Children of the New Age

A social history of the phenomenon known as New Age culture, "Children of the New Age" presents an overview of the diverse varieties of New Age belief and practise from the 1930s to the early 21st century. Drawing on original ethnographic research and rarely seen archival material, it calls into question the assumption that New Age is a discrete and unified "movement". Instead, via a detailed investigation ranging from Alice Bailey's neo-theosophy to the Findhorn movement, from the Philippines' Network of Light to New Zealand's Heralds of the New Age and America's underground subculture, it argues for a fresh understanding of New Age's influence as a variegated cultural force, emblematic of ever-shifting currents of popular sentiment Beginning with the interwar genesis of New Age idioms of global unity, utopia and occult gnosis, this book locates their inception within a wider 1920s and 30s fascination with "alternative" spirituality, virtuoso religion, and the secret lore of gurus and masters. It proceeds to contrast the manner in which these concepts, with their Biblical overtones of revelation and apocalypse, fragment to become the preserve both of religious individualists' apo

'Some texts are genuine gifts to the scholarly community ... Steven Sutcliffe's Children of the New Age is just such a work ... That Children of the New AGe provides the most subtle and informed account of the phenomena to date is to be welcomed.' - Journal of Contemporary Religion'[Sutcliffe] is objective but sympathetic, critical without being judgmental, and his text is invested with the authority that comes form personal field research and the intelligent use of public and private archives.' - The Christian Parapsychologist'Stephen Sutcliffe has provided us with a useful contribution to our knowledge of contemporary spiritualities in Children of the New Age.' - Ron Geaves'This study by Dr Sutcliffe is an insightful contribution tothe 'New Age' phenomenon that will be of real interest to libraries and individual scholars.' - Studies in World Christianity: The Edinburgh Review of Theology and Religion, Issue 9.2

Steven Sutcliffe is affiliated to the University of Stirling. He is the author of numerous journal articles on the New Age and is the co-editor, with Marion Bowman, of Beyond the New Age.