Cults and New Religious Movements: A Reader

Lorne L. Dawson, Editor:Lorne L. Dawson (Häftad)

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Kategori: Moderna religionsbildningar (Cn)

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What is a cult? Why do they emerge? Who joins them? And why dotragedies such as Waco and Jonestown occur? This Reader bringstogether the voices of historians, sociologists, and psychologistsof religion to address these key questions about new religiousmovements.

The volume opens with an introductory essay by the editor, andeach section is prefaced by a brief essay outlining the issues atstake, the state of current discussion, and the nature, value, andrelevance of the selected readings. The readings themselves arebroad–ranging and include coverage of topical questions, such asthe brainwashing′ controversy, sexual deviance and genderissues, and cults in cyberspace.

This collection enables readers to gain a clear understanding ofthe phenomenon of new religious movements in modern culture and toreplace prejudice and speculation with reliable insights into thenature of cult activity.