New Religions As Global Cultures: Making The Human Sacred

by Hexham,Irving

• ISBN13: 9780813325088
• ISBN10: 0813325080
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1997-04-04
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

In the face of the popular crusade to link new religious movements to dangerous cults, brainwashing, and the need for deprogramming, Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe argue that many cults are in fact the product of dynamic interaction between folk religions and the teachings of traditional world religions. With the widespread loss of belief in biblical mythology in the nineteenth century, new mythologies based on science and elements derived from various non-Western religious traditions emerged, leading to the growth and popularity of new religions and cults. Drawing on examples from Africa, the United States, Asia, and Europe, the authors suggest that few new religions are really original. Most draw on rich, if localized, cultural traditions, which are then shaped anew by the influence of technological change and international linkages.

Author Biography

Irving Hexham is professor of religious studies at the University of Calgary.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
The Great Anti-cult Crusade	p. 1
Conclusion	p. 19
Key Terms	p. 20
Notes	p. 25
From Cults to New Religions and Global Culture	p. 27
Key Terms	p. 37
New Religions as Global Cultures	p. 41
Key Terms	p. 56
New Religions and Primal Experiences	p. 59
Conclusion	p. 75
Key Terms	p. 76
Myths and Mythological Fragments	p. 79
Key Terms	p. 96
Yogic and Abramic Religions	p. 99
Conclusion	p. 116
Key Terms	p. 116
The Membership Process	p. 121
Key Terms	p. 139
New Religions: New Visions	p. 141
Conclusion	p. 156
Key Terms	p. 158
How Dangerous Are New Religions?	p. 159
Conclusion	p. 167
Bibliography	p. 169
About the Book and Authors	p. 187
Index	p. 188
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