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 66
Page 14
... course , but one which commands less importance in the other major world traditions . Even in Christianity , despite its history of creeds , confessions and definitions of orthodoxy and heresy , most if not all - Christians would agree ...
... course , but one which commands less importance in the other major world traditions . Even in Christianity , despite its history of creeds , confessions and definitions of orthodoxy and heresy , most if not all - Christians would agree ...
Page 17
... course ; the Unification Church is now less interested in membership than in persuading couples who may or may not be members to undergo the marriage Blessing . However , in sociological terms , there is a tendency towards ...
... course ; the Unification Church is now less interested in membership than in persuading couples who may or may not be members to undergo the marriage Blessing . However , in sociological terms , there is a tendency towards ...
Page 19
... course they would still classify themselves as ' Christian ' ) , since they consider all the mainstream churches to be in serious error . As I have already mentioned , the Soka Gakkai is often regarded as an inauthentic form of Buddhism ...
... course they would still classify themselves as ' Christian ' ) , since they consider all the mainstream churches to be in serious error . As I have already mentioned , the Soka Gakkai is often regarded as an inauthentic form of Buddhism ...
Page 21
... course , a second generation arises , and , as time goes on , the proportion of first - generation converts declines . This has already happened in the case of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses , and we are beginning to see this in ...
... course , a second generation arises , and , as time goes on , the proportion of first - generation converts declines . This has already happened in the case of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses , and we are beginning to see this in ...
Page 24
... course , about such a typology is that , apart from obvious disasters such as the Peoples Temple , the Waco community , the Solar Temple and Heaven's Gate , the question of whether an NRM is destructive or beneficial is subjective to a ...
... course , about such a typology is that , apart from obvious disasters such as the Peoples Temple , the Waco community , the Solar Temple and Heaven's Gate , the question of whether an NRM is destructive or beneficial is subjective to 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