I can't remember the name of an obscure religion

November 22, 2009 7:19 PM

Can't remember the name of a particular obscure religion. Or maybe it is just a philosophy? I know it ends with "ism" and includes the name of the founder, perhaps? Can't remember any other details. :(

Any ideas?

posted by ascetic to Religion & Philosophy (23 answers total)

Many religions fall into that category. Maybe if you scan the list on The Ross Institute's site you'll find the religion you're asking about?
posted by necessitas at 7:22 PM on November 22, 2009

Zoroastrianism?
posted by pinky at 7:22 PM on November 22, 2009

Jainism? Sufism? Zoroastrianism?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:22 PM on November 22, 2009

Response by poster: I believe the first name of the founder is 'John'.
posted by ascetic at 7:23 PM on November 22, 2009

Is it one of these?
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:24 PM on November 22, 2009

I'm suspecting Jainism, but you can look at Wikipedia's list of religions and do a find for "John." I did, and only came up with two cults.
posted by wackybrit at 7:24 PM on November 22, 2009

the Raelians, maybe?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:25 PM on November 22, 2009

Calvinism? Not a religion, but his name was John.
posted by hattifattener at 7:27 PM on November 22, 2009

John Frum-ism?
posted by infinitewindow at 7:37 PM on November 22, 2009

Discordianism?
posted by jeffamaphone at 7:48 PM on November 22, 2009

Confucianism?
posted by jeffamaphone at 7:48 PM on November 22, 2009

Dudeism?
posted by Theloupgarou at 7:50 PM on November 22, 2009 [1 favorite]

Can you tell us anything at all about the religion? "I'm looking for a religion that's a name plus ism" is not a query that anybody can respond to other than by guessing random faiths.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:11 PM on November 22, 2009 [2 favorites]

Bokononism?
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 8:19 PM on November 22, 2009 [3 favorites]

Gurdjieffism?
posted by cosmac at 8:19 PM on November 22, 2009

Swedenborgianism?
posted by silby at 8:22 PM on November 22, 2009

Ahem.

Asceticism?

Is... is your name John?
posted by aparrish at 8:23 PM on November 22, 2009 [4 favorites]

The Mandeans follow John the Baptist...
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 8:25 PM on November 22, 2009

Are you thinking of the John Frum cargo cult?
posted by piro at 8:38 PM on November 22, 2009

Muggletonianism? Not that it's very likely (Lodowicke not likely to be misremembered as John), but a snippet of info you rarely get to chuck in there with any relevance.
posted by Abiezer at 8:45 PM on November 22, 2009

Yeah, I'm guessing you mean Calvinism, which is more on the fence between philosophy and religion than your run of the mill Christianity - well, it's basically your run of the mill Christianity + determinism.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:07 PM on November 22, 2009

Asceticism?

Otherwise this seems like a troll.
posted by proj at 9:19 PM on November 22, 2009

You're looking for the Glasites; known as the Sandemanians in the United States. The sect was founded by John Glas in 1730. Glasitism was kind of like Calvinism, but more extreme.

They disapprove of all lotteries and games of chance. Michael Faraday is an example of a prominent Glasite.
posted by mr_roboto at 9:43 PM on November 22, 2009