Synopsis
Adopting an objective stance, this book examines the teachings and practices of a wide variety of new religious groups. The first two chapters raise general issues about cults, such as definitions, statistics, evangelization tactics, issues of public concern and methods of study. Subsequent chapters deal with new religions by genre - the older minority groups, New Christian groups, Hindu and Buddhist groups, the self-religions and the New Age. Each of these chapters begins with a general discussion of the background to each type of movement and selects three representative movements for greater in-depth study.
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About the Author
George D. Chryssides is Honorary Research Fellow in Contemporary Religion at the University of Birmingham, UK.
Review
"General readers, sixth-formers and first-year university students might value it as a ground-clearing exercise prior to more detailed sociological or theological analyses."
Reviewed in Theology, September/October 2000
"This book will be invaluable in the study of NRM's [New Religious Movements], providing a wealth of data and description, alerting readers to significant approaches and issues. It is a valuable addition to the series Issues in Contemporary Religion and works admirably in that context."
Reviews in Religion and Theology 8.1 (February 2001)
"There is much to commend this work. On two accounts it excels. Firstly, as a text book, it is clear and methodical without being hard work or boring. It should establish itself as a leader in the field for a long time. Secondly, for evangelicals it offers a fresh and helpful balance to the excesses of the counter-culture movement. Chryssides never goes beyond the evidence, and is always careful to treat other religions with sensitivity from a position of knowledge, rather than ignorance." —Reviewed in Themelios 25.3 (June 2000)
"This volume will prove useful for introductory courses in the sociology of religion and on courses dealing with relatively new religious movements in general. It is packed with basic information on the founders and contexts of the emergence of groups and outlines basic teachings and practices of each."
Journal of Contemporary Religion, 16.1 (2001)
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