Visioning New and Minority Religions by Gallagher, Eugene;

Short description:

Offering an assesment of the state-of-the-field of the study of NRMs, this book considers the analytical tools for the study of new or minority religions and draws on the perspectives of diverse academic disciplines. Its essays focus on individual groups in a variety of geographical settings and review the past of particular groups in order to extrapolate future developments. They cover new religions that have persisted well past the first generation, such as the Mormon Church, the Christian Scientists, and the Jehovah's Witnesses, and groups with comparatively shorter histories such as various forms of contemporary Paganism, Soka Gakkai, and the Diamond Way Buddhist group.

Long description:

Rather than being ephemeral fads, new religious movements (NRMs) have always been and will always be with us. So will their study. Offering an assessment of the state-of-the-field of the study of NRMs, Visioning New and Minority Religions begins by considering the analytical tools for the study of new or minority religions, drawing on the perspectives of diverse academic disciplines. The second part focuses on individual groups in a variety of geographical settings. Chapters in this section review the histories of particular groups in order to extrapolate future developments. They cover new religions that have persisted well past the first generation, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Christian Scientists, and groups with comparatively shorter histories, such as various forms of contemporary Paganism, Soka Gakkai, and the Diamond Way Buddhist group. This volume will be of interest to scholars from across religious studies and sociology, as well as members of new and minority religious groups and those in "cult watching" groups.

Table of Contents:

Part 1. Theoretical Perspectives on New and Minority Religions

1. Introduction: Projecting the Future for New and Minority Religions Eugene V. Gallagher

2. The Changing Scene: What Might Happen and What Might Be Less Likely to Happen? Eileen Barker

3. ?The Silent Majority?? Understanding Apostate Testimony Beyond ?Insider / Outsider? Binaries in the Study of New Religions Stephen E. Gregg & George D. Chryssides

4. Scholarship on Seekership: Explaining Traffic In and Out of New Religions Steven J. Sutcliffe

5. Economies of Love and Squalor: Fraud and Deception in Religious Milieus Amanda van Eck Duymaer van Twist

6. No Leader, No Followers: The Internet and the End of Charisma? Beth Singler

7. A Guaranteed Future for New Religious Movements Eugene V. Gallagher

8. The Changing Face of Contemporary Paganism in Britain Vivianne Crowley

9. You Can?t Smash the Internet: A Historical Analysis of the LDS Church?s Negotiation of Technology and How the Internet has Changed the Rules of the Game Jessica Finnigan

10. From Japanese Buddhist Sect to Global Citizenship: Soka Gakkai Past and Future Anne Mette Fisker-Nielsen

11. Christian Scientists: Has-Beens or 21st Century Spiritual Pioneers? Robin Harragin and Tony Lobl

12. Anticipating the Future: The Growth of Practice-Oriented Spiritualities Erin Johnston

13. Pop Culture ? a New Source of Spirituality? Pavol Kosnáč

14. A Neo-Orthodox Buddhist Movement in Transition: The Diamond Way B Scherer