New Religions As Global Cultures : Making The Human Sacred

ISBN-13: 9780813325088 / Angielski / Miękka / 1997 / 211 str.

Karla Poewe; Irving Hexham

Opis

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.

Spis treści

Foreword -- Preface -- The Great Anti-cult Crusade -- From Cults to New Religions and Global Culture -- New Religions as Global Cultures -- New Religions and Primal Experiences -- Myths and Mythological Fragments -- Yogic and Abramic Religions -- The Membership Process -- New Religions: New Visions -- How Dangerous Are New Religions?

O autorze

Irving Hexham