Exploring New ReligionsBloomsbury Publishing, 1999 M12 1 - 416 pages An objective, well-researched history of contemporary new religions and cults.New religious movements - popularly known as cults - arouse strong public opinion and most books on the subject are polemical, giving hostile reaction rather than informed exploration. Exploring New Religions provides an account of a wide variety of new religions, focusing on their origins, beliefs and practices, which are set out in a dispassionate way, leaving readers to form their own value judgements. George Chryssides provides important analysis of the killer cults-the Jonestown People's Temple, Waco, the Solar Temple and Heaven's Gate-examining the factors that made their followers willing to die for their cause. Older groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are discussed, and Chryssides traces the development of a variety of strands of spirituality, ranging from New Thought, Spiritualism and Theosophy. Subsequent chapters include the Baha'i, the Family (formerly Children of God), the Hare Krishna movement (ISKCON), the Jesus Army, the Rastafarians, the Church of Scientology, Transcendental Meditation (TM) and the Unification Church ('the Moonies'). Lower profile groups are also discussed including: EST (Erhard Seminar Training), the New Kadampa Tradition, Brahma Kumaris, Sai Baba, Subud and the Western Buddhist Order. A study of the New Age phenomenon, and an account of societal responses to new religions at religious, societal and political levels is also included. |
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Page 11
... holy city of Vrindaban some five thousand years ago . The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints insist that they are reviving the authentic Church , which became apostate through the passage of time ...
... holy city of Vrindaban some five thousand years ago . The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints insist that they are reviving the authentic Church , which became apostate through the passage of time ...
Page 22
... Holy Spirit ' . Whether the tongue - speaking of modern Pentecostalists is a revival of the original Pentecost experience described in Acts 2 is debatable . Luke's account is itself unclear as to whether the disciples ' speech was ...
... Holy Spirit ' . Whether the tongue - speaking of modern Pentecostalists is a revival of the original Pentecost experience described in Acts 2 is debatable . Luke's account is itself unclear as to whether the disciples ' speech was ...
Page 32
... Holy ( 3H ) . Additionally , there exist groups that do not relate in any obvious way to any single world religion : the Church of Scientology , for example , appears superficially to emphasize self - improvement , although ...
... Holy ( 3H ) . Additionally , there exist groups that do not relate in any obvious way to any single world religion : the Church of Scientology , for example , appears superficially to emphasize self - improvement , although ...
Page 36
... Holy Spirit dwelt . ) It had a choir and a youth group and a reputation for a healing ministry , and it proclaimed a ' social gospel ' . It was therefore understandable that it attracted a healthily growing congregation . In addition to ...
... Holy Spirit dwelt . ) It had a choir and a youth group and a reputation for a healing ministry , and it proclaimed a ' social gospel ' . It was therefore understandable that it attracted a healthily growing congregation . In addition to ...
Page 47
... , adult baptism by total immersion , and abstinence from alcohol , tobacco , tea , coffee and meat , since the Bible teaches that one's body is the Holy Spirit's ' temple ' ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ) 47 2 : THE ' SUICIDE CULTS '
... , adult baptism by total immersion , and abstinence from alcohol , tobacco , tea , coffee and meat , since the Bible teaches that one's body is the Holy Spirit's ' temple ' ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ) 47 2 : THE ' SUICIDE CULTS '
Contents
1 | |
33 | |
77 | |
4 The New Christian movements | 120 |
5 New religions in the Hindu tradition | 164 |
6 New forms of Buddhism | 204 |
7 Independent new religions | 244 |
8 The Human Potential Movement | 278 |
9 New Age witchcraft and Paganism | 315 |
10 The countercult movement | 342 |
Statistical data | 366 |
Compendium | 370 |
Bibliography | 377 |
Index | 392 |
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Common terms and phrases
anti-cult Applewhite avatar Baba Baba's Baha'i Baha'u'llah baptism became become believed Bible body Brahma Kumaris Britain Buddha Buddhism ceremony Christ Chryssides Church of Scientology claim counter-cult cult Dalai Lama death devotees Dianetics disciples divine doctrines Dorje Shugden Erhard evangelical example existence faith Family Findhorn followers founder-leader Glastonbury God's gohonzons groups Hindu Hinduism Holy human important ISKCON Jehovah's Witnesses Jesus Army Jesus Fellowship Church Jones Jonestown Jouret known Krishna latihan Latter-day Saints leader lifestyle living Maharishi mainstream Christianity Mambro mantra marriage means meditation membership messiah mind mission Mormon Nichiren Nichiren Shoshu NRMs offer one's organization original Osho physical powers Prabhupada practice priesthood problems prophet Rajneesh Rastafarians regarded relationship religion religious movements Revelation Sangharakshita sannyasins scripture sect seminars sexual Society Soka Gakkai Solar Temple soul spiritual Subud Subuh taught teachings Tibetan tradition truth Unification Church Wicca worship