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 57
Page 45
... described Jim Jones as ' Satan's slave ' and proclaimed that his community had ' no relationship to the views and teachings of any legitimate form of Christianity ' ( Chidester , 1988 ; quoted in Robbins , in 1989 , p . 119 ) ...
... described Jim Jones as ' Satan's slave ' and proclaimed that his community had ' no relationship to the views and teachings of any legitimate form of Christianity ' ( Chidester , 1988 ; quoted in Robbins , in 1989 , p . 119 ) ...
Page 48
... described in the ninth chapter of Ezekiel : Ezekiel receives a vision in which God sends a man with an ' inkhorn ' amongst his people , instructing him to put a mark on the foreheads of those who deplore the ' abominations ' that are ...
... described in the ninth chapter of Ezekiel : Ezekiel receives a vision in which God sends a man with an ' inkhorn ' amongst his people , instructing him to put a mark on the foreheads of those who deplore the ' abominations ' that are ...
Page 49
... In some circles it was believed that the Rod members themselves would carry out this slaughter . ( This event was identical with the event described in Matthew 13 , where the ' tares ' - weeds 49 2 : THE ' SUICIDE CULTS '
... In some circles it was believed that the Rod members themselves would carry out this slaughter . ( This event was identical with the event described in Matthew 13 , where the ' tares ' - weeds 49 2 : THE ' SUICIDE CULTS '
Page 51
... described his childhood as deprived ; he was academically weak , possibly dyslexic , although he was good at sports , and left school in the ninth grade . He had difficulty holding down jobs : he was variously employed in Dallas as a ...
... described his childhood as deprived ; he was academically weak , possibly dyslexic , although he was good at sports , and left school in the ninth grade . He had difficulty holding down jobs : he was variously employed in Dallas as a ...
Page 52
... of the names ' David ' and ' Cyrus ' , ' Koresh ' being the Hebrew form of the latter . What David and Cyrus have in common is that they are both described as ' anointed ' in Hebrew Scripture : to 52 EXPLORING NEW RELIGIONS.
... of the names ' David ' and ' Cyrus ' , ' Koresh ' being the Hebrew form of the latter . What David and Cyrus have in common is that they are both described as ' anointed ' in Hebrew Scripture : to 52 EXPLORING NEW RELIGIONS.
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