David G. Bromley - Böcker

Since its inception around 1970, the study of New Religious Movements (NRMs) has gradually evolved into an established multidisciplinary area of study. In this volume, a group of senior NRM scholars who have been instrumental in the development of the field offer essays that present the basics of NRM scholarship along with guidance for teachers on classroom use. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the volume provides comprehensive, accessible information and perspectives on NRMs. It is an invaluable guide for instructors navigating this scholarly minefield.

The current controversy surrounding new religions has brought to the forefront the role of apostates. These individuals leave highly controversial movements and assume roles in other organizations as public opponents against their former movements. This volume examines the motivations of the apostates, how they are recruited and play out their roles, the kinds of narratives they construct to discredit their previous groups, and the impact of apostasy on the outcome of conflicts between movements and society.

This explores the question of when and why violence by and against new religious cults erupts and whether and how such dramatic conflicts can be foreseen, managed and averted. The authors, leading international experts on religious movements and violent behavior, focus on the four major episodes of cult violence during the last decade: the tragic conflagration that engulfed the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas; the deadly sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo; the murder-suicides by the Solar Temple in Switzerland and Canada; and the collective suicide by the members of Heaven's Gate. They explore the dynamics leading to these dramatic episodes in North America, Europe, and Asia, and offer insights into the general relationship between violence and religious cults in contemporary society. The authors conclude that these events usually involve some combination of internal and external dynamics through which a new religious movement and society become polarized.

This explores the question of when and why violence by and against new religious cults erupts and whether and how such dramatic conflicts can be foreseen, managed and averted. The authors, leading international experts on religious movements and violent behavior, focus on the four major episodes of cult violence during the last decade: the tragic conflagration that engulfed the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas; the deadly sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo; the murder-suicides by the Solar Temple in Switzerland and Canada; and the collective suicide by the members of Heaven's Gate. They explore the dynamics leading to these dramatic episodes in North America, Europe, and Asia, and offer insights into the general relationship between violence and religious cults in contemporary society. The authors conclude that these events usually involve some combination of internal and external dynamics through which a new religious movement and society become polarized.

The study of the basis of "authenticity" of any religious tradition is one which has been seemingly neglected by secular, western scholars. Those beliefs and practices deemed "sacred" are assumed to have authenticity, at least by the adherents of the tradition. Also, to many who are not adherents of the tradition, some of the beliefs and practices may appear irrational, foolish or even wicked. This volume addresses this issue, examining the "criteria in use" by both secular and religious groups for deciding on the authenticity of religious beliefs, experiences and practices. Part I of this volume consists of three papers that examine how the insitution of the state has been, and is, active in resolving conflicting claims of authenticity. Parallels are drawn between contemporary reactions to Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasrim and the early Medinans who were executed for making jokes about Mohammed. Part II consists of four papers dealing with "authentication" as the process by which three religious groups have sought to define and enforce the legitimate boundaries of an established tradition. Chapters examine the stresses between a Mormon intellectual community and the hierarchical tradition of the church; the contrast between the authentication practice of Old Order Mennonite and Unitarian-Universalist congregations; and the emergence of an evangelical coalition growing out of American fundamentalism. Part III is a set of four case studies each focusing on a "revitalization" movement, whilst Part IV deals with two non-Western traditions - Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. The final section of the book consists of an analysis by Anson Shupe of the processes by which faith in traditional religious institutions is undermined when trust of adherents is betrayed - either through sexual or monetary exploitation. This book explains how governments become involved in mediating religious disputes, how established traditions deal with deviation from orthodoxy and how followers of repressed traditions go about rediscovery of these traditions. It is hoped that this volume will stimulate further examination of how individuals judge authenticity in their religious attachments and how religious traditions develop ways of thinking about and managing claims about other traditions.

"Religion on the Internet" is the first systematic inquiry into the nature, scope and content of religion in cyberspace. Contributors to this volume include leading social scientists engaged in systematic studies of how organizations and individuals are presenting religion on the Internet. Their combined efforts provide a conceptual mapping of religion in cyberspace at this moment. The individual papers and collective insights found in this volume add up to a valuable agenda of research that will enrich understanding of this new phenomenon. Among the contributors are the founders of three of the most important scholarly religion web sites on the Internet: American Religion Data Archive, Religious Tolerance, and Religious Movements Homepage. "Religion and the Internet" is essential reading for all who seek to understand how religion is being presented on the Internet and how this topic is likely to unfold in the years ahead.

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 movementsProfiles a number of the most visible, significant, and controversial new religious movements, presenting each group’s history, doctrines, rituals, leadership, and organizationOffers 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 controversiesCovers 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 engenderNew sections include methods of studying new religions in each chapter as well as presentations on ‘groups to watch’

Religion and the Social Order

Religion and the Social Order