Globalization/Glocalization
AoL East and West - A Study of the Art of Living Foundation - Inga Bårdsen Tøllefsen
Inga Bårdsen Tøllefsen [+]
University of Tromsø.
Milda Ališauskienė [+]
Vytautas Magnus University
James R. Lewis [+]
Wuhan University
Description
In her field research on the Art of Living Foundation in Lithuania and in Denmark, Ališauskienė found similarities in both organizations, in their teachings, their structure, their practices, etc. There were, however differences in the degree of ‘scientism’ articulated by Lithuanian and Danish informants. Lithuanians placed significantly greater emphasis on the scientific nature of the doctrine and practices of the Art of Living Foundation. The emphasis on science seems to reflect an understanding of science related to scientific atheism, which was the only criterion of legitimacy during the Soviet period. The majority of Lithuanian informants emphasized that there was no actual membership in the Art of Living Foundation, which according to them indicated the non-religious character of the group. Meanwhile, the majority of informants from Denmark did not avoid talking about religious aspects of AoL, predicting that in the future this organization might become a more widespread religious community. The research also revealed different societal responses to Art of Living. Whereas in Lithuania informants were experiencing negative societal reactions to their group, in Denmark informants encountered a positive response from society, in part because Denmark has a strong tradition of religious pluralism.