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. |
From inside the book
Results 6-10 of 86
Page 12
... claims to authenticity , it is preferable that the term ' NRM ' should be defined in such a way as to avoid adjudicating on these delicate matters . What is crucial , therefore , in deciding whether or not an organization belongs to the ...
... claims to authenticity , it is preferable that the term ' NRM ' should be defined in such a way as to avoid adjudicating on these delicate matters . What is crucial , therefore , in deciding whether or not an organization belongs to the ...
Page 16
... claim to a religious identity can be found by examining its ultimate aims . If the Unification Church were only attempting to secure the triumph of democracy over communism , then it would indeed be nothing more than a political ...
... claim to a religious identity can be found by examining its ultimate aims . If the Unification Church were only attempting to secure the triumph of democracy over communism , then it would indeed be nothing more than a political ...
Page 17
... claim that probably only the Baha'i faith would wish to make about itself . Other organizations such as est and Transcendental Meditation would wish to claim that they were not religions at all . An expression such as ' new forms of ...
... claim that probably only the Baha'i faith would wish to make about itself . Other organizations such as est and Transcendental Meditation would wish to claim that they were not religions at all . An expression such as ' new forms of ...
Page 18
... claiming that they are not authentic forms of the mainstream religion to which many of them claim to belong . For the ... claim respectively that Joseph Smith received a new revelation of Jesus Christ , and that the new messiahs are now ...
... claiming that they are not authentic forms of the mainstream religion to which many of them claim to belong . For the ... claim respectively that Joseph Smith received a new revelation of Jesus Christ , and that the new messiahs are now ...
Page 19
... claim to draw on mainstream traditions - Hinduism and Buddhism in the case of Scientology ( Church of Scientology , 1994 , p . xxvii ) . The fact that they are ' free - standing ' and hence lack a specific religious identity contributes ...
... claim to draw on mainstream traditions - Hinduism and Buddhism in the case of Scientology ( Church of Scientology , 1994 , p . xxvii ) . The fact that they are ' free - standing ' and hence lack a specific religious identity contributes ...
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