Predsednik za novo dobo: religiološka analiza Drnovškovega obrata
The New-Age President: religious aspects of Drnovšek’s transformation

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses a turnaround in the public activities of Slovenian President Janez Drnovšek who in the last two years has evolved from a typical technocratic politician into a politician with a clear mission. His earlier strict political and economic emphasis has given way to a very unambiguous social, ecological and spiritual endeavour and he has also simultaneously changed his way of acting: before he was reluctant to act publicly in any way and now all of a sudden he is intensively communicating with the public and leading all sorts of public initiatives. With his new activities he has adopted the eclectic and syncretic language of New-Age spirituality which is critical of established religious institutions and their formalised spirituality and, in turn, is offering a subjective type of spirituality and a holistic worldview. But, in spite of his radical shift towards New-Age discourse, the Slovenian President remains one of the most popular politicians. This indicates changes in the social status of the New-Age movement which during its beginnings in the late 1960s was a typical counterculture but along with its intensive popularisation its numerous ideas and practices have obviously become a legitimate part of the dominant Western culture.

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