Technology has transformed the shape of religious expression, community and proselytisation in the modern world; but it is still relatively rare to see examples that use the concepts of modern science and technology as part of the foundations of a belief system.
Although most mainstream religions don’t directly incorporate technology into their practices — usually preferring to offer theological understandings of its impact — there are a number of new religious movements that do utilise science and technology more directly in their core teachings and practices.
With this post I’ve collated a short list of some prominent examples. Most of them are considered to be highly unorthodox and fringe, while also relatively small and outside of mainstream culture. They incorporate a sense of belonging that is centered upon specific teachings, rather than a loose set of prophetic thoughts about the future; such as might be found in many areas of futurist thinking today (such as the Singularity movement).
It’s important to state that inclusion on this list doesn’t necessarily come with accusations of abusive behaviour, but nor does the use of the more academic phrasing of ‘new religious movements’ (NRMs) instead of ‘cults’ provide any apology for destructive traits.
Some of the groups listed here are a lot more dangerous than others and if there have been accusations or examples of abuse or other destructive behaviour, then this has been stated. NRMs such as the Church of Scientology are well known for their manipulative behaviour; while others, such as Aum Shinrikyo, have outright perpetrated terrorist attacks. Not all new religious movements are created equal, that’s for sure…
With that, here are 10 new religious movements that are focused on science and technology:
1. The Church of Scientology
There’s not much to say about Scientology that most people don’t know already, particularly about the abuse and other destructive activity that has been conducted in its name (here’s an interesting source for more detail). Given this level of public recognition (and notoriety) the Church of Scientology is perhaps the most prominent technology-based religious group out there.
Starting with the space opera cosmology of galactic empires that lies hidden at its core, the practice of Scientology is also heavily based around a piece of technology: the E-meter. This is essentially a basic lie-detector that measures electrical resistance, providing visual feedback that is interpreted by trained members of the religion in a process known as auditing. The effectiveness of the technology is highly debated (and the use of confessions made during ‘auditing’ against members is widely discussed), but it is the promise of technology as an arbiter of objective truth that is used here to persuade and retain the interest of followers.
L. Ron Hubbard wanted his ideas to sit firmly in the realm of scientific thinking, at least in the public eye. He frequently mentions the use of the scientific method and experimental nature of his work as a way to give scientific legitimacy to his ideas and place them more in the realm of objective medical practice than a heavily subjective spiritual endeavour. This doesn’t work out in practice, but nonetheless the convincing terminology and gravity of technology lies at the core of Scientology’s approach and appeal.
2. Raëlianism
Many NRMs that focus on technology tend to concentrate on something in particular: aliens. The Raëlians, founded and run by a former sports-racing journalist (Claude Vorilhon) turned intergalactic prophet (Raël), are perhaps the epitome of this trend.
Proponents of extraterrestrial design of life on Earth, their beliefs run the technological gamut from planetary terraforming, through to genetics, cloning and intergalactic space travel. Similar to other groups on this list, they fuse this scientific focus with Judeo-Christian mythology but interpret things according to the technological paradigm.
The Garden of Eden becomes a laboratory; resurrection of Jesus Christ a result of genetic cloning; judgement day will occur as the Elohim (alien overseers) are tracking our thoughts and DNA; and the Great Flood was the result of nuclear weaponry. God is an advanced race of extraterrestrials known as Elohim that have been communicating through chosen prophets (including all the major world religions) throughout the millennia.
The group are heavily focused on promoting genetically modified food and human cloning with close links to the company Clonaid, whose CEO is a prominent Raelian and in 2002 claimed they were responsible for the world’s first human clone. This was highly contested and considered deeply unethical, while also having witness statements released claiming that they were made as a publicity stunt. In total the company claimed up to 13 successful pregnancies as a result of human cloning. However, although their website remains accessible it has long been dormant without new information; lending credence to the high possibility of the entire enterprise being little more than a publicity stunt.
Outside of the extensive coverage around human cloning, the group have also received media attention for their sexually progressive viewpoints, including promotion of things such as Go Topless Day, which members praise as a form of progressive activism. In recent years they have been focused on establishing a political system called Paradism that abolishes work and money for more utopian ideals achieved through advanced technology.
3. Heaven’s Gate
Perhaps the most famous cult on this list outside of Scientology, Heaven’s Gate gained notoriety over the tragic mass suicide in 1997 commited by 39 members of the group. They had taken their own lives in the hopes of gaining passage onto an alien spacecraft that was supposed to be accompanying the Hale-Bopp comet passing overhead.
Like many of the groups named on this list the technological focal point revolved around alien spacecraft; but it also included time travel, enhanced longevity, Christian eschatology and ‘a mixture of Protestant individualism and monastic discipline’ that proved intensely persuasive. The group is also recognised as being on the forefront of internet technology as a means to disseminate their teachings and attract members, as well as earn income through web design.
Heaven’s Gate was not just an NRM focused on technology as a medium, but one in which members predominantly had a deep interest in science fiction and particularly mainstream media such as Star Wars and Star Trek. The original website is still active and maintained as a kind of digital timecapsule by two members who did not commit suicide and were tasked as guardians of the group’s legacy for the time of their return.
4. The Space Nation of Asgardia
Most of the ‘citizens’ of this new organisation will deny that the Space Nation of Asgardia is a religious movement. However, it certainly fits the bill of bringing people together under a specific leader in order to achieve a defined vision of human progress and endeavour. There are numerous political movements that operate in similar fashion to their religious counterparts and can be studied under the banner of NRMs. Asgardia can be classified as one such group tied to a visionary ideal, founded by a strong and prominent personality, that has seen a huge amount of growth and attention in recent years with its evocative notion of interstellar civilisation.
Describing itself as ‘a global humanitarian project’, the group are focusing their efforts on creating the first space-based nation and achieving sovereignty outside the confines of the Earth’s atmosphere. For the most part, this is currently focused on online discussion forums and conferences that bring interested people together to discuss forms of government, needed technologies and other scientific and social issues that such a goal requires to be successful.
Although presenting themselves in an egalitarian and communitarian manner, it’s worth noting that the organisation has a business structure seeking funding from shareholder investors and will also be creating its own Bank of Asgardia. The online message forums already show a tension between capitalist and socialist understandings of the organisation’s mission and potential outcomes, as well as a growing number of complaints about the increasing financial demands on members.
5. Nation of Islam
Most famous for putting the X into Malcom X (formerly Malcolm Little), the Nation of Islam has a 90 year history of firebrand evangelism, political activism and an open form of black supremicism that has seen them accused of racial extremism.
If you ask someone what they know about the group, it’s unlikely that they will tell you that they don’t really have much to do with the religion of Islam. Nor will most people know that they have teachings about human-built UFOs and ancient eugenics. At the core of the Nation of Islam is an adherence to a more scientific method approach to faith and identity, but it is one often dependent on circular logic that masks some of the more extreme beliefs of the group under the guise of rational enquiry and evidence.
There’s also the close alliance with the Church of Scientology that has developed over the past decade that is creating a strange hybrid of two highly controversial and notorious (for all the wrong reasons) religious groups. Built upon the use of Scientology’s spiritual leadership ‘technology’, this symbiotic/parasitic relationship saw great controversy within the Nation of Islam that was ultimately ignored with an edict that leadership roles would require progression within Scientology courses and structures.
6. Way of the Future
It was only a matter of time before we saw some serious attempts at creating new religions emerge out of Silicon Valley. Companies in the tech sector are becoming increasingly good at converting their employees into true believers, even going so far as to develop entire town-like structures for employees, and some of that enthusiasm (and psychological manipulation) was always going to spin off into various new religious movements.
Surprisingly there haven’t been many examples yet (at least, not ones with a public presence), but The Way of the Future was one of the more prominent ones from a media perspective. Founded by Anthony Levandowski, an AI developer who was indicted for stealing trade secrets on self-driving car technology from Google to start his own company (later bought out by Uber), this so-called church seems to have been a flash in the pan that has now gone dormant. It does, however, give an interesting glimpse into where some of the focus of NRMs might be seen in coming years as AI technology becomes more advanced.
Although it never seemed to gather much momentum, the idea certainly gained a lot of attention and shows how religious concepts such as omniscience and omnipresence can be re-appropriated by new advances in science and technology. The boundaries between the two become increasingly blurred and begin to raise more questions about the nature of creation and our labelling of powerful entities and/or forces as divine.
The Way of the Future, albeit looking like more of an entrepreneurial project than a visionary one, marked a shift in our collective technological progress. It showed that there are now many people asking the question: what happens if we create our own God?
7. Kopimism
The Missionary Church of Kopimism is more political philosophy than a religious group, but the aesthetic used brings a particular religious tone to the efforts that wouldn’t be out of place in the neon alleyways of cyberpunk. It has close ties to the formation of the Pirate Bay and other anti-copyright activism groups run under the umbrella of the Pirate Party.
Recognised as a religion (after three applications) by the Swedish government in 2012, the group claimed over 4,000 members at the time. It has been said that the concept originally emerged from comments made by a Swedish lawyer calling file-sharing enthusiasts ‘a cult’. Interestingly, this lawyer had also been working on copyright cases at the time as legal counsel for the Church of Scientology (which keeps cropping up again and again in the world of NRMs).
The difference between the Pirate Party activist groups and Kopimism lies in the more theological articulation of the freedom of information and reproduction of data (e.g. DNA) as a fundamental function of the universe. They also position themselves against widespread surveillance of digital communications, maintaining the concept of confidential and private information of the individual using the language of priestly confession.
While many see the religion of Kopimism to be more of a PR stunt or political tactic rather than a genuine form of faith, it is perhaps not surprising that it would emerge as a new religious movement out of Sweden which is one of the world’s most secular and irreligious nations.
8. Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph / Hikari no Wa)
Moving now from the benign Kopimism to a truly destructive religious cult that is everything but, Aum Shinrikyo came to the attention of the public in 1995 with the deadly sarin gas terrorist attacks on the subway of Tokyo. These attacks were one of the worst in modern history, injuring and poisoning thousands with at least 11 people tragically killed. A previous sarin gas attack the year before, that had injured 500 people and killed eight, was also then proven to have been perpetrated by members of the group.
With headquarters near the base of Mt Fuji, the Aum Shinrikyo group meet every definition of a destructive and manipulative cult (and perhaps the only example of adherents literally wearing a full face mask of their leader). After the boom of religious freedom that swept Japan following the end of World War II, the group was founded in 1984 and mixed Buddhist, Hindu and Christian apocalyptic beliefs; but was always focused on its leader, Shoko Asahara, who declared himself Christ in 1992.
Following the deadly terrorist attacks and his role in directing them, Asahara was charged with murder and sentenced to death in 2004. He was executed by hanging in 2018 along with 12 other senior members of the group. Two offshoot groups still remain, Aleph which was founded in 2000; and Hikari no Wa (the Circle of Rainbow Light) formed in 2007.
Aum Shinrikyo focused on science and technology in a number of different ways, which attracted many highly educated graduates and practitioners of science and technology. Asahara had long preached a doomsday prophecy that would be brought about by the armageddon of nuclear weapons and World War III. Then there is the sophisticated preparation of biological weapons in Tokyo, rural Kamikuishiki and even a large property in the Australian outback. Their foray into chemical science didn’t end there either, with labs discovered during police raids that were producing LSD, methamphetamine and pentathol (truth serum). They also had aspirations to manufacture their own AK-47s and other weaponry, including laser-based technology they had stolen industrial secrets for; and had affiliated companies producing computer software for 10 government agencies and dozens of Japanese corporations.
Science fiction and visions of Utopian society were heavily utilised by the group, who also had a focus on the use of technology to assist their practices. The most famous of these were EEG-like head caps covered in electrodes that were designed to transmit the guru’s brainwaves to those wearing them. Their ‘yogic practices’ also included the use of electroshock therapy, forced use of LSD and other forms of torture for disobedience that quickly became more like the enhanced interrogation programmes of intelligence agencies rather than any religious practice.
9. The Urantia Foundation
The Urantia Book is one of those things always found on the bookshelves of New Age types. A classic text of the psychic channeling scene, in particular, it is fundamentally a religious text based upon a reinterpretation of Christianity and the life of Jesus. The book is included here because of its detailed cosmology that includes multiverse theory, quantum mechanics, astronomy, geology and eugenics.
While most of the book is flawed from a scientific standpoint, a work of science fiction and not much more, it’s interesting how many relatively advanced ideas were included in a text that emerged over decades in the early stages of the 20th century. This is all combined, however, with the kinds of extraterrestrial prophet theories seen elsewhere on this list. It also contains enough questionable ideology for many to state it was a vessel for the racist ideas of William Sadler, its alleged primary author (if you don’t believe the ‘channelled by superhuman celestial beings’ angle) and key proponent. William Sadler also had some early, but severed ties to Ellen White; founder of the Seventh Day Adventist movement, another channeled religion.
2,000+ pages in length, the Urantia Book is also interesting in that there is no fixed group that promotes its teachings other than the Urantia Foundation that is involved in disseminating the text and promotes decentralised, autonomous study groups around the world. The supposed superhuman origins and some legal struggles over ownership resulted in the text losing any copyright and being placed in the public domain. This has meant that there is no single organisation, but it instead produces many smaller (and less accountable) localised gurus and New Age teachers that promote its cosmology and use it as their own roadmap.
10. The School of Life
Emerging out of the New Atheist movement, with its unironically strong religious undertones of certainty and moral authority, the School of Life takes a purely secular approach to understanding of the self, personal connections and our role in society.
Founded by a group of secular intellectuals spear-headed by Alain de Botton, and informing his work on forms of atheist religion, the School of Life softens the tone of the New Atheist movement and has quickly expanded both with physical locations and online presence.
Although primarily focused on different forms of therapy and life coaching, the School of Life’s programme of ‘Wisdom for Resilience’ utilises a lot of the symbolic and ideological structures, such as the search for self-knowledge, that lie at the core of most religious traditions. The group (or business, depending on how you look at it) pulls a lot from the social sciences and many of their talks and workshops are focused on scientific and technological themes.
Conclusion
The groups listed here are just some of the more prominent examples of new religious movements that have focused on science and technology as part of their core teachings. Surprisingly, it’s relatively difficult to find NRMs that have a heavy technology focus; and ones that emerge (such as the Way of the Future) seem to disappear or lose momentum just as quickly as they are formed and gain publicity.
No doubt many AI-focused religions will emerge in the coming decades, as we begin to develop technology to the point where it becomes indistinguishable from the all-seeing, all-knowing beings that humanity has worshipped since the dawn of history.
There will also be religious groups focused on medical and genetic advancements that greatly increase our longevity and require us to explore the impact of immortality on the human condition in more depth.
Finally, cybernetics will cause us to further push the boundaries of what it means to be human as we merge with our technology in unknown ways. In the relatively near future we will reach the point of Whole Brain Emulation (i.e. mind uploading) as brain-computer interfaces advance and transhumanist movements begin to open up new areas of possibility for human expression and identity.
Examples of new religious movements arise from many places and appeal to every different aspect of the human condition. Our desire for progress through science and technology will be no different, so we can be sure the examples given above are just a small number of those that will be founded on the back of rapidly advancing technology and scientific understanding.
