Cults and New Religions: A Brief History (Wiley Blackwell Brief Histories of Religion)

This Unparalleled Introduction To Cults And New Religious Movements Has Been Completely Up-dated And Expanded To Reflect The Latest Developments; Each Chapter Reviews The Origins, Leaders, Beliefs, Rituals And Practices Of A Nrm, Highlighting The Specific Controversies Surrounding Each Group. A Fully Updated, Revised And Expanded Edition Of An Unparalleled Introduction To Cults And New Religious Movements. Profiles A Number Of The Most Visible, Significant, And Controversial New Religious Movements, Presenting Each Group's History, Doctrines, Rituals, Leadership, And Organization. Offers A Discussion Of The Major Controversies In Which New Religious Movements Have Been Involved, Using Each Profiled Group To Illustrate The Nature Of One Of Those Controversies. Covers Debates Including What Constitutes An Authentic Religion, The Validity Of Claims Of Brainwashing Techniques, The Implications Of Experimentation With Unconventional Sexual Practices, And The Deeply Rooted Cultural Fears That Cults Engender. New Sections Include Methods Of Studying New Religions In Each Chapter As Well As Presentations On 'groups To Watch'-- An Overview Of The Development Of New Religions And The Controversies Surrounding Them In Late Modern Society-- 1. Cults And New Religions : A Primer -- The Range Of New Religious Movements -- Controversy And The Popular Perception Of New Religious Movements -- 2. The Church Of Scientology : The Question Of Religion -- L. Ron Hubbard And The Origins Of Scientology -- Beliefs And Practices Of The Church Of Scientology -- The Organizational Structure Of The Church Of Scientology -- Researching Scientology -- 3. Transcendental Mediation : The Questions Of Science And Therapy -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi And The Arrival Of Transcendental Meditation -- Beliefs And Practices Of Transcendental Meditation -- The Growth And Development Of Transcendental Meditation -- Researching Transcendental Meditation -- 4. Ramtha And The New Age : The Question Of Dangerous Cult -- Who Is Jz Knight And Who Is Ramtha? -- History And Development Of Ramtha's School Of Enlightenment -- Beliefs And Practices Of Ramtha's School Of Enlightenment -- Rse And The Question Of The Dangerous Cult -- Researching Ramtha --^ 5. The Unification Church/the Family Federation : The Brainwashing/deprogramming Controversy -- Sun Myung Moon : Savior From The East -- Doctrinal Beliefs And Ritual Practices Of The Unification Church -- The Growth And Organization Of The Unification Church Outside Of Korea -- Brainwashing, Deprogramming, And The Unification Church -- Researching The Unification Church -- 6. The Children Of God/the Family International : The Issue Of Sexuality -- Mo : David Berg And The Origins Of The Children Of God -- Social Organization Of The Children Of God/the Family -- Beliefs, Rituals, And Practices Of The Children Of God/the Family -- The Children Of God/the Family And The Issue Of Sexuality -- Researching The Children Of God/the Family -- 7. The Branch Davidians : The Question Of Cults, Media, And Violence, Part I -- The Historical Development Of The Branch Davidians -- Beliefs And Practices Of The Branch Davidians Under David Koresh -- The Siege At Waco And The Problem Of Mass Media --^ Researching The Branch Davidians -- 8. Heaven's Gate : The Question Of Cults And Violence, Part Ii -- Ti, Do, And The Origins Of Heaven's Gate -- Beliefs And Practices Of Heaven's Gate -- Recruitment And Social Organization In Heaven's Gate -- The Evolutionary Level Above Humans : New Religions, Violence, And The Media -- Researching Heaven's Gate -- 9. Wicca And Witchcraft : Confronting Age-old Cultural Fears -- Gerald Gardner And The Origins Of Modern Witchcraft -- Social Organization And Development Of Modern Witchcraft And Wicca -- Beliefs, Rituals And Practices Of Modern Witchcraft And Wicca -- Satanic Panic : The Legacy Of Religious Cult Fears -- Researching Modern Paganism -- 10. Rethinking Cults : The Significance Of New Religious Movements -- Two Perspectives : Cults Versus New Religious Movements -- New Religions As Experimental Faiths. Douglas E. Cowan, Renison College, University Of Waterloo And David G. Bromley, Virginia Commonwealth University. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Title Page......Page 5 Copyright Page......Page 6 Contents......Page 9 Preface to the Second Edition......Page 12 List of Text Boxes......Page 14 Chapter 1 Cults and New Religions......Page 17 The Range of New Religious Movements......Page 21 Controversy and the Popular Perception of New Religious Movements......Page 27 Further Reading on New Religious Movements......Page 33 Chapter 2 The Church of Scientology: The Question of Religion......Page 34 L. Ron Hubbard and the Origins of Scientology......Page 36 Beliefs and Practices of the Church of Scientology......Page 39 The Organizational Structure of the Church of Scientology......Page 43 The Church of Scientology and the Question of Religion......Page 47 Researching Scientology......Page 51 Further Reading on the Church of Scientology......Page 53 Chapter 3 Transcendental Meditation: The Questions of Science and Therapy......Page 54 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Arrival of Transcendental Meditation......Page 56 Beliefs and Practices of Transcendental Meditation......Page 58 The Growth and Development of Transcendental Meditation......Page 64 Transcendental Meditation: The Questions of Science and Therapy......Page 68 Researching Transcendental Meditation......Page 72 Further Reading on Transcendental Meditation......Page 74 Chapter 4 Ramtha and the New Age: The Question of “Dangerous Cult”......Page 75 Who Is JZ Knight and Who Is Ramtha?......Page 77 History and Development of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment......Page 81 Beliefs and Practices of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment......Page 83 RSE and the Question of the ‘Dangerous Cult’......Page 86 Researching Ramtha......Page 91 Further Reading on the New Age Movement......Page 93 Chapter 5 The Unification Church/The Family Federation: The Brainwashing/Deprogramming Controversy......Page 94 Sun Myung Moon: Savior from the East......Page 95 Doctrinal Beliefs and Ritual Practices of the Unification Church......Page 100 The Growth and Organization of the Unification Church outside Korea......Page 105 Brainwashing, Deprogramming, and the Unification Church......Page 108 Researching the Unification Church......Page 112 Further Reading on the Unification Church......Page 114 Chapter 6 The Children of God/The Family International: The Issue of Sexuality......Page 115 Mo: David Berg and the Origins of the Children of God......Page 117 Social Organization of the Children of God/The Family......Page 121 Beliefs, Rituals, and Practices of the Children of God/The Family......Page 125 The Children of God/The Family and the Issue of Sexuality......Page 129 Researching the Children of God/The Family......Page 134 Further Reading on the Children of God/The Family......Page 135 Chapter 7 The Branch Davidians: The Question of Cults, Media, and Violence – Part I......Page 136 The Historical Development of the Branch Davidians......Page 137 Victor and Florence Houteff (1929–1959)......Page 138 Benjamin and Lois Roden (1962–1989)......Page 140 David Koresh (1989–1993)......Page 142 Beliefs and Practices of the Branch Davidians under David Koresh......Page 144 The Siege at Waco and the Problem of Mass Media......Page 147 Researching the Branch Davidians......Page 154 Further Reading on the Branch Davidians......Page 155 Chapter 8 Heaven’s Gate: The Question of Cults and Violence – Part II......Page 157 Ti, Do, and the Origins of Heaven’s Gate......Page 158 Beliefs and Practices of Heaven’s Gate......Page 161 Recruitment and Social Organization in Heaven’s Gate......Page 166 The Evolutionary Level Above Human: New Religions, Violence, and the Media......Page 169 Researching Heaven’s Gate......Page 173 Further Reading on UFO Groups......Page 176 Chapter 9 Wicca and Witchcraft: Confronting Age-old Cultural Fears......Page 177 Gerald Gardner and the Origins of Modern Witchcraft......Page 178 Social Organization and Development of Modern Witchcraft and Wicca......Page 182 Beliefs, Rituals, and Practices of Modern Witchcraft and Wicca......Page 186 Satanic Panic: The Legacy of Religious Cult Fears......Page 190 Researching Modern Paganism......Page 193 Further Reading on Wicca and Witchcraft......Page 196 Chapter 10 Rethinking Cults: The Significance of New Religious Movements......Page 197 The cult stereotype......Page 200 NRMs as new religions......Page 208 New Religions as Experimental Faiths......Page 213 Further Reading on New Religious Movements......Page 219 References......Page 220 Index......Page 241 EULA......Page 246