlation between the bourgeois-academic milieu of the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), where Lebensphilosophie played a major role, and the birth of quantum mechanics.
Based on a critique of Forman’s externalist theses, specific Lebensphilosophical influences on quantum metaphysical conceptions are analyzed. Furthermore, similarities and differences between the worldviews of Heisenberg and Fritjof Capra, a leading representative of New Age-scientism, are outlined. This thesis aims to show that Lebensphilosophie has undergone an anonymous and hybridized continuation in the form of quantum mysticism. In that process, Heisenberg's philosophy and personality carried a crucial, although little recognized bridging function.
Key words: Quantum mysticism, Lebensphilosophie, New Age-Science, scientism, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, Wolfgang Pauli, Fritjof Capra.
Religion in Austria, Vol. 5, 2020
Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Applied Kinesiology, Bach flower remedies, healing with crystals, the c... more Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Applied Kinesiology, Bach flower remedies, healing with crystals, the colour therapy Aura-Soma, and Pranic Healing—the subject theme of this paper—may be counted as “classics” among the plethora of present-day energetic techniques. Arguably, Reiki was the trailblazer in the field as it prepared the social and ideological ground for several other practices that followed suit. In Reiki’s slip-stream, Pranic Healing succeeded within a decade to achieve a considerable degree of prominence, forming an integral part of the first wave of energetic techniques to gain traction in Austria during the 1990s. Pranic Healing provides an illustrative case study since it represents a vast number of practices that allude to a perennial healing wisdom of the “East,” whereas their major roots can be found in relatively recent Euro-American traditions that evolved into transcultural, globalised hybrids as shall be further elaborated here.
The present paper attempts to explore the origins and evolution of Pranic Healing by means of historical discourse analysis and to reconstruct its arrival and establishment in Austria. Section 2 sketches the Wirkungsgeschichte of mesmerism, a major progenitor of present-day subtle energy-based techniques that was developed in Vienna by the charismatic physician Franz Anton Mesmer. Disputed and finally rejected by the contemporaneous medical establishment, mesmeric practices found a fertile ground in the religio-therapeutic and alternative medical milieus especially of the American and European nineteenth century, inspiring the emergence of various alternative therapies, some of which are still widely practiced today. Section 3 explores the interpretations of mesmerism in the context of occult literature in the decades around 1900. In this regard, two major hermeneutic frameworks were crucial: the appeal to ether physics, and the appeal to an ancient, Eastern wisdom tradition. Reading mesmerism in light of occult orientalism would fuse the magnetic healing agent with a vital principle referred to as prāṇa,19 eventually leading to a hybrid system known as “Pranic Healing.” In its basic features, this system would sow the seeds for Choa Kok Sui’s healing movement, which section 4 elucidates in its historical, doctrinal, and ritual dimensions, with a spotlight on its Austrian protagonists. As will be shown, Austria’s role in exporting Pranic Healing to Central and Eastern Europe has been pivotal, which once more accentuates the country’s status as a nodal point in the globalised discourse on energy healing.
The Occult Nineteenth Century, 2021
This paper is a contribution to the Festschrift dedicated to Karl Baier. It addresses the close i... more This paper is a contribution to the Festschrift dedicated to Karl Baier. It addresses the close interrelation between specific mesmerist-derived European currents and the growing importance of Asian concepts at the end of the nineteenth century, with the Theosophical current as the crucial mediator. Thereby it traces how the originally mesmerist idea of the so-called fluidum, denoting the transmission of power between bodies, became related to the Indian concept of prāṇa. Seminal interpreters include early Theosophical thinkers such as Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891), William Walker Atkinson (a.k.a. Ramacharaka; 1862–1932), and Annie Besant (1847–1933). The subsequent development of pranic healing concepts in the later twentieth century involves figures such as the Chinese-Filipino spiritual entrepreneur Choa Kok Sui (Samson Lim Choachuy; 1952–2007) and his internationally successful Pranic Healing programme, which was clearly inspired by concepts purported by the aforementioned writers and deeply rooted in nineteenth-century occultism.
Pädagogische Horizonte, 4(1), 2021
Das ‚Weltreligionen‘-Paradigma bildet die gelebte religiös-weltanschauliche Vielfalt nur unzureic... more Das ‚Weltreligionen‘-Paradigma bildet die gelebte religiös-weltanschauliche Vielfalt nur unzureichend ab. Ein neues Verständnis von Religionsbildung muss daher über diese Denkform hinausgehen. Insbesondere die Verschränkung von Religion mit anderen kulturellen Bereichen ist stärker in den Blick zu nehmen. Hierzu gehört auch die Schnittmenge von Religiosität und Lebenshilfe, die als ‚holistisches Milieu‘ bezeichnet wird. Dieser Beitrag begründet, warum das holistische Milieu in den Lehrplan integriert werden sollte. Er vermittelt einen Überblick zu seinen weltanschaulichen, praktischen und soziologischen Merkmalen aus religionswissenschaftlicher Sicht. Die abschließende Diskussion umreißt zwei Ansätze, wie das holistische Milieu als Gegenstand für den religionsbezogenen Unterricht aufbereitet werden könnte.
Räume des Glaubens. Das religiöse Leben in der Josefstadt, 2018
Obwohl es sich bei der Josefstadt mit ihren 1,09 km^2 um den flächenmäßig kleinsten Gemeindebezir... more Obwohl es sich bei der Josefstadt mit ihren 1,09 km^2 um den flächenmäßig kleinsten Gemeindebezirk Wiens handelt, ist die lebhafte religiöse Vielfalt der österreichischen Bundeshauptstadt auch hier deutlich greifbar. Die Bevölkerung der Josefstadt macht einen Anteil von nur 1,4% der Wiener Gesamtbevölkerung aus, und doch zeichnen sich im achten Bezirk einige grundsätzliche Tendenzen der religiösen Landschaft Wiens ab. Zugleich kann ein markantes religiöses Profil der Josefstadt wahrgenommen werden, das sich deutlich vom Wiener Spektrum der Religionen abhebt. Im Folgenden wird das gegenwärtige Panaroma der Religionen in der Josefstadt mit seinen historischen, weltanschaulichen und gemeinschaftlichen Hintergründen beleuchtet.
Ideas of Possession: Interdisciplinary and Transcultural Perspectives, 2024
At its core, Unificationist millenarianism articulates an eschatological worldview where the forc... more At its core, Unificationist millenarianism articulates an eschatological worldview where the forces of good are confronting evil in a final, cosmic battle. In fact, evil is believed to have soiled humankind’s true nature through the fall of Adam and Eve. Accordingly, Unificationist (ritual) practice is deemed the only means to separate from evil in order to join forces with the Heavenly Parent. It is actually this very ontological separation from evil that makes up the quintessence of Unificationist soteriology, most resonantly enacted in the well-known blessing ceremonies.
Notably, from the 1990s, the salvific ritual corpus was saliently extended with reference to what came to be called the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence. Therein evil is engaged in two ways: Evil spirits that besiege adherents are removed, and the satanic stain contaminating one’s ancestral lineage is cleansed. Its systemically vital apotropaic and soteriological functions aside, the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence arguably also adds immensely to the economic power of the Unification Movement, as impressively displayed by a range of related construction projects. Tangible numbers are hard to come by; however, the total revenue from the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence is estimated to be tens of billions of Korean won (or several million USD), emphatically demonstrating its core relevance for Unification theology and lived practice.
Through the prism of doctrine and practice, this chapter explores both pillars of the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence: the separation of evil spirits and the liberation of ancestral spirits. It will highlight that the Ch’ŏngp’yŏng Providence is to be taken as a crucial momentum in the history of Unificationism, hitherto ignored by scholarship.
Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies, 2022
The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO established in 2005 by M... more The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO established in 2005 by Mun Sŏn-myŏng (1920–2012), the founder of the South Korean Unification Movement. Mun deemed the UPF’s formation “the most revolutionary and wondrous event since God’s creation of humankind,” assigning the organisation a pivotal role in his millenarian project. This article continues the discussion in Pokorny and Zoehrer 2022 (which addressed the context, birth, and millenarian anatomy of the UPF), outlining the history of the UPF with a focus on its changing self-conception, leadership shifts, and global activities. It examines how the UPF has articulated and put into practice its millenarian founding ideal over the course of three stages of its development. Finally, it highlights major external and internal challenges, which not only informed the UPF’s identitybuilding and public perception but render the organisation systemically vulnerable.
Religions, 2022
The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO launched in 2005 by the ... more The Universal Peace Federation or UPF is a United Nations-affiliated NGO launched in 2005 by the late Mun Sŏn-myŏng , self-proclaimed Messiah and founder of the South Korean Unification Movement. Mun considered the UPF as the pinnacle of Unificationist political and interfaith engagement. Envisioned as a complement to and, eventually, a future replacement of the United Nations, the globally operating UPF spearheads Unificationist millenarianism. This paper first traces the formation history and genesis of the UPF as a merger of decades-long international political and interfaith activities under the banner of multiple Unificationist organisations and initiatives. Subsequently, it examines the Korea-centric millenarian purpose assigned to the UPF by Mun. It is ultimately argued that embracing globalism is not only doctrinally crucial to Unificationist millenarianism, but systemically relevant.
Keywords: Unification Church; new religious movement; South Korea; UPF; religion and global politics; millenarianism
Religion in Austria, Vol. 4, 2018
Ch’ŏnilguk (CIG) is a central, albeit multilayered concept in Unificationism. It is an abbreviati... more Ch’ŏnilguk (CIG) is a central, albeit multilayered concept in Unificationism. It is an abbreviation for the Nation of Cosmic Peace and Unity first introduced into the Unificationist parlance in 2001. Most basically, CIG is a new label for the formerly used notion of Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, the actualisation of God's Ideal of Creation. In this respect, CIG serves as the Unification Movement's (UM) millenarian objective, the goal of kingdom-building. As a synonym for the ideal world, the term CIG not only involves perfection of the physical realm but also the spiritual one. This meaning envelops the traditional Confucian-style continuum from the individual, the core family, the family network (or ‘tribe’), society, and the state to the world/cosmos at large. Because CIG is deemed the apex of creation itself, its constitution is understood by the UM leadership to eclipse all secular constitutions in terms of scope and providential significance.
This paper discusses the drafting process of the CIG-Constitution, analyses its perception by the Austrian UM membership, and provides an annotated bilingual translation into English and German.
This paper focuses on the dimension of contemplative spirituality, in particular the encounter of... more This paper focuses on the dimension of contemplative spirituality, in particular the encounter of Roman-Catholic contemplative traditions with Japanese Zen meditation (jap. zazen) starting from the mid-20th century. This contemplative exercise from a historically Buddhist context has provided new momentum for Christian spiritual practices. At the same time, it introduced questions on the possibilities and limits of trans-religious processes and became the starting point of intra-church controversies that have not been finally concluded yet. (Language of the paper: German.)
Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism, 2024
Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 7, Vienna: Praesens, 2022: ... more Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 7, Vienna: Praesens, 2022: 591–600.
Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 6, Vienna: Praesens, 2021: 477–483.
Religious Studies Review 46(3), 2020
Published in: Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 5, Vienna: Pr... more Published in: Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 5, Vienna: Praesens, 2020: 395–401
Religious Studies Review, 45 (2), 2019
Published in: Hans Gerald Hödl and Lukas Pokorny, eds., Religion in Austria, Volume 4, Vienna: Praesens, 2018: 307–322., 2018
Religious Studies Review, 45 (4), 2019
Religious Studies Review, 45 (2), 2019
Religious Studies Review, 45 (3), 2019
"I and Tao: Martin Buber's Encounter with Chuang Tzu" (1996) has so far been the most significant... more "I and Tao: Martin Buber's Encounter with Chuang Tzu" (1996) has so far been the most significant publication of Jonathan R. Herman who currently serves as Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Georgia State University. Three fields of academic study – Sinology, Buber scholarship, and comparative mysticism – converge in his analysis of Martin Buber’s translation and interpretation of the parables of the Daoist philosopher Zhuāngzǐ (~4th cent. BCE). Correspondingly, the author’s main concerns are threefold: first, to contribute to the sinological task of interpreting Chuang Tzu; second, to determine the transformative role of Daoist thought in Buber’s way of thinking; and third, to evaluate the implications of the relationship between Buber and Chuang Tzu for the methodological debate in the comparative study of mysticism.
This review of Herman’s post-constructivist study on mysticism analyzes how "I and Tao" implicitly raises a general hermeneutic problem, namely the tension between a historical-critical and philological reading of a text on the one hand and the spiritual and creative interpretation on the other hand.