“Privatizing Enlightenment in the Re-Emergence of Religion” was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Dharma (Dec.2009, 431-444). It will be available online for the first time on July 30. The article explores the impact of spiritual leaders regulating access to spiritual teachings and guidance.

“It is increasingly common for spiritual leaders to charge money for teachings or to reserve special teachings for the elite,” explains Dr. Wood. “Interestingly, this international trend is occurring during a time in which progressively more people are seeking spiritual guidance.”

The implications of privatization are illustrated through in-depth comparisons of Eckhart Tolle and Mark H. Pritchard “Belzebuub.” “The two were chosen because one could argue that they have strikingly similar teachings, but that they differ with regard to privatization,” explains Dr. Wood in the article.

Readers will also be able to view the studies, which were cited in the article, on the similarities between Eckhart Tolle’s (2005) “A New Earth” and Belzebuub’s (2001, 2002) “Searching Within: A Nine Week Course” and “The Journey to Enlightenment: A Nine Week Course.”

In addition to the contemporary examples of Tolle and Belzebuub, the article examines examples from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and other religions. “Examples of well-known figures such as Jesus Christ and Buddha indicate that spiritual teachings are divinely inspired, given for the sake of all humanity, rather than for just the wealthy or elite,” says Dr. Wood.

The article concludes by considering the practical implications of this trend and by addressing questions such as the following:
* Is there justification for privatizing spiritual teachings?
* Does the choice to privatize affect how spiritual leaders present their teachings?
* Is it accurate to call privatized teachings “spiritual?”

Starting July 30, 2010 the full-text article will be available online, courtesy of the Journal of Dharma. Readers can also view the studies comparing Tolle and Belzebuub on the website:

https://sites.google.com/a/cnu.edu/gabrielle-wood/ .

More Information:

Dr. Gabrielle Wood, psychologist, lectures on leadership studies at Christopher Newport University. Her research focuses on positive leadership approaches, with an emphasis on authentic and spiritual leadership. More information can be found here: https://sites.google.com/a/cnu.edu/gabrielle-wood/researcherprofile .

The Journal of Dharma is an international, peer-reviewed Journal of Religions and Philosophies, published by the Centre for the Study of World Religions of the Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore, India.

News Source: Dr. Gabrielle M. Wood :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Experts estimate that people spend billions of US dollars each year on CDs, DVDs, lectures, retreats, and products that will help them to develop spiritually. Turning to independent spiritual leaders, such as Eckhart Tolle, for guidance on religious matters is a rising trend.

Without the formal structure of traditional religions, there is no agency responsible for handling concerns that arise with these spiritual leaders. Concerns about similarities between “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” and the writings of Mark Pritchard “Belzebuub” surfaced shortly after Oprah Winfrey selected A New Earth for her Book Club in 2008.

“The concerns were never formally addressed, and considering how many people use the book, a systematic comparison of the texts was a logical starting point,” says Dr. Gabrielle Wood, psychologist and expert in leadership studies.

A research team conducted systematic comparisons of texts, Web sites, and other material of the two spiritual leaders. Experts, with backgrounds in Religious Studies and Philosophy, assessed the degree and nature of similarities.

Included in the comparisons was Tolle’s ten-week webcast seminar, co-hosted with Oprah Winfrey in 2008. The webinar was compared to two of Belzebuub’s nine-week online courses.

A New Earth was compared to Belzebuub’s electronic books “Searching Within: A Nine Week Course” (2001) and “The Journey to Enlightenment: A Nine Week Course” (2002). Both of Belzebuub’s books were available freely online through 2005, after which they became available in print.

The courses appear arguably similar in structure. The analysis of their writings revealed over 700 pairs of comparable quotes. Experts rated the degree of similarity in these quotes using a five-point rating scale, and 214 pairs of quotes received ratings of “Highly Similar” or “Similar.”

Results and examples from the study have been published online at https://sites.google.com/a/cnu.edu/gabrielle-wood/strikingsimilarities as of June 28, 2010.

About the Researcher:

Dr. Gabrielle Wood lectures on leadership studies at Christopher Newport University. Her research focuses on positive leadership approaches, with an emphasis on authentic and spiritual leadership. She has extensive research experience and expertise in research methodologies. More information can be found here: https://sites.google.com/a/cnu.edu/gabrielle-wood/researcherprofile .

News Source: Gabrielle Wood :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.