Download or read book New Religious Movements A Guide for the Perplexed written by Paul Oliver and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-02-02 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses the philosophical, sociological, and psychological themes in new religious movements, and includes a survey and explanation of a few groups.
Download or read book The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements written by George D. Chryssides and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-01-02 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements covers key themes such as charismatic leadership, conversion and brainwashing, prophecy and millennialism, violence and suicide, gender and sexuality, legal issues, and the portrayal of New Religious Movements by the media and anti-cult organisations. Several categories of new religions receive special attention, including African new religions, Japanese new religions, Mormons, and UFO religions. This guide to New Religious Movements and their critical study brings together 29 world-class international scholars, and serves as a resource to students and researchers. The volume highlights the current state of academic study in the field, and explores areas in which future research might develop. Clearly and accessibly organised to help users quickly locate key information and analysis, the book includes an A to Z of key terms, extensive guides to further resources, a comprehensive bibliography, and a timeline of major developments in the field such as the emergence of new groups, publications, legal decisions, and historical events.
Download or read book Pocket Dictionary of New Religious Movements written by Irving Hexham and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2009-09-20 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A 2003 Finalist in the Word Guild Canadian Writing Awards! Studying new religious movements can be like trying to learn several languages at once, each with its own vocabulary, grammar and syntax. The flourishing variety of these movements today makes the task even more difficult. Irving Hexham has designed Pocket Dictionary of New Religious Movements to be an indispensable companion for students of religion and a fascinating guide for curious and perplexed observers of the religious scene. Here are nearly 450 entries covering specific groups, from the Aetherius Society to the Zion Christian Church practices, from the Alexander technique to Yoga UFO religion, from alien abductions to Unarius Academy of Science symbols, from the ankh to yin-yang religious texts, from the apocryphal New Testament to the Vinaya-Pitaka religious leaders, from George Adamski to Rabbi Zalman Reference books on religion tend to be too large, expensive and unwieldy for those who want quick information. Both handy and affordable, this Pocket Dictionary offers quick, concise and reliable answers to basic questions about new religious movements.
Download or read book The Baha i Faith A Guide For The Perplexed written by Robert H. Stockman and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2012-12-27 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clear introduction to the Bahá'í vision and development of its community.
Download or read book The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements written by George D. Chryssides and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-01-02 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements covers key themes such as charismatic leadership, conversion and brainwashing, prophecy and millennialism, violence and suicide, gender and sexuality, legal issues, and the portrayal of New Religious Movements by the media and anti-cult organisations. Several categories of new religions receive special attention, including African new religions, Japanese new religions, Mormons, and UFO religions. This guide to New Religious Movements and their critical study brings together 29 world-class international scholars, and serves as a resource to students and researchers. The volume highlights the current state of academic study in the field, and explores areas in which future research might develop. Clearly and accessibly organised to help users quickly locate key information and analysis, the book includes an A to Z of key terms, extensive guides to further resources, a comprehensive bibliography, and a timeline of major developments in the field such as the emergence of new groups, publications, legal decisions, and historical events.
Download or read book Spirituality A Guide for the Perplexed written by Philip Sheldrake and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-09-25 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Spirituality' is a word that is used increasingly these days yet it is often ill-defined. What exactly is spirituality? Is it distinct from religion and can we separate it from beliefs and traditions? Does spirituality mainly focus on spiritual experiences and practices or is it something more? This book suggests that, while there may be common features in the use of the word, 'spirituality' is not a single reality. Different 'spiritualities' reflect particular religious or philosophical viewpoints, as well as the cultural contexts in which they arise and develop. Spirituality: A Guide for the Perplexed provides students and general readers with a reliable and comprehensive guide to 'spirituality' as an area of study, religiously, historically, philosophically and in the social sciences. It explores the tools that are used to study the subject and to interpret spiritual classics (whether these are written texts or other forms such as art) from different times and cultures. Attention is paid to spirituality in a variety of religious and non-religious forms in their own terms and comparatively. However, for the sake of simplicity greatest attention is given to the study of spirituality within a religious perspective with illustrations drawn from texts, personalities and themes associated with five major world religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The book concludes with an exploration of spirituality in contemporary perspective - in particular how spirituality is currently employed in areas such as health-care, education and business among other examples.
Download or read book GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED written by E. F. Schumacher and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 1978-05-31 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of the world wide best-seller, Small Is Beautiful, now tackles the subject of Man, the World, and the Meaning of Living. Schumacher writes about man's relation to the world. man has obligations -- to other men, to the earth, to progress and technology, but most importantly himself. If man can fulfill these obligations, then and only then can he enjoy a real relationship with the world, then and only then can he know the meaning of living. Schumacher says we need maps: a "map of knowledge" and a "map of living." The concern of the mapmaker--in this instance, Schumacher--is to find for everything it's proper place. Things out of place tend to get lost; they become invisible and there proper places end to be filled by other things that ought not be there at all and therefore serve to mislead. A Guide for the Perplexed teaches us to be our own map makers. This constantly surprising, always stimulating book will be welcomed by a large audience, including the many new fans who believe strongly in what Schumacher has to say.
Download or read book Kabbalah A Guide for the Perplexed written by Pinchas Giller and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-10-27 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kabbalah: A Guide for the Perplexed is a concise and accessible introduction to the major elements of the prevalent metaphysical system of Judaism, Kabbalah. The book covers the historical and theoretical essence of Kabbalah, offering a clear definition of the term and the limitations of what Kabbalah is and is not. Pinchas Giller provides an overview of the history of the movement, reflecting the sweep of Jewish history as a whole, and examines its metaphysical system, the advanced mythos of early and later Luria, doctrines of the soul, and the mysteries of Jewish religious practice and law. The book concludes with a summary of the contemporary kabbalistic phenomena, particularly in light of the notoriety of some modern purveyors of Kabbalah. As cogent and objective as possible, this is the ideal companion for those wishing to gain a sound understanding of this often perplexing mystical aspect of Judaism.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements written by James R. Lewis and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements both covers the current state of the field and breaks new ground. Its contributors, drawn form both sociology and religious studies, are leading figures in the study of NRMs.
Download or read book Atheism and Agnosticism written by Peter A. Huff and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2021-09-01 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An overview essay and approximately 50 alphabetically arranged reference entries explore the background and significance of atheism and agnosticism in modern society. This is the age of atheism and agnosticism. The number of people living without religious belief and practice is quickly and dramatically rising. Some experts call nonreligion, after Christianity and Islam, the third largest "religion" in the world today. Understanding the origins, history, variations, and impact of atheism and agnosticism is crucial to getting a grasp of the meaning of the present and gaining a glimpse of the future. Exploring some of the most extraordinary people, events, and ideas of all time, this book provides a fair, comprehensive, and engaging survey of all aspects of contemporary atheism and agnosticism. An overview essay discusses the background and social and political contexts of unbelief, while a timeline highlights key events. Some 50 alphabetically arranged reference entries follow, with each providing fundamental, objective information about particular topics along with cross-references and suggestions for further reading. The volume closes with an annotated bibliography of the most important resources on atheism and agnosticism.
Download or read book Beyond Religion and the Secular written by Wayne Hudson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-11-17 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deploying a distinctive disaggregative approach to the study of 'religion', this volume shows that spiritual movements with extensive counterfactual beliefs have been much more creative than one might expect. Specifically, Wayne Hudson explores the creativity of six spiritual movements: the Bahá'ís, a Persian movement; Soka Gakkai, a Japanese movement; Ananda Marga and the Brahma Kumaris, two reformed Hindu movements; and two controversial American churches, The Church Universal and Triumphant and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of these movements have counterintuitive features that have led Western scholars making Enlightenment assumptions to dismiss them as irrational and/or inconsequential. However, this book reveals that these movements have responded to modernity in ways that are creative and practical, resulting in a wide range of social, educational and cultural initiatives. Building on research surrounding the ways in which spiritual movements engage in cultural productions, this book takes the international research in a new direction by exploring the utopian intentionality such cultural productions reveal.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements written by James R. Lewis and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-12 with total page 545 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of New Religious Movements (NRMs) is one of the fastest-growing areas of religious studies, and since the release of the first edition of The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements in 2003, the field has continued to expand and break new ground. In this all-new volume, James R. Lewis and Inga B. T?llefsen bring together established and rising scholars to address an expanded range of topics, covering traditional religious studies topics such as "scripture," "charisma," and "ritual," while also applying new theoretical approaches to NRM topics. Other chapters cover understudied topics in the field, such as the developmental patterns of NRMs and subcultural considerations in the study of NRMs. The first part of this book examines NRMs from a social-scientific perspective, particularly that of sociology. In the second section, the primary factors that have put the study of NRMs on the map, controversy and conflict, are considered. The third section investigates common themes within the field of NRMs, while the fourth examines the approaches that religious studies researchers have taken to NRMs. As NRM Studies has grown, subfields such as Esotericism, New Age Studies, and neo-Pagan Studies have grown as distinct and individual areas of study, and the final section of the book investigates these emergent fields.
Download or read book Process Theology A Guide for the Perplexed written by Bruce G. Epperly and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2011-03-24 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an introductory guide to Process Theology for undergraduates. As part of Contiuum's 'Guide for the Perplexed' series, this text provides an accessible introduction to process theology, aimed at nurturing the theological imagination of undergraduates, pastors and interested laypersons. It describes the major themes of process theology and relates them to the everyday lives and spiritual commitments of people today. In addition to addressing traditional theological issues, Epperly addresses cutting edge issues in theology and ethics such as pluralism and postmodernism, matters of life and death, science (technology and genetics), and emerging forms of Christianity. This text is designed for seminary and university classes as well as congregational study. It will help readers to overcome the obstacles created by the technical language often employed by process theologians. Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.
Download or read book Thinking About Religion in the 21st Century written by George C. Adams, Jr. and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2024-07-26 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The crisis of 21st-century religion is upon us. With fewer people remaining committed to traditional religions and most new religious movements in their infancy, where does that leave the vast “silent spiritual majority” who find the old religions to be obsolete and the new religions to be not yet credible? For everyday people who feel lost between a rejected religion of the past and a still obscure religion of the future, Thinking About Religion in the 21st Century suggests that there is indeed another way to look at religion, fully informed by 21st-century sensibilities, that requires no sacrifice of the intellect or abandonment of moral sensibilities. The old religions can be set aside, and the religions of the future might not yet have evolved into something worthy of full commitment, but there already exists a viable, evolving alternative spiritual perspective, grounded in the elements of everyday, ordinary human experience, already available.
Download or read book Western Esotericism A Guide for the Perplexed written by Wouter J. Hanegraaff and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-02-14 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Western esotericism has been a pervasive presence in Western culture from late antiquity to the present day, but until recently it was largely ignored by scholars and surrounded by misconceptions and prejudice. This accessible guide provides readers with the basic knowledge and tools that will allow them to find their way in this bewildering but fascinating field. What is it that unites phenomena as diverse as ancient gnosticism and hermetism, the "occult sciences" of astrology, alchemy, and magic, rosicrucianism, as well as Christian theosophy, occultism, spiritualism, and the contemporary New Age spiritualities? What can the study of them teach us about our common cultural and intellectual heritage, and what is it that makes them relevant to contemporary concerns? How do we distinguish reliable historical knowledge from legends and fictions about esoteric traditions? These and many other questions are answered clearly and succinctly, so that the reader can find his way into the labyrinth of Western esotericism and out of it again.
Download or read book The Rebirth of Latin American Christianity written by Todd Hartch and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-04 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Predominantly Catholic for centuries, Latin America is still largely Catholic today, but the religious continuity in the region masks great changes that have taken place in the past five decades. In fact, it would be fair to say that Latin American Christianity has been transformed definitively in the years since the Second Vatican Council. Religious change has not been obvious because its transformation has not been the sudden and massive growth of a new religion, as in Africa and Asia. It has been rather a simultaneous revitalization and fragmentation that threatened, awakened, and ultimately brought to a greater maturity a dormant and parochial Christianity. New challenges from modernity, especially in the form of Protestantism and Marxism, ultimately brought forth new life. In The Rebirth of Latin American Christianity, Todd Hartch examines the changes that have swept across Latin America in the last fifty years, and situates them in the context of the growth of Christianity in the global South.
Download or read book Cult Wars in Historical Perspective written by Eugene V. Gallagher and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Cult Wars' in Historical Perspective provides a broad characterization of the shifting religious contours over the past several decades. Offering an assessment of several important topics in the study of new religions, this book explores developments in well-known groups such as the Unification movement, The Family International (Children of God), the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and the Church of Scientology. Bringing together both insiders and outsiders from various academic disciplines and personal perspectives, this book takes account of the ways in which the cult question is defined and addressed in different countries. It offers a vivid depiction of how the cult wars or cult controversies of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries first took shape; the transformation of deeply entrenched positions on cults and sects as at least some members of new groups, cult watchers, and academics entered into serious and sustained conversations about topics of mutual concern; the shifting foci and concerns of the general public, law enforcement and the courts, and academics in various countries; and the complex histories of individual groups in which many dramatic transformations have occurred despite their comparatively short life spans.
