New Religious Movements in Five Minutes

New Religious Movements in Five Minutes answers all the questions usually asked about many of the newer religions that have emerged in different social, cultural and religious contexts around the world in the last two centuries. Often these movements have been viewed with suspicion and treated with prejudice. Terms with derogatory connotations, such as “cult,” have been widely used, and stories about the harmful effects on members and alleged misdeeds of their founders fill the media. Because of this specific setting, the study of new religious movements has always been a difficult subject.This book provides insight into all the conceptual issues, including questions of definition and scope of the term “new religious movements,” and gives examples of movements and the typical topics that arise when they are mentioned.br? Questions are answered in accessible, non-technical language without footnotes. The contributors to this volume are mainly from the United States, Europe, and Australia, where the study of new religious movements is a major area of interest.Because each chapter can be read in about five minutes, this book is not only an ideal supplementary resource for classes but also an engaging read for those curious about the world around them.