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
Page 25
George D. Chryssides. as a vehicle to mediate the divine grace to make available the effects of Christ's redeeming work . Indeed , if counterfeit - Christian groups exist , it is all the more important to identify them and unmask them ...
George D. Chryssides. as a vehicle to mediate the divine grace to make available the effects of Christ's redeeming work . Indeed , if counterfeit - Christian groups exist , it is all the more important to identify them and unmask them ...
Page 27
... divine plan . The remedy for such backsliding is not world - renunciation , but rather a renewed fervour within one's spiritual life . Wallis cites Neo - Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Renewal Movement as examples of world ...
... divine plan . The remedy for such backsliding is not world - renunciation , but rather a renewed fervour within one's spiritual life . Wallis cites Neo - Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Renewal Movement as examples of world ...
Page 28
... divine or semi - divine being or as a saviour figure . Independent churches acknowledge Jesus as more than a historical human being , but are not allied to mainstream church councils , and often have their own idiosyncratic features ...
... divine or semi - divine being or as a saviour figure . Independent churches acknowledge Jesus as more than a historical human being , but are not allied to mainstream church councils , and often have their own idiosyncratic features ...
Page 36
... Divine's Peace Mission in Philadelphia , and borrowed several of Divine's ideas for a ministry to the dispossessed . The practice of Jones ' followers of calling him ' Dad ' was derived from Father Divine's mission . The Peoples Temple ...
... Divine's Peace Mission in Philadelphia , and borrowed several of Divine's ideas for a ministry to the dispossessed . The practice of Jones ' followers of calling him ' Dad ' was derived from Father Divine's mission . The Peoples Temple ...
Page 38
... Divine ' ( Galanter , 1979 ) . However , if Jones did say this he could hardly have been serious since his own life was contempora- neous with Father Divine's . Jones ' preaching about human justice was also accompanied by apocalyptic ...
... Divine ' ( Galanter , 1979 ) . However , if Jones did say this he could hardly have been serious since his own life was contempora- neous with Father Divine's . Jones ' preaching about human justice was also accompanied by apocalyptic ...
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