Paths of Legitimation – New Religious Movements in Israel

New religious movements (NRMs) are hardly “new” and by now have established themselves in various shapes and forms in different countries. This establishment, however, was often fraught with tensions and confrontations, especially when the movements were depicted as foreign elements of “cults.” The existence (or, persistence) of NRMs in Israel is particularly interesting due to its rather unique lack of church-state separation and the confluence of religion, nationalism underscoring the “Jewish state,” limitations of non-Orthodox Jewish religions to recruit members and “anti-cult” legislature. Following Beckford’s description of NRM as “social and cultural laboratories where experiments in ideas, feelings and social relations are carried out” (1986: xv), we study the establishment of these movements in Israel. Both the presence and the marginality, or the liminality, we argue, tell something about contemporary questions of church, society and state. In this work we explore two strategies that enabled the movements in Israel to become accepted by state and society, or at least minimize rejection and opposition to their presence. The first, based on a republican concept of citizenship, included the adoption of Zionist ideology and taking part in settlement and military service. The second, fits well with more current neo-liberal trends, offers paths to economic advancement and social mobilization through education and ethos of success.