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 vii
... new religious movements . I should therefore like to express my thanks to the following : Bill and June Thompstone , Stephen Morris ( Jehovah's Witnesses ) , Bryan Grant and John Burton ( Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints ) ...
... new religious movements . I should therefore like to express my thanks to the following : Bill and June Thompstone , Stephen Morris ( Jehovah's Witnesses ) , Bryan Grant and John Burton ( Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints ) ...
Page ix
... new religious movements ( NRMs ) that are covered in this volume has proved to be quite an ambitious task . Not only is the subject matter complex , but NRMs are volatile , and it is likely that , even before this book reaches the ...
... new religious movements ( NRMs ) that are covered in this volume has proved to be quite an ambitious task . Not only is the subject matter complex , but NRMs are volatile , and it is likely that , even before this book reaches the ...
Page x
... NRMs ' founder - leaders are pieces of modern hagiography , but discussing their claims to be historical truth would be distracting as well as irrelevant to my aims . I have tried to ... New religious movements ( NRMs ) is X INTRODUCTION.
... NRMs ' founder - leaders are pieces of modern hagiography , but discussing their claims to be historical truth would be distracting as well as irrelevant to my aims . I have tried to ... New religious movements ( NRMs ) is X INTRODUCTION.
Page 1
George D. Chryssides. 1. Methodological issues New religious movements ( NRMs ) is a topic on which there are many opinions , but fewer reliable sources . Until the 1970s there was virtually no serious academic study of the phenomenon ...
George D. Chryssides. 1. Methodological issues New religious movements ( NRMs ) is a topic on which there are many opinions , but fewer reliable sources . Until the 1970s there was virtually no serious academic study of the phenomenon ...
Page 2
... NRMs . Their treatment acknowledges NRMs ' existence as an interesting societal phenomenon , but remains neutral on the question of whether the beliefs and practices of these religious minorities are themselves worthy of study from a ...
... NRMs . Their treatment acknowledges NRMs ' existence as an interesting societal phenomenon , but remains neutral on the question of whether the beliefs and practices of these religious minorities are themselves worthy of study from a ...
Contents
1 | |
33 | |
3 The old new religions | 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