Contemporary non-Christian and para-Christian cults and sects Books

Book Synopsis2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime“A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” (The Boston Globe)—the definitive story of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre, the largest murder-suicide in American history, by the New York Times bestselling author of Manson.In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness. In this riveting narrative, Jeff Guinn examines Jones’s life, from his early days as an idealistic minister to a secret life of extramarital affairs, drug use, and fraudulent faith healing, before the fateful decision to move almost a thousand of his followers to a settlement in the jungles of Guyana in South America. Guinn provides stunning new details of the events leading to the fatal day in November, 1978 when more than nine hundred people died—including almost three hundred infants and children—after being ordered to swallow a cyanide-laced drink. Guinn examined thousands of pages of FBI files on the case, including material released during the course of his research. He traveled to Jones’s Indiana hometown, where he spoke to people never previously interviewed, and uncovered fresh information from Jonestown survivors. He even visited the Jonestown site with the same pilot who flew there the day that Congressman Leo Ryan was murdered on Jones’s orders. The Road to Jonestown is “the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it…The result is a disturbing portrait of evil—and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’s malign charisma” (San Francisco Chronicle).Trade Review“I have to say that it is weird to find out the background of things that I grew up hearing about around the dinner table. The level of research and detail in The Road to Jonestown is the best ever, and really lets readers understand not only what happened, but how and why. This book tells the Jim Jones story better than anything I have read to date.” -- Jim Jones, Jr.“Jeff Guinn offers what might be the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it. . . . The result is a disturbing portrait of evil — and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’ malign charisma.” -- Kevin Canfield * The San Francisco Chronicle *"A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey. . . . Generates a bizarre — dare I say Manson-like? — magnetic force that pulls the reader through its many pages. Noir thriller morphs into horror story." -- Dan Cryer * The Boston Globe *"Magisterial. . . . Guinn's exhaustive research, shrewd analysis, and engaging prose illuminate a monstrous yet tragic figure--and the motives of those who lost their souls to him." * Publishers Weekly *"A vivid, fascinating revisitation of a time and series of episodes fast receding into history even as their forgotten survivors still walk among us." * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"A powerful account of Jones's life. . . . Guinn's blow-by-blow account of Jonestown's final days in the book's last chapters is riveting." * BookPage *

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Book SynopsisAliens, nuclear war and talking dolphins; this book is a study of the weird and wonderful world of the PosadistsTrade Review'Under the grim pressures of 20th century history, and now climate change, Gittlitz shows how explosions of black political humour also contain utopian hopes very necessary to keep alive. As an advocate of Partially Automated Adequate Socialism I can only agree, and applaud this fine addition to leftist history' -- Kim Stanley Robinson, award-winning author of the Mars Trilogy'While Posadism is often treated as a political curiosity, quickly set aside, Gittlitz skillfully paints J. Posadas and his followers in all their depth and complexity: paranoid, idealistic, cultish, fractious, bizarre, proud, far-reaching dreamers. In their bizarre, sometimes revolutionary own ways, they fought for a more just world, one that could finally join the ranks of a far more advanced fraternity awaiting them in the galaxy' -- Anna Merlan, author of 'Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power''An absolute treat. As well as a brilliantly researched biography of Posadas, and a very witty one, it does far more than lampoon him. Rather, it uses his story (and its legendarisation in meme culture) to provide really valuable reflection on revolutionary hope, cults, and the role of irony and despair in the millennial-left milieu' -- David Broder, author of 'First They Took Rome: How the Populist Right Conquered Italy''This book has it all: Trotskyist drama, South American revolutions and aliens from inner and outer space. What's not to like?' -- McKenzie Wark, author of 'Capital Is Dead: Is This Something Worse?''A provocative and clear-eyed account of communist lunacy, its costs, and why we might need it anyway' -- Malcolm Harris, author of 'Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials''I Want to Believe is most compelling in its consideration of how Posadist ideals live on today, beyond the meme-centric irony and vaporwave aesthetics of the extremely online left' -- Baffler'Gittlitz has recovered an unlikely left-wing hero for these febrile times... and is an able navigator through the ensuing alphabet soup of Trotskyist organisations he travels through' -- Morning Star'Gittlitz does so well in weaving the life of Posadas with the enclosed parallel universe of Trotskyism he created' -- Socialist Resistance'If you find yourself afflicted by capitalist realism, a dip into I Want to Believe and the world of Posadism might be just the thing for you' -- Social Review'There is no reason the left shouldn’t engage in the occasional indulgence of UFOwatching alongside the hard work of organising' -- Dawn Foster‘A cautionary political tale of a radical post-war tendency marked by zealous fanaticism, an enigmatic insurgent horizon caught between utopia and annihilation and the cruellest of gaps separating sincere revolutionary desire and delusional irrelevance’ -- ‘ROAR’Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: THE TRAGIC CENTURY 1. Commentaries on the Infancy of Comrade Posadas 2. Revolutionary Youth or Patriotic Youth? 3. The Death Throes of Capitalism 4. The Origins of Posadism 5. Where are we Going? PART II: THE POSADIST FOURTH INTERNATIONAL 6. The Flying International 7. The Role of Anti-Imperialist and Revolutionary Militants, the Role of Trotskyists, the Program, and Tasks During and After the Atomic War 8. The Macabre Farce of the Supposed Death of Guevara 9. Flying Saucers, the Process of Matter and Energy, Science, the Revolutionary and Working-Class Struggle, and the Socialist Future of Mankind 10. The Accident 11. Hombrecitos 12. Volver 13. What Exists Cannot Be True 14. Arrival of Comrade Homerita to the House PART III: NEO-POSADISM 15. Historical Sincerity 16. Why Don’t Extraterrestrials Make Public Contact? 17. UFOs to the People 18. On the Function of the Joke and Irony in History Timeline Notes Index

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Book SynopsisJenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org—the church's highest ministry, speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.In this tell-all memoir, complete with family photographs from her time in the Church, Jenna Miscavige Hill, a prominent critic of Scientology who now helps others leave the organization, offers an insider's profile of the beliefs, rituals, and secrets of the religion that has captured the fascination of millions, including some of Hollywood's brightest stars such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

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Book SynopsisImagine an age where the predictability of science and the wisdom of religion combine. Scientology is called a spiritual technology for a reason. Scientology provides tools to assist you to find your own answers to your questions about existence, your own truth about your life and you. The word Scientology comes from: Scio (Latin) 'knowing, in the fullest sense of the word', logos (Greek) 'study of'. Thus Scientology means 'knowing how to know'. Although modern life seems to pose an infinitely complex array of problems, Scientology maintains that the solutions to those problems are basically simple and within every man's reach. Difficulties with communication and interpersonal relationships, nagging insecurities, self-doubt and despair each man innately possesses the potential to be free of these and many other concerns. This book was designated by L. Ron Hubbard as the Book One of Scientology. It gives the basic philosophical principles of Scientology, and shows practical application how to improve conditions in life. It covers concepts like the relation of mind body and spirit, it gives you the analysis of what understanding consists of and how understanding can be mended or achieved, and all other essential concepts of this amazing study, merging science and spirituality.

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Book SynopsisIn this revised and updated version of the top-selling Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses (more than 90,000 copies sold), author and Bible expert Ron Rhodes helps readers delve into the Bible and use practical tools to share God's truths confidently with those who come calling.

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Book SynopsisOffers a comprehensive study of the life, teachings, and following of the controversial Indian guru known in his youth as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and in his later years as Osho (1931-1990). Based on extensive ethnographic and archival research, it is suitable for anyone interested in religion and globalization.Trade Review"This book is a must... Smoothly written and accessible, without bias." OshoNewsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Introduction: Gurus, God-Men, and Globalization 1. "India's Most Dangerous Guru": Rajneesh and India after Independence 2. "Beware of Socialism!" The "Anti-Gandhi" and the Early Rajneesh Community in the 1970s 3. "From Sex to Superconsciousness": Sexuality, Tantra, and Liberation in 1970s India 4. "The Messiah America Has Been Waiting For": Rajneeshpuram in 1980s America 5. "Osho": The Apotheosis of a Fallen Guru in 1990s India 6. OSHO(R)? The Struggle over Osho's Legacy in the Twenty-First Century Conclusion: The Spiritual Logic of Late Capitalism Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHandbook for Preclears follows L. Ron Hubbard’s book “Self Analysis”. Both books contain easy to do methods of discovering your own mind, and increasing a person’s ability to utilize considerably more of his mental potential. Discover why behavior patterns become so solidly fixed; why habits seemingly can’t be broken; how decisions long ago have more power over a person than his decisions today; and why a person keeps past negative experiences in the present.

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Book Synopsis''An extraordinary story'' CLOVER STROUD''Astonishing and valuable'' THE SPECTATOR''Beautifully written'' DAILY MAIL''Intensely gripping . . . as brutal and funny as it is raw and candid'' VIV GROSKOP''As vivid an account of addiction as I can remember reading'' GUARDIAN''Will resonate with anyone who has loved a difficult parent and spent a lifetime trying to work them out'' ALI MILLARWhen Lily Dunn was six years old, her father left for India to join the cult of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. She grew up enthralled by the myth of him - a brilliant, charismatic writer and entrepreneur who would appear with gifts from faraway places. Yet he was also a compulsive liar whose pursuit of transcendence took him from sex addiction, via the Rajneesh cult, to a relentless chase of money, which ended in ruin and finally addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. A daughter''s investigation into a father who was always out of reach, Sins of My FaTrade ReviewSins of My Father is Dunn's attempt to know her father, constantly on the move, impossible to rely on . . . she puts it together as if she is a detective working a long-forgotten cold case, and though its setting is very different, it reminded me of Laura Cummings' gripping memoir, On Chapel Sands . . . there is beauty in its crisp, cold clarity . . . as vivid an account of addiction as I can remember reading. Sins of My Father is a testament to the damage done, but it reads, in the end, like the slow discovery of freedom * GUARDIAN *This is a memoir of two lives: Dunn's father, who took enthusiastically to the Rajneesh cult and Dunn, whose life is overshadowed by this early abandonment. She writes with cold, controlled anger but also empathy. It's a gripping tale * THE TIMES *An extraordinary story . . . brilliantly captures the painful truth of impossible love. Sins of My Father is both page-turning and lyrical, an inspiration . . . one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time -- CLOVER STROUD, author of MY WILD AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTSConsiderable courage is needed to return to the stark, bright light of trauma in this shirking-nothing way; but writing of this intensity has delivered an astonishing and valuable memoir -- Juliet Nicolson * THE SPECTATOR *I was obsessed with Sins of My Father, a memoir which combines the emotional and the cerebral in telling the story of a life through the prism of a father's influence. The stories of the children of hippies, or parents who chose experimental lifestyles, is fascinating and fertile territory and although this story is Lily's own, she also speaks for a cohort. It is a victory of self-knowledge and compassion, as well as art -- AMY LIPTROT, author of THE OUTRUNA brutally honest consideration of toxic familial love and human frailty * i NEWSPAPER *Stunning. Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, Sins of My Father is a totally mesmerising journey through the outer limits of love -- DAVID WHITEHOUSE, author of ABOUT A SONSuperb . . . Sins of My Father is a terrific read, beautifully written and expertly structured. The book pulls off the difficult trick of laying bare just how morally bankrupt Lily's father was, while making the reader understand why she didn't give up on him until the very end * DAILY MAIL, Book of the Week *Forensic in its compassion and precise in its love: an extraordinary account of an extraordinary life that produces great empathy for the universals of human frailty -- JENN ASHWORTH, author of GHOSTEDIn Sins of My Father Lily Dunn has created an almost forensic analysis of the curse of the Charismatic Dad - on himself, his family and specifically here on his little daughter, who grows up under the desperate double shadow cast by addiction and devoted love, and finally in this memoir does all the painstaking, heartbreaking, ultimately fulfilling work that her father couldn't do -- LOUISA YOUNG, author of YOU LEFT EARLYAn intensely gripping memoir about the love between a daughter and a father. There's no end to the ways this father tests his loved ones, yet still his family keeps on trying and hoping for the best. A heart-stoppingly brilliant read that is as brutal and funny as it is raw and candid. I really wanted the craziness to stop - but I never wanted this book to end -- VIV GROSKOP, author of I LAUGHED, I CRIEDIn this compelling memoir, Lily Dunn confronts the legacies of trauma and dysfunction that surround her complicated father. She writes with searing honesty and clarity, exploring what it means to step away from the shadow of our family and find our own voice -- LULAH ELLENDER, author of ELISABETH'S LISTSSins of My Father is a moving story about a golden, gifted family and their paradise lost. About a daughter escaping the dense gravitational pull of a charismatic father through the act of writing. By turns tender and forensic, loving then fierce, this book will speak to anyone who has had to love and let go -- TANYA SHADRICK, author of THE CURE FOR SLEEPSins of My Father is a powerful, necessary, brilliantly brave book. It is superlative; it hums and flies and sings. It is moving and true -- MARINA BENJAMIN, author of INSOMNIALily Dunn manages the magic trick of rendering pain exquisite, and making beautiful the vacillation between heart and head, love and reason that characterises human relationships. The heady honesty of this book will reverberate in me for a long time -- ZOE GILBERT, author of MISCHIEF ACTSSins of My Father is a devastating work of love, pain and hope. Lily Dunn has created art and insight from chaos, joy and suffering -- SOFKA ZINOVIEFF, author of PUTNEYIn Sins of My Father Lily Dunn deftly explores the complexity of her father's choices; it's a startling book that will resonate with anyone who has loved a difficult parent and spent a lifetime trying to work them out -- ALI MILLAR, author of THE LAST DAYSUnputdownable. A love story. A horror story. The unmasking of an unfortunately still much-beloved guru. A soul-searching that can teach us much about how to analyse and escape from a cruel narcissist. It is horrifying and real and brilliantly written -- JANJA LALICH, author of ESCAPING UTOPIAWith keen insight Dunn tells her story, of a sensitive child who adores her dashing, abandoning father, who grows up, as so many adult children of narcissists do, starving for the kind of parental love and recognition a narcissist is always too self-absorbed to bestow . . . her story of healing and struggling to build a good, strong, healthy life is moving and inspiring -- DANIEL SHAW, author of TRAUMATIC NARCISSISMA notable addition to the canon of work on cults . . . At its most tender and difficult, Sins of My Father is really about the near intractable impossibility of moving beyond childhood trauma to transform a damaging legacy into something positive - and this is exactly what Dunn achieves with this remarkable book * CAUGHT BY THE RIVER *

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Book SynopsisReveals the true nature of medieval belief in the Double of the Soul • Demonstrates the survival of a pagan belief that each individual owns three souls, including a double that can journey outside the physical body • Explains the nature of death and the Other World hidden beneath the monsters and superstitions in stories from the Middle Ages Monsters, werewolves, witches, and fairies remain a strong presence in our stories and dreams. But as Claude Lecouteux shows, their roots go far deeper than their appearance in medieval folklore; they are survivors of a much older belief system that predates Christianity and was widespread over Western Europe. Through his extensive analysis of Germano-Scandinavian legends, as well as those from other areas of Europe, Lecouteux has uncovered an almost forgotten religious concept: that every individual owns three souls and that one of these souls, the Double, can—in animal or human form—leave the physical body while in sleep or a trance, journey where it chooses, then reenter its physical body. While there were many who experienced this phenomenon involuntarily, there were others—those who attracted the unwelcome persecution of the Church—who were able to provoke it at will: witches. In a thorough excavation of the medieval soul, Claude Lecouteux reveals the origin and significance of this belief in the Double, and follows its transforming features through the ages. He shows that far from being fantasy or vague superstition, fairies, witches, and werewolves all testify to a consistent ancient vision of our world and the world beyond.

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Book Synopsis'It is a Lord of the Flies parable with Bhagwan as lord. The book is a fascinating social history, with many celebrities, from Diana Ross to Prince Charles. - Helen Rumbelow, The TimesThis is the story of a Englishman who gave up a job in journalism to spend fourteen years with the controversial Indian mystic Osho, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and frequently referred to as 'the sex guru'. His guru was always controversial with his teachings on sex and spirituality, rumours of orgies and because he owned ninety-three Rolls Royces.Early in 1976, Subhuti travelled to India to meet Rajneesh in his ashram in Pune, became initiated as his disciple and immediately began to have mystical experiences, which he attributed to the powerful energy field surrounding the guru. He stayed for six months, participating in the ashram's notorious Encounter Group and other therapies designed to release suppressed emotions and awaken sexual energySubhuti would stay to live and work on his master's ashrams for fourteen years, first as his press officer in Pune, India, then as editor of the community's weekly newspaper when Bhagwan and his followers shifted to Oregon, USA, and built a whole new town on the massive Big Muddy Ranch.There Subhuti was a first-hand witness to the scandals and hullabaloo that accompanied the guru, including tales of broken bones in no-holds-barred therapy groups and Tantra groups that encouraged total sexual freedom, and the increasing hostility with the locals which would lead to Bhagwan's attempt to flee America, his arrest and imprisonment. .He was on the Oregon Ranch when Rajneesh's secretary, Ma Anand Sheela, plotted against rival cliques within the ashram as well as a range of murderous crimes against state and federal officials which feature in hit Netflix series Wild Wild Country.Yet, amidst it all, Subhuti could see the profound revolution in spirituality that Bhagwan was creating, leaving a lasting impact on our ideas about society, religion, meditation and personal transformation.According to the author's understanding, it was the controversy itself, plus Bhagwan's refusal to tread the path of a spiritual saint, that became the stepping stone to a new vision of what it means to be a spiritual seeker.

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Book SynopsisAn examination of the history and waning culture of zar in Egypt, and the world in which Muslim women negotiate relations with spiritsZar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by causing ailments for their hosts, which require ritual reconciliation, a private sacrificial rite practiced routinely by the afflicted devotees. Originally spread from Ethiopia to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf through the nineteenth-century slave trade, in Egypt zar has incorporated elements from popular Islamic Sufi practices, including devotion to Christian and Muslim saints. The ceremonies initiate devotees—the majority of whom are Muslim women—into a community centered on a cult leader, a membership that provides them with moral orientation, social support, and a sense of belonging. Practicing zar rituals, dancing to zar songs, and experiencing trance restore their well-being, which had been compromised by gender asymmetry and globalization.This new ethnographic study of zar in Egypt is based on the author’s two years of multi-sited fieldwork and firsthand knowledge as a participant, and her collection and analysis of more than three hundred zar songs, allowing her to access levels of meaning that had previously been overlooked. The result is a comprehensive and accessible exposition of the history, culture, and waning practice of zar in a modernizing world.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on Transliteration and Translation 1. Introduction Anthropological Understanding of Zar and Spirit Possession Anthropological Theories of Spirit Possession From Collector to Ethnographer Doing the Ethnography of Zar in Cairo Methodological Strategies: Storytelling and Collage Description of Chapters 2. From Abyssinia to Cairo: The Zar Ritual Complex Introduction: Origin and Etymology Egyptian Zar as a Transnational Phenomenon Egyptian Conceptions of Zar Zar and Islam Spirit Afflictions and Their Symptoms Gender, Class, and Zar Participation Zar Professionals: Leaders and Musicians The Zar Ritual Placation Process Zar Music and Dance Zar Paraphernalia Conclusion 3. The Zar Trade: Belonging to Tayfat al-Zar Introduction Historiographical Studies of Women in Cairo Zar as a Guild Corporation Historical Roots of Zar and Guild Incorporation Rituals The Stories of Professional Zar Diviners The Moral of the Stories Conclusion 4. Localization of Bodies in Time: Life Cycle and Other Crises Introduction The Crises of the Teenage Years Pregnancy and Birthing Menopause: The Grand Lady The Disintegrated Plastic Flowers Conclusion 5. Localization of Bodies in Space: A Ritual Sampler The Offering of Incense The Offering of Blood: The Sacrificial Rite The Grand Lady’s Procession The Mayanga: The Cemetery of the Spirits Conclusion 6. Saints and Spirits: Transformation of Traditions Introduction About Zar Songs Zar Songs as ‘Acts of Transfer’ The Historical Context of the Abul Gheit Song Cultural Memories The Golden Pair The Military Spirit Pantheon Zar Music Bands and Their Styles of Singing The Hybridization and Transformation of Musical Styles The History of the Song “Banat al-Handasa” Conclusion Song Samples Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis“HUXLEY''S MASTERPIECE AND PERHAPS THE MOST ENJOYABLE BOOK ABOUT SPIRITUALITY EVER WRITTEN. .” — Washington Post Book WorldAldous Huxley''s brilliant (Los Angeles Times) and gripping account of one of the strangest occurrences in history, hailed as the peak achievement of Huxley’s career by the New York TimesIn 1632 an entire convent in the small French village of Loudun was apparently possessed by the devil. After a sensational and celebrated trial, the convent''s charismatic priest Urban Grandier—accused of spiritually and sexually seducing the nuns in his charge—was convicted of being in league with Satan. Then he was burned at the stake for witchcraft.A remarkable true story of religious and sexual obsession, The Devils of Loudon is considered by many to be Brave New World author Aldous Huxley''s nonfiction masterpiece.

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Book SynopsisNamed a Best Book of 2021 by Newsweek and Recommended by People, TIME, USA Today, Real Simple, Glamour, Nylon, Bustle, Purewow, Shondaland, and more!Educated meets The Vow in this story of liberation and self-empowerment—an inspiring and stranger-than-fiction memoir of growing up in and breaking free from the Children of God, an oppressive, extremist religious cult.Faith Jones was raised to be part of a religious army preparing for the End Times. Growing up on an isolated farm in Macau, she prayed for hours every day and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the founder of the Children of God. Tens of thousands of members strong, the cult followers looked to Faith’s grandfather as their guiding light. As such, Faith was celebrated as special and then punished doubly to remind

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Book SynopsisA prophetic warning against the foolishness of crusades, John Gray''s Black Mass challenges our belief in human progress. Our conventional view of history is wrong. It is founded on a pernicious myth of an achievable utopia that in the last century alone caused the murder of tens of millions. In Black Mass John Gray tears down the religious, political and secular beliefs that we insist are fundamental to the human project, examines the interaction of terrorism, declining world resources, environmental change, human myths of redemption and a flawed belief in Western democracy, and shows us how a misplaced faith in our ability to improve the world has actually made it far worse. ''Brilliant, frightening, devastating''  John Banville, Guardian ''A brilliant polemic ... Gray''s most powerful argument yet''  J.G. Ballard, Guardian, Books of the Year ''Causes vertigo when it d

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Book SynopsisHe also explains strategies for happiness in relationships at work and in the face of adversity. By applying these concepts in your daily life you can be happy everywhere and at all times.

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Book SynopsisAre religious fringe movements a recent phenomeon in American history? Are widespread fears of mass suicides, sexual abuse, and brainwashing in cults justified? Do marginalized religious groups play any positive role in American spiritual life? Do the panics over such groups follow any discernible pattern? Phillip Jenkins gives fascinating--and surprising--answers to these and many other questions in Mystics and Messiahs, the first full account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history. Jenkins shows that, contrary to popular belief, cults were by no means an invention of the 1960s. In fact, most of the frightening images and stereotypes surrounding fringe religious movements are traceable to the mid-nineteenth century when Mormons, Freemasons, and even Catholics were vehemently denounced for supposed ritualistic violence, fraud, and sexual depravity. As Charles Ferguson observed in 1928, America has always been the sanctuary of amazing cults. But America has also been the homeTrade ReviewWhere the multiplication of sects was characteristic of just one phase of English history, the mid seventeenth century, such multiplication has been a constant feature of American history. This book is an engaging examination of that divesity. * Ecclesiastical History, vol. 52/4 *Jenkins is to be commended for his thoroughness and his evenhandedness in describing and comparing heterodox religious movements. * Todd Breyfogle, Reviews in Religion and Theology, Vol 8, Issue 3, June 2001 *With unusual insight and religious sensitivity, Jenkins explores the origins, development, and lines of continuity over time to various non-mainstream religious beliefs and practices in America ... Jenkins' account is learned and engaging to read; a helpful index makes it easy to find a discussion of whatever sect or movement - however conventional or quirky - the reader happens to fancy. The scope of the narrative is remarkable ... He effortlessly weaves together comparable stories from America's checkered religious past. * Todd Breyfogle, Reviews in Religion and Theology, Vol 8, Issue 3, June 2001 *a book that is not only highly readable but also sheds important light on the development of alternative religions in the Western world. * Church of England Newspaper, 8th Sept, 2000. *Perhaps this book will do some good by encouraging us to be more selective and discriminating in our response to them [cults]. * Church of England Newspaper, 8th Sept. 2000. *Always stimulating * Patrick Allitt, TLS *

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Book SynopsisThe Vaisnava-sahajiya cult that arose in Bengal in the sixteenth century was an intensely emotional attempt to reconcile the sensual and the ascetic. Exploring the history and doctrine of this cult, Edward C. Dimock, Jr., examines the works of numerous poets who are the source of knowledge about this sect. Dimock examines the life of the saint Caitanya, the mad Baul singers, the doctrines of Tantrism, the origins of the figure of Radha, and the worship of Krishna. His study will appeal to students of the history of religion as well as of Indian culture. This edition includes a new Foreword by Wendy Doniger. This is a magnificent bookpainstakingly researched and gracefully written. . . . Professor Dimock's book is one of the most rewarding and stimulating studies to appear in recent years.G. Richard Weldon, Journal of Asian Studies

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewNo one could create a compilation of primary sources on Mormonism that would satisfy everyone-however, Givens and Neilson have crafted a very worthy anthology that will serve its ostensible primary purpose: a resource for university-level Mormon Studies... this is an excellent contribution to the field. -- Bryan Buchanan Association for Mormon Letters Mormon-studies courses have several college-level textbooks to choose from, but none can wear the label "sourcebook" quite like this one... amply substantive. Highly recommended for most academic libraries. Booklist Academic libraries with a focus on religious studies will want to add this invaluable resource to their collections. American Reference Books Annual Students of Mormon history would do well to examine the faith and its history through these revealing sources, and I hope the book finds its way into numerous syllabi. Journal of Mormon History This wonderful collection is useful for both libraries and Mormon Studies scholars. Nova Religio This collection of documents, edited by two of the ablest and most prolific of Mormon historians, provides the most comprehensive sourcebook available... It's a treasure. -- Grant Wacker The Christian Century The carefully curated source material and the expertly crafted annotations [...] will allow the many courses for which this volume will serve as the primary anthology to explore what it has historically meant to be a Mormon. Mormon Studies ReviewTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Chapter One: Theology and Doctrine 1. Joseph Smith, "Latter Day Saints," from He Pasa Ekklesia: An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States (1844) 2. Joseph Smith, Selection from The Book of Mormon [3 Nephi 9-11] (1830) 3. Oliver Cowdery, "Letter to William W. Phelps on Priesthood Restoration," from Messenger and Advocate (1834) 4. Joseph Smith, "Extract from the Prophecy of Enoch [Moses 7]," from The Evening and the Morning Star (1832) 5. Joseph Smith, "A Vision [Doctrine and Covenants 76]," from The Evening and the Morning Star (1832) 6. Joseph Smith, Journal Account of Kirtland Temple Visitations [Doctrine and Covenants 110] (1836) 7. Joseph Smith, "Letter from Joseph Smith [on Baptisms for the Dead], from Times and Seasons (1842) 8. Joseph Smith, "The King Follett Discourse" from BYU Studies (1844) 9. Joseph F. Smith, "Vision of the Redemption of the Dead [Doctrine and Covenants 138]," from Improvement Era (1918) 10. First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, Charles W. Nibley), "'Mormon' View of Evolution," from Improvement Era (1925) 11. First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust, et. al.), "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," from Ensign (1995) 12. First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust, et. al.), "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles," from Ensign (2000) Chapter Two: Scattering of the Saints 1. Isaac Russell, "Letter to the Saints in England," from History of the Church (1839) 2. Brigham Young, "An Epistle of the Twelve," from Times and Seasons (1844) 3. Lyman Wight and George Miller, "Lyman Wight to the First Presidency-Preaching the Gospel to the Indians and Proposing to Migrate to Texas," from History of the Church (1844) 4. James J. Strang, "Pastoral Letter" (1845) 5. Jason W. Briggs, "Revelation," from The Messenger (1851) 6. William Smith, Epistle of the Twelve (1851) 7. Sidney Rigdon, Joseph H. Newton, William Richards and William Stanley, An Appeal to the Latter-Day Saints (1863) 8. John Taylor, Revelation (1886) 9. David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ: By a Witness to the Divine Authenticity of The Book of Mormon (1887) 10. Joseph Musser, "Announcement," from Truth (1935) 11. Wallace B. Smith, Revelation on Priesthood [RLDS D&C 156] (1984) 12. Stephen M. Veazey, "A Defining Moment," from Community of Christ Herald (2009) Chapter Three: Gathering to Zion 1. Joseph Smith, "Plat for the City of Zion" (1833) 2. Sarah Studevant Leavitt, "Autobiography," from Women's Voices (1875) 3. Artemisia Sidnie Meyers, "Haun's Mill Massacre Account," in Bones in the Well (ca. 1850) 4. Vilate Kimball, Letter to her husband Heber C. Kimball, from Men with a Mission (1839) 5. Elizabeth Ann Smith Whitney, "Reminiscence," from In Their Own Words (1878) 6. First Presidency (Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith), "A Proclamation, to the Saints Scattered Abroad," from Times and Seasons (1841) 7. Eliza R. Snow, "The Female Relief Society," from Woman's Exponent (1872) 8. William Clayton, "All is Well," from Hymns (1846) 9. Brigham Young, "A Revelation given dated Winter Quarters Camp of Israel [Doctrine and Covenants 136]," from Wilford Woodruff's Journal (1847) 10. William Atkin, "Handcart Experience," from Union (1896) 11. Valborg Henrietta Louise Rasmussen, "My Conversion to Mormonism," from Valborg (1945) 12. First Presidency (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund) "Christmas Greeting to Saints in the Netherlands," from Der Stern (1907) 13. Bruce R. McConkie, "Come: Let Israel Build Zion," from Ensign (1977) Chapter Four: Government and Politics 1. Oliver Cowdery, "Governments and Laws in General [Doctrine and Covenants 134]," from Messenger and Advocate (1835) 2. Joseph Smith, General Smith's Views of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States (1844) 3. Letter from Margaret L. Scott to her brother J. Allen Scott, from Army of Israel (1846) 4. Brigham Young, "Proclamation by the Governor" (1857) 5. Letter from Martha Hughes Cannon to husband Angus M. Cannon, from Letters From Exile (1888) 6. First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, et al.), "To the Saints [Political Manifesto]," from Deseret Weekly News (1896) 7. Reed Smoot, Speech before the United States Senate (1907) 8. Susa Young Gates, "The History of Woman Suffrage in Utah, 1900-1920," from The History of Woman Suffrage (1922) 9. J. Reuben Clark, General Conference address, from Conference Report (1936) 10. Sonia Johnson and Karen S. Langlois, "All on Fire: An Interview with Sonia Johnson," from Dialogue (1981) 11. Judith Rasmussen Dushku, "A Time of Decision," from Dialogue (1981) 12. Harry Reid, "Faith, Family, and Public Service" (2007) 13. Mitt Romney, "Faith in America" (2007) 14. First Presidency (Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf), "Preserving Traditional Marriage and Strengthening Families" (2008) Chapter Five: Race and Ethnicity 1. Parley P. Pratt, "Mission to the Lamanites," from Autobiography (1874) 2. Jane Elizabeth Manning James, "Autobiography" (n.d.) 3. Parley P. Pratt, "The Standard and Ensign for the People," from Journal of Discourses (1853) 4. Brigham Young, "Spiritual Gifts-Hell-The Spirit World-The Elders and the Nations-The Lamanites-The Temple," from Journal of Discourses (1854) 5. Joseph Fielding Smith, "Appointment of Lineage," from The Way to Perfection (1931) 6. Helen Sekaquaptewa, "My Church," from Me and Mine (1969) 7. Lacee A. Harris, "To Be Native American-and Mormon," from Dialogue (1985) 8. First Presidency (Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, and Marion G. Romney), "Revelation Extends Blessings of Gospel," from Church News (1978) 9. Joseph Freeman, "A Momentous Weekend," from In the Lord's Due Time (1979) 10. Chieko N. Okazaki, "Baskets and Bottles," from Ensign (1996) 11. Esmeralda Meraz Amos, "El Evangelio," from All God's Children (2004) Chapter Six: Sexuality and Gender 1. Joseph Smith, "Revelation [on plural marriage]," from Deseret News (1852) 2. Eliza R. Snow, "My Father in Heaven," from Times and Seasons (1845) 3. Annie Tanner Clark, "Marriage in Polygamy," from A Mormon Mother (1941) 4. Wilford Woodruff, "Official Declaration," from Deseret Weekly News (1890) 5. James E. Talmage, "The Eternity of Sex," from Young Woman's Journal (1914) 6. Virginia Budd Jacobsen, "Book Review of New Patterns in Sex Teaching," from Relief Society Magazine (1936) 7. Stephen E. Lamb and Douglas E. Brinley, "Sexual Intimacy in Marriage," from Between Husband and Wife (2000) 8. Oliver Alden [pseudo.], "'My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?': Meditations of a Gay Mormon on the 22nd Psalm," from Sunstone (1995) 9. Dallin H. Oaks and Lance B. Wickman, "Same-Gender Attraction," from LDS Newsroom (2006) 10. Maxine Hanks, "Introduction" from Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism (1992) 11. Emily Milner, "Finding Myself on Google," from Segullah (1996) Chapter Seven: Education and Intellectualism 1. Joseph Smith, "Revelation to the First Elders [Doctrine and Covenants 88:73-80, 117-41]," from Doctrine and Covenants (1835) 2. Amy Brown Lyman, "Childhood," from In Retrospect (1945) 3. Orson F. Whitney, "Home Literature," from Contributor (1888) 4. Editors, "Vocational Education," from Relief Society Magazine (1921) 5. Juanita Brooks, "To Columbia," from Quicksand and Cactus (1982) 6. Eugene England, "The Possibility of Dialogue: A Personal View," from Dialogue (1966) 7. Richard D. Poll, "What the Church Means to People Like Me," from Dialogue (1967) 8. Henry Eyring, "Science and Religion," from Reflections of a Scientist (1983) 9. Marilyn Arnold, "Unlocking the Sacred Text," from Expressions of Faith (1999) 10. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, "A Pail of Cream," from Journal of American History (2002) Chapter Eight: Contemporary Religious Life 1. Dennis Clark, "A Name and a Blessing," from Dialogue (1970) 2. "Questions and Answers about Baptism," from Friend (2008) 3. Antonia Purina Honrado, "They Gave Me a Copy with All of the Pages," from Converted to Christ Through the Book of Mormon (1989) 4. Boyd K. Packer, "Counsel to Young Men," from Ensign (2009) 5. Lee Tom Perry and Daniel Lyman Carter, "As Now We Take the Sacrament," from Hymns (1985); Mabel Jones Gabbott and Rowland H. Prichard, "In Humility, Our Savior," from Hymns (1985); and Karen Lynn Davidson and Hans Leo Hassler, "O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown," from Hymns (1985) 6. Margaret Rampton Munk, "Service Under Stress: Two Years as a Relief Society President," from Dialogue (1986) 7. Laury Livsey, "A Day in the Life of a Missionary," from New Era (2000) 8. Truman G. Madsen, "House of Glory," from Five Classics (1994) 9. Clark T. Thorstenson, "Discovering My Icelanders," from Ensign (1981) 10. Ruth M. Gardner and Vanja Y. Watkins, "Families Can Be Together Forever," from Hymns (1985); and Janice Kapp Perry, "I Love to See the Temple," from Children's Songbook (1989) 11. Brenda Williams, "My Terrible, Horrible Day," from New Era (2001) 12. Kathleen Flake, "How to Bury a Prophet," from Sightings (2008) Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThree decades after leaving the Mormon faith, Latayne Colvett Scott looks back to her original journey out of Mormonism and the reasons why she left. Revised and updated, this third edition of The Mormon Mirage presents both a fascinating inside look at Mormonism and new and formidable evidence against its claims and teachings.

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Book SynopsisIn this haunting work of journalistic investigation, Haruki Murakami tells the story of the horrific terrorist attack on Japanese soil that shook the entire world.  On a clear spring day in 1995, five members of a religious cult unleashed poison gas on the Tokyo subway system. In attempt to discover why, Haruki Murakmi talks to the people who lived through the catastrophe, and in so doing lays bare the Japanese psyche. As he discerns the fundamental issues that led to the attack, Murakami paints a clear vision of an event that could occur anytime, anywhere.

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Book SynopsisOffers a comprehensive study of the life, teachings, and following of the controversial Indian guru known in his youth as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and in his later years as Osho (1931-1990). Based on extensive ethnographic and archival research, it is suitable for anyone interested in religion and globalization.Trade Review"This book is a must... Smoothly written and accessible, without bias." OshoNewsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Introduction: Gurus, God-Men, and Globalization 1. "India's Most Dangerous Guru": Rajneesh and India after Independence 2. "Beware of Socialism!" The "Anti-Gandhi" and the Early Rajneesh Community in the 1970s 3. "From Sex to Superconsciousness": Sexuality, Tantra, and Liberation in 1970s India 4. "The Messiah America Has Been Waiting For": Rajneeshpuram in 1980s America 5. "Osho": The Apotheosis of a Fallen Guru in 1990s India 6. OSHO(R)? The Struggle over Osho's Legacy in the Twenty-First Century Conclusion: The Spiritual Logic of Late Capitalism Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAliens, nuclear war and talking dolphins; this book is a study of the weird and wonderful world of the PosadistsTrade Review'Under the grim pressures of 20th century history, and now climate change, Gittlitz shows how explosions of black political humour also contain utopian hopes very necessary to keep alive. As an advocate of Partially Automated Adequate Socialism I can only agree, and applaud this fine addition to leftist history' -- Kim Stanley Robinson, award-winning author of the Mars Trilogy'While Posadism is often treated as a political curiosity, quickly set aside, Gittlitz skillfully paints J. Posadas and his followers in all their depth and complexity: paranoid, idealistic, cultish, fractious, bizarre, proud, far-reaching dreamers. In their bizarre, sometimes revolutionary own ways, they fought for a more just world, one that could finally join the ranks of a far more advanced fraternity awaiting them in the galaxy' -- Anna Merlan, author of 'Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power''An absolute treat. As well as a brilliantly researched biography of Posadas, and a very witty one, it does far more than lampoon him. Rather, it uses his story (and its legendarisation in meme culture) to provide really valuable reflection on revolutionary hope, cults, and the role of irony and despair in the millennial-left milieu' -- David Broder, author of 'First They Took Rome: How the Populist Right Conquered Italy''This book has it all: Trotskyist drama, South American revolutions and aliens from inner and outer space. What's not to like?' -- McKenzie Wark, author of 'Capital Is Dead: Is This Something Worse?''A provocative and clear-eyed account of communist lunacy, its costs, and why we might need it anyway' -- Malcolm Harris, author of 'Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials''I Want to Believe is most compelling in its consideration of how Posadist ideals live on today, beyond the meme-centric irony and vaporwave aesthetics of the extremely online left' -- Baffler'Gittlitz has recovered an unlikely left-wing hero for these febrile times... and is an able navigator through the ensuing alphabet soup of Trotskyist organisations he travels through' -- Morning Star'Gittlitz does so well in weaving the life of Posadas with the enclosed parallel universe of Trotskyism he created' -- Socialist Resistance'If you find yourself afflicted by capitalist realism, a dip into I Want to Believe and the world of Posadism might be just the thing for you' -- Social Review'There is no reason the left shouldn’t engage in the occasional indulgence of UFOwatching alongside the hard work of organising' -- Dawn Foster‘A cautionary political tale of a radical post-war tendency marked by zealous fanaticism, an enigmatic insurgent horizon caught between utopia and annihilation and the cruellest of gaps separating sincere revolutionary desire and delusional irrelevance’ -- ‘ROAR’Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: THE TRAGIC CENTURY 1. Commentaries on the Infancy of Comrade Posadas 2. Revolutionary Youth or Patriotic Youth? 3. The Death Throes of Capitalism 4. The Origins of Posadism 5. Where are we Going? PART II: THE POSADIST FOURTH INTERNATIONAL 6. The Flying International 7. The Role of Anti-Imperialist and Revolutionary Militants, the Role of Trotskyists, the Program, and Tasks During and After the Atomic War 8. The Macabre Farce of the Supposed Death of Guevara 9. Flying Saucers, the Process of Matter and Energy, Science, the Revolutionary and Working-Class Struggle, and the Socialist Future of Mankind 10. The Accident 11. Hombrecitos 12. Volver 13. What Exists Cannot Be True 14. Arrival of Comrade Homerita to the House PART III: NEO-POSADISM 15. Historical Sincerity 16. Why Don’t Extraterrestrials Make Public Contact? 17. UFOs to the People 18. On the Function of the Joke and Irony in History Timeline Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThis quick reference guide on cults and religions is perfect for teachers, pastors, and students. Covering everything from established religions like Islam and Buddhism to shifting trends in Mormonism, Scientology, and Wicca, this book will answer your questions and help you understand the key differences between true Christianity and other belief systems.

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Book SynopsisMormonism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. For those who have wondered in what specific ways Mormonism differs from the Christian faith, Mormonism 101 provides definitive answers, examining the major tenets of Mormon theology and comparing them with orthodox Christian beliefs. Perfect for students of religion and anyone who wants to have answers when Mormons come calling.

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Book SynopsisStarting a church from scratch? Start here! Launch offers specific strategies for beginning a church with no members, no money, and no staff. Readers get clear, practical how-to strategies for quickly raising funds, creating a team, planning services, effective evangelism, and rapidly developing a growing membership. Specific advice is included for reaching that often difficult-to-target demographic, the 20- to 40-year-old. Now thoroughly revised and expanded to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of church planting.

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth investigation of traditional European folk medicine and the healing arts of witches • Explores the outlawed “alternative” medicine of witches suppressed by the state and the Church and how these plants can be used today • Reveals that female shamanic medicine can be found in cultures all over the world • Illustrated with color and black-and-white art reproductions dating back to the 16th century Witch medicine is wild medicine. It does more than make one healthy, it creates lust and knowledge, ecstasy and mythological insight. In Witchcraft Medicine the authors take the reader on a journey that examines the women who mix the potions and become the healers; the legacy of Hecate; the demonization of nature’s healing powers and sensuousness; the sorceress as shaman; and the plants associated with witches and devils. They explore important seasonal festivals and the plants associated with them, such as wolf’s claw and calendula as herbs of the solstice and alder as an herb of the time of the dead--Samhain or Halloween. They also look at the history of forbidden medicine from the Inquisition to current drug laws, with an eye toward how the sacred plants of our forebears can be used once again.

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Book SynopsisThis 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.Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition x List of Text Boxes xii 1 Cults and New Religions: A Primer 1 The Range of New Religious Movements 5 Controversy and the Popular Perception of New Religious Movements 11 Further Reading on New Religious Movements 17 2 The Church of Scientology: The Question of Religion 18 L. Ron Hubbard and the Origins of Scientology 20 Beliefs and Practices of the Church of Scientology 23 The Organizational Structure of the Church of Scientology 27 The Church of Scientology and the Question of Religion 31 Researching Scientology 35 Further Reading on the Church of Scientology 37 3 Transcendental Meditation: The Questions of Science and Therapy 38 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Arrival of Transcendental Meditation 40 Beliefs and Practices of Transcendental Meditation 42 The Growth and Development of Transcendental Meditation 48 Transcendental Meditation: The Questions of Science and Therapy 52 Researching Transcendental Meditation 56 Further Reading on Transcendental Meditation 58 4 Ramtha and the New Age: The Question of “Dangerous Cult” 59 Who Is JZ Knight and Who Is Ramtha? 61 History and Development of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment 65 Beliefs and Practices of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment 67 RSE and the Question of the ‘Dangerous Cult’ 70 Researching Ramtha 75 Further Reading on the New Age Movement 77 5 The Unification Church/The Family Federation: The Brainwashing/Deprogramming Controversy 78 Sun Myung Moon: Savior from the East 79 Doctrinal Beliefs and Ritual Practices of the Unification Church 84 The Growth and Organization of the Unification Church outside Korea 89 Brainwashing, Deprogramming, and the Unification Church 92 Researching the Unification Church 96 Further Reading on the Unification Church 98 6 The Children of God/The Family International: The Issue of Sexuality 99 Mo: David Berg and the Origins of the Children of God 101 Social Organization of the Children of God/The Family 105 Beliefs, Rituals, and Practices of the Children of God/ The Family 109 The Children of God/The Family and the Issue of Sexuality 113 Researching the Children of God/The Family 118 Further Reading on the Children of God/The Family 119 7 The Branch Davidians: The Question of Cults, Media, and Violence – Part I 120 The Historical Development of the Branch Davidians 121 Beliefs and Practices of the Branch Davidians under David Koresh 128 The Siege at Waco and the Problem of Mass Media 131 Researching the Branch Davidians 138 Further Reading on the Branch Davidians 139 8 Heaven’s Gate: The Question of Cults and Violence – Part II 141 Ti, Do, and the Origins of Heaven’s Gate 142 Beliefs and Practices of Heaven’s Gate 145 Recruitment and Social Organization in Heaven’s Gate 150 The Evolutionary Level Above Human: New Religions, Violence, and the Media 153 Researching Heaven’s Gate 157 Further Reading on UFO Groups 160 9 Wicca and Witchcraft: Confronting Age‐old Cultural Fears 161 Gerald Gardner and the Origins of Modern Witchcraft 162 Social Organization and Development of Modern Witchcraft and Wicca 166 Beliefs, Rituals, and Practices of Modern Witchcraft and Wicca 170 Satanic Panic: The Legacy of Religious Cult Fears 174 Researching Modern Paganism 177 Further Reading on Wicca and Witchcraft 180 10 Rethinking Cults: The Significance of New Religious Movements 181 Two Perspectives: Cults versus New Religious Movements 184 New Religions as Experimental Faiths 197 Further Reading on New Religious Movements 203 References 204 Index 225

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Book SynopsisNamed one of The New Yorker''s Best Books of 2023A news-making account of the war between David Koresh's Branch Davidians and the FBI, and how their standoff launched today's militiasIn 1993, David Koresh and a band of heavily armed evangelical Christians took on the might of the US government. A two-month siege of their compound in Waco, Texas, ended in a firefight that killed seventy-six, including twenty-five children. America is still picking up the pieces, and we still haven't heard the full story.Kevin Cook, who revealed the truth behind a mythic, misunderstood murder in his 2014 Kitty Genovese, finally provides the full story of what happened at Waco. He gives readers a taste of Koresh's deadly charisma and takes us behind the scenes at the Branch Davidians' compound, where the new Christ turned his followers into servants and sired seventeen children by a dozen wives. In vivid accounts packed with human drama, Cook harnesses never

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Book SynopsisNamed one of The New Yorker's Best Books of 2023A news-making account of the war between David Koresh's Branch Davidians and the FBI, and how their standoff launched today's militiasIn 1993, David Koresh and a band of heavily armed evangelical Christians took on the might of the US government. A two-month siege of their compound in Waco, Texas, ended in a firefight that killed seventy-six, including twenty-five children. America is still picking up the pieces, and we still haven't heard the full story.Kevin Cook, who revealed the truth behind a mythic, misunderstood murder in his 2014 Kitty Genovese, finally provides the full story of what happened at Waco. He gives readers a taste of Koresh's deadly charisma and takes us behind the scenes at the Branch Davidians' compound, where the new Christ turned his followers into servants and sired seventeen children by a dozen wives. In vivid accounts packed with human drama, Cook harnesses

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Book SynopsisOrganized in chronological order of the founding of each movement, this documentary reader brings to life new religious movements from the 18th century to the present. It provides students with the tools to understand questions of race, religion, and American religious history. Movements covered include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), the Native American Church, the Moorish Science Temple, the Nation of Islam, and more. The voices included come from both men and women. Each chapter focuses on a different new religious movement and features: - an introduction to the movement, including the context of its founding - two to four primary source documents about or from the movement - suggestions for further reading.Trade ReviewWith Race and New Religious Movements in the USA, Clark and Stoddard have produced a novel and accessible documentary reader. * Nova Religio *Featuring texts as varied as scriptures, prayers, sermons, treatises, newspaper columns, legal decisions, and FBI surveillance files, this rich collection offers invaluable insight into the significance of race in the theologies and practices of new religious movements in U.S. history. * Judith Weisenfeld, Professor of Religion, Princeton University, USA *This is a fascinating trove of primary sources from movements that are either little known or understudied. Taken together, these documents reveal a nation where the idea of racial difference is being endlessly re-examined by the religious imagination. * Joseph P. Laycock, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Texas State University, USA *This documentary reader deftly reveals the role of the production and maintenance of religious-racial categories within the long history of new and alternative American religiosity. It highlights the diversity of this process across time periods, regions, and ethnic groups. It is a welcome resource. * Benjamin E. Zeller, Associate Professor of Religion, Lake Forest College, USA *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of permissions 1. Introduction 2. The Code of Handsome Lake 3. Conjure 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5. Spiritualism 6. Ghost Dance Movement 7. Ku Klux Klan 8. Theosophy 9. Native American Church 10. Commandment Keepers 11. Moorish Science Temple 12. International Peace Mission Movement 13. Nation of Islam 14. Peoples Temple 15. Aryan Nations 16. The Nation of Yahweh 17. Odinism Bibliography Index

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