movements to consider. Reflexive individuals have to decide for themselves which cult, sect, denomination or church, or which New Age beliefs to follow (if any Religions offer 'a return of the repressed, since they directly address issues of the moral meaning of existence which modern institutions so thoroughly tend to dissolve' (1991, p. 207) FORMATION OF A COLLECTIVE IDENTITY Roland Robertson links the search for meaning to the formation of collective identity in a globalised world. The globalisation of culture and threats to national autonomy have created a need for nations "to produce their own unique accounts of their places in world history' (1991, p. 290). This is one of the reasons behind the "religion-state tensions and the politiciza tion of religion' which have become a familiar feature of global relations (1992, p. 43). Religion aids cultural revitalisation and serves as a vehicle for nations to express their distinctive national identity, defining them in relation to the rest of the world. Religion's role in this regard has been especially important in coun- tries outside Europe, such as Iran and Japan. This