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 10
... term ' NRM ' , and to continue to study the cluster of groups to which it refers . First , this cluster of groups has emerged to a large degree from controversies in western society in recent times , and it is an important duty of ...
... term ' NRM ' , and to continue to study the cluster of groups to which it refers . First , this cluster of groups has emerged to a large degree from controversies in western society in recent times , and it is an important duty of ...
Page 11
... term in academic circles , signals three key components : ' new ' , ' religious ' and ' move- ment ' . Each of these elements requires some comment . New First of all , ' new ' . As I have already mentioned , some of the so - called new ...
... term in academic circles , signals three key components : ' new ' , ' religious ' and ' move- ment ' . Each of these elements requires some comment . New First of all , ' new ' . As I have already mentioned , some of the so - called new ...
Page 12
... 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 category is whether it arose in recent times as an ...
... 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 category is whether it arose in recent times as an ...
Page 13
... term ' new ' to the post - Second World War period entails that subsequent generations of scholars will be obliged to redefine the term . Post - Second World War will no longer be ' new ' in two centuries ' time , when one imagines even ...
... term ' new ' to the post - Second World War period entails that subsequent generations of scholars will be obliged to redefine the term . Post - Second World War will no longer be ' new ' in two centuries ' time , when one imagines even ...
Page 14
... terms with key events in their lives , for example , by rites of passage and by doctrinal explanations about matters such as suffering and death . Another approach to defining religion is to consider the characteristic forms religion ...
... terms with key events in their lives , for example , by rites of passage and by doctrinal explanations about matters such as suffering and death . Another approach to defining religion is to consider the characteristic forms religion ...
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