New religious movement

990:, to describe the range of groups that appeared in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1960s. This term, amongst others, was adopted by Western scholars as an alternative to "cult". However, "new religious movements" has failed to gain widespread public usage in the manner that "cult" has. Other terms that have been employed for many NRMs are "alternative religion" and "alternative spirituality", something used to convey the difference between these groups and established or mainstream religious movements while at the same time evading the problem posed by groups that are not particularly new. 145: 45: 842: 1214:), criticizes the print media for failing to recognize social-scientific efforts in the area of new religious movements, and its tendency to use popular or anti-cultist definitions rather than social-scientific insight, and asserts that "The failure of the print media to recognize social-scientific efforts in the area of religious movement organizations impels us to add yet another failing mark to the media report card Weiss (1985) has constructed to assess the media's reporting of the social sciences." 612: 406: 813:. Among the disciplines that NRS utilises are anthropology, history, psychology, religious studies, and sociology. Of these approaches, sociology played a particularly prominent role in the development of the field, resulting in it being initially confined largely to a narrow array of sociological questions. This came to change in later scholarship, which began to apply theories and methods initially developed for examining more mainstream religions to the study of new ones. 11270: 11280: 479: 677:, NRMs most often appeal to the poor and oppressed sectors of society. Within Western countries, they are more likely to appeal to members of the middle and upper-middle classes, with Barrett stating that new religions in the UK and US largely attract "white, middle-class late teens and twenties". There are exceptions, such as the Rastafari movement and the Nation of Islam, which have primarily attracted Black members. 92:. Some NRMs deal with the challenges that the modernizing world poses to them by embracing individualism, while other NRMs deal with them by embracing tightly knit collective means. Scholars have estimated that NRMs number in the tens of thousands worldwide. Most NRMs only have a few members, some of them have thousands of members, and a few of them have more than a million members. 854:

in the West that is almost always a form of Christianity), to be not just different, but unacceptably different." Barker cautioned against Melton's approach, arguing that negating the "newness" of "new religious movements" raises problems, for it is "the very fact that NRMs are new that explains many of the key characteristics they display".

1203:. In the twentieth century, concern for the rights and feelings of religious minorities led authors to most often invent fictional cults for their villains to be members of. Fictional cults continue to be popular in film, television, and gaming in the same way, while some popular works treat new religious movements in a serious manner. 798:. Barker noted that there are five sources of information on NRMs: the information provided by such groups themselves, that provided by ex-members as well as the friends and relatives of members, organisations that collect information on NRMs, the mainstream media, and academics studying such phenomena. 756:

Three basic questions have been paramount in orienting theory and research on NRMs: what are the identifying markers of NRMs that distinguish them from other types of religious groups?; what are the different types of NRMs and how do these different types relate to the established institutional order

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Those who convert to a NRM typically believe that in doing so they are gaining some benefit in their life. This can come in many forms, from an increasing sense of freedom to a release from drug dependency, and a feeling of self-respect and direction. Many of those who have left NRMs report that they

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argued that the term "cult" had become too laden with negative connotations, and "advocated dropping its use in academia". A number of alternatives to the term "new religious movement" are used by some scholars. These include "alternative religious movements" (Miller), "emergent religions" (Ellwood)

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Many members of NRMs leave these groups of their own free will. Some of those who do so retain friends within the movement. Some of those who leave a religious community are unhappy with the time that they spent as part of it. Leaving a NRM can pose a number of difficulties. It may result in their

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A popular explanation for why people join new religious movements is that they have been "brainwashed" or subject to "mind control" by the NRM itself. This explanation provides a rationale for "deprogramming", a process in which members of NRMs are illegally kidnapped by individuals who then attempt

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wrote, "Chief among the miss-directed assertions has been the tendency to speak of new religious movements as if they differed very little, if at all, one from another. The tendency has been to lump them together and indiscriminately attribute all of the characteristics which are, in fact, valid for

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One question that faces scholars of religion is when a new religious movement ceases to be "new". As noted by Barker, "In the first century, Christianity was new, in the seventh century Islam was new, in the eighteenth century Methodism was new, in the nineteenth century the Seventh-day Adventists,

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argued that "new religions are just young religions" and as a result, they are "not inherently different" from mainstream and established religious movements, with the differences between the two having been greatly exaggerated by the media and popular perceptions. Melton has stated that those NRMs

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J. Gordon Melton argued that "new religious movements" should be defined by the way dominant religious and secular forces within a given society treat them. According to him, NRMs constituted "those religious groups that have been found, from the perspective of the dominant religious community (and

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Most research has been directed toward those new religions that attract public controversy. Less controversial NRMs tend to be the subject of less scholarly research. It has also been noted that scholars of new religions often avoid researching certain movements that scholars from other backgrounds

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Scholars of religion have often critiqued anti-cult groups of un-critically believing anecdotal stories provided by the ex-members of new religions, of encouraging ex-members to think that they are the victims of manipulation and abuse, and of irresponsibly scare-mongering about NRMs. Of the "well

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The 1960s and 1970s saw the emergence of a number of highly visible new religious movements... seemed so outlandish that many people saw them as evil cults, fraudulent organizations or scams that recruited unaware people by means of mind-control techniques. Real or serious religions, it was felt,

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NRMs are typically founded and led by a charismatic leader. The death of any religion's founder represents a significant moment in its history. Over the months and years following its leader's death, the movement can die out, fragment into multiple groups, consolidate its position, or change its

135:

emerged during the 1970s and 1980s to oppose emergent groups. A distinct field of new religion studies developed within the academic study of religion in the 1970s. There are several scholarly organisations and peer-reviewed journals devoted to the subject. Religious studies scholars contextualize

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New religious movements and cults have appeared as themes or subjects in literature and popular culture, while notable representatives of such groups have produced a large body of literary works. Beginning in the 1700s authors in the English-speaking world began introducing members of "cults" as

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NRMs typically consist largely of first-generation believers, and thus often have a younger average membership than mainstream religious congregations. Some NRMs have been formed by groups who have split from a pre-existing religious group. As these members grow older, many have children who are

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group committed suicide in the belief that their spirits would leave the Earth and join a passing comet. There have also been cases in which members of NRMs have been killed after they engaged in dangerous actions due to mistaken belief in their own invincibility. For example, in Uganda, several

95:

There is no single, agreed-upon criterion for defining a "new religious movement". Debate continues as to how the term "new" should be interpreted in this context. One perspective is that it should designate a religion that is more recent in its origins than large, well-established religions like

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Family members are often distressed when a relative of theirs joins a new religion. Although children break away from their parents for all manner of reasons, in cases where NRMs are involved, it is often the latter that are blamed for the break. Some anti-cultist groups emphasise the idea that

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controversy, has defended NRMs, and in 1988 argued that involvement in such movements may often be beneficial: "There's a large research literature published in mainstream journals on the mental health effects of new religions. For the most part, the effects seem to be positive in any way that's

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Some NRMs are strongly counter-cultural and 'alternative' in the society where they appear, while others are far more similar to a society's established traditional religions. Generally, Christian denominations are not seen as new religious movements; nevertheless, The Church of Jesus Christ of

960:. In the United States, people began to use "cult" in a pejorative manner, to refer to Spiritualism and Christian Science during the 1890s. As commonly used, for instance in sensationalist tabloid articles, the term "cult" continues to have pejorative associations. 2413:

Upon demise of Prabhupada eleven Western Gurus were selected as spiritual heads of the Hare Krsna movement, but many problems followed from their appointment and the movement had since veered away from investing absolute authority in a few, fallible, human

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group. Such violence can also be administered by the state. In Iran, followers of the Baháʼí Faith have faced persecution, while the Ahmadiyya have faced similar violence in Pakistan. Since 1999, the persecution of Falun Gong in China has been severe.

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to convince them to reject their beliefs. Professional deprogrammers, therefore, have a financial interest in promoting the "brainwashing" explanation. Academic research, however, has demonstrated that these brainwashing techniques "simply do not exist".

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in order to move beyond previous sexual problems or bad experiences. Groups that promote celibacy require a strong recruitment drive to survive. The Shakers established orphanages, hoping that the children would become members of their community.

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and more recent NRMs, inspired by Hindu traditions, see it as a lifelong commitment. Others, including the Unification Church, as a stage in spiritual development. In some Buddhist NRMs, celibacy is practiced mostly by older women who become

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of their own members. It actively seeks to discourage people from joining new religions (which it refers to as "cults"). It also encourages members of these groups to leave them, and at times seeking to restrict their freedom of movement.

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noting that "generalizations tend not to be very helpful" when studying NRMs. J. Gordon Melton expressed the view that there is "no single characteristic or set of characteristics" that all new religions share, "not even their newness."

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There are also problems in the use of "religion" within the term "new religious movements". This is because various groups, particularly active within the New Age milieu, have many traits in common with different NRMs but emphasise

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for instance differentiated "churches" from "sect" by claiming that the former term should apply to groups that stretch across social strata while "sects" typically contain converts from socially disadvantaged sectors of society.

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to counter opposition to evangelical Christianity and has come to focus on criticisms of NRMs. Presently the Christian countercult movement opposes most NRMs because of theological differences. It is closely associated with

922:". These are words that have been used in different ways by different groups. For instance, from the nineteenth century onward a number of sociologists used the terms "cult" and "sect" in very specific ways. The sociologist 1118:(1965), Christian scholar Walter Ralston Martin examines a large number of new religious movements; included are major groups such as Christian Science, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, 1035:

should appear in recognizable institutionalized forms, be suitably ancient, and – above all – advocate relatively familiar theological notions and modes of conduct. Most new religions failed to comply with such standards.

514:, while others reinterpret existing texts, utilizing a range of older elements. They frequently claim that these are not new but rather forgotten truths that are being revived. NRM scriptures often incorporate modern 87:

group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its society's dominant religious culture. NRMs can be novel in origin, or they can be part of a wider religion, in which case they are distinct from pre-existing

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Thursby, Gene. "Siddha Yoga: Swami Muktanada and the Seat of Power." When Prophets Die: The Postcharismatic Fate Of New Religious Movements. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1991 pp. 165–182.

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having to abandon a daily framework that they had previously adhered to. It may also generate mixed emotions as ex-members lose the feelings of absolute certainty, which they may have held while in the group.

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Violent incidents involving NRMs are very rare. In events having a large number of casualties, the new religion was led by a charismatic leader. Beginning in 1978, the deaths of 913 members of the

1172:

A number of ex-members of various new religions have made false allegations about their experiences in such groups. For instance, in the late 1980s a man in Dublin, Ireland, was given a three-year

3640: 433:. At first, it was accepted by the Chinese government, and by 1999 there were 70 million practitioners in China. But in July 1999, the government started to view the movement as a threat and 1134:. The beliefs of other world religions such as Islam and Buddhism are also discussed. He covers each group's history and teachings, and contrasts them with those of mainstream Christianity. 860:

favors "simple" definition; for him, NRM is an organization founded within the past 150 or so years, which cannot be easily classified within one of the world's main religious traditions.

492:

has argued that NRMs should not be "lumped together," as they differ from one another on many issues. Virtually no generalisation can be made about NRMs that applies to every group, with

3627:"Average number of Falun Gong in Laogai System at any given time" Low estimate 450,000, High estimate 1,000,000 p 320. "Best estimate of Falun Gong harvested 2000 to 2008" 65,000 p. 322. 136:

the rise of NRMs in modernity as a product of, and answer to, modern processes of secularization, globalization, detraditionalization, fragmentation, reflexivity, and individualization.

636:, which laid out how the group should be run by her successors. The leadership of the Baháʼí Faith passed through a succession of individuals until 1963, when it was assumed by the 440:

In the 21st century, many NRMs are using the Internet to give out information, recruit members, and sometimes to hold online meetings and rituals. That is sometimes referred to as

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have gained from their experience. There are various reasons as to why an individual would join and then remain part of a NRM, including both push and pull factors. According to

1061:. There are also instances in which violence has been directed at new religions. In the United States the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, Joseph Smith, was killed by a 883:

has observed that the growth of sects and new religious movements is one of the "most noticeable" and "highly complex" developments in recent years, and in relation to the

578:, Guyana, by both murder and suicide brought an image of "killer cults" to public attention. Several subsequent events contributed to the concept. In 1994, members of the 4806:

Een nieuw licht op de kerk?: Bijdragen van nieuwe religieuze bewegingen voor de kerk van vandaag/A new perspective on the church: Contributions by NRMs for today's church

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nature to become something quite different from what its founder intended. In some cases, a NRM moves closer to the religious mainstream after the death of its founder.

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A popular conception, unsupported by evidence, holds that those who convert to new religions are either mentally ill or become so through their involvement with them.

2002: 1148:

In the 1970s and 1980s, some NRMs as well as some non-religious groups came under opposition by the newly organized anti-cult movement, which mainly charged them with

1820: 448:, professor of Anthropology and Folklore at California State University, Northridge, has discussed the growing popularity of new religious movements on the Internet. 1742: 914:

Since at least the early 2000s, most sociologists of religion have used the term "new religious movement" in order to avoid the pejorative undertones of terms like "

3600: 876:

Christadelphians, and Jehovah's Witnesses were new; in the twenty-first century the Unification Church, the ISKCON, and Scientology are beginning to look old."

3564: 656:, "many problems followed from their appointment and the movement has since veered away from investing absolute authority in a few, fallible, human teachers." 3745: 3620: 2936: 930:

The term "cult" is used in reference to devotion or dedication to a particular person or place. For instance, within the Roman Catholic Church, devotion to

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knowledge, sometimes with the claim that they are bringing unity to science and religion. Some NRMs believe that their scriptures are received through

7737: 5037: 1790: 1157:"cults" use deceit and trickery to recruit members. The anti-cult movement adopted the term brainwashing, which had been developed by the journalist 116:. Some scholars view the 1950s or the end of the Second World War in 1945 as the defining time, while others look as far back as the founding of the 10223: 5993: 2263: 10072: 5311: 2739: 645: 375: 49: 11129: 6282: 4599:

Religious Leaders of America: A Biographical Guide to Founders and Leaders of Religious Bodies, Churches, and Spiritual Groups in North America

1859: 1765: 127:

New religions have sometimes faced opposition from established religious organisations and secular institutions. In Western nations, a secular

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of the host society?; and what are the most important ways that NRMs respond to the sociocultural dislocation that leads to their formation?

1519:

McRae, John R. (1991). "Oriental Verities on the American Frontier: The 1893 World's Parliament of Religions and the Thought of Masao Abe".

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Wendy Dackson (Summer 2004). "New Religious Movements in the 21st Century: Legal, Political, and Social Challenges in Global Perspective".

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by Helen Danesh, John Danesh and Amelia Danesh, Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, edited by M. Bergsmo (Oxford: George Ronald, 1991)

706:, professor of psychiatry at NYU, typical reasons why people join NRMs include a search for community and a spiritual quest. Sociologists 466:

said that, though no NRM had become the dominant faith in any country, many of the concepts they first introduced (often referred to as "

1169:. Lifton himself had doubts about the applicability of his brainwashing hypothesis to the techniques used by NRMs to convert recruits. 10117: 10044: 7262: 6363: 2960: 1890: 1093: 4929:

Staemmler, Birgit, Dehn, Ulrich (ed.): Establishing the Revolutionary: An Introduction to New Religions in Japan. LIT, Münster, 2011.

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The 1970s was the era of the so-called "cult wars", led by "cult-watching groups". The efforts of the anti-cult movement condensed a

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that "were offshoots of older religious groups... tended to resemble their parent groups far more than they resembled each other."

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In the months preceding his death Srila Prabhupada appointed eleven of his closest disciples to act as initiating gurus for ISKCON

1074:

interviewed over 100 witnesses and estimated that 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners were killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008.

891:

Latter-day Saints, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, and the Shakers have been studied as NRMs. The same situation with

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in the years following the Second World War. From Japan this term was translated and used by several American authors, including

770:

The academic study of new religious movements is known as 'new religions studies' (NRS). The study draws from the disciplines of

17: 5656: 4121: 3889:

van Driel, Barend, and James T. Richardson. "Research Note Categorization of New Religious Movements in American Print Media".

455:, executive director of the Institute for the Study of American Religions at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told 211: 149: 2600:

Bader, Chris & A. Demarish (1996). "A test of the Stark-Bainbridge theory of affiliation with religious cults and sects."

10228: 6272: 6232: 5030: 4934: 4773: 4640: 4545: 4521: 4499: 4379: 4220: 4201: 4183: 4081: 4029: 3951: 3867: 3395: 3374: 3314: 2759: 2536: 2513: 2406: 2370: 2342: 2314: 2088: 1602: 1470: 1050: 528:, the core scripture of the Urantia Movement, was published in 1955 and is said to be the product of a continuous process of 4551: 4322: 4250: 1994: 10693: 7732: 5877: 5459: 5306: 1812: 1562: 1750: 10811: 10092: 9693: 5696: 5108: 641: 379: 11021: 10751: 10633: 10087: 8672: 6626: 5646: 5621: 5365: 5291: 4627: 3592: 583: 399: 4152: 11071: 9897: 7147: 5377: 5162: 4856: 4817: 4750: 4703: 4612: 4582: 4473: 4316: 4244: 3354: 2589: 1699: 1653: 1392: 1307: 714:, in discussing the process by which people join new religious groups, have questioned the utility of the concept of 3578: 11304: 11124: 8682: 6187: 5326: 5276: 5023: 3617: 3461: 2580: 1623: 625:

A number of founders of new religions established plans for succession to prevent confusion after their deaths.

11086: 10981: 10107: 10102: 10058: 9688: 8532: 7791: 6781: 6308: 5802: 5494: 1486: 1223: 1158: 371: 226:, who addressed the meeting, was the first to mention the Baháʼí Faith in the United States. Also attending were 159:. It is one of the largest new religious movements in terms of membership. In Japan, 1838 marks the beginning of 10941: 10766: 10039: 9058: 8999: 8886: 8765: 8697: 7125: 6763: 6682: 6245: 6089: 5454: 5397: 5211: 4953: 3723: 1916: 1083: 809:

in nature. A sizeable body of scholarly literature on new religions has been published, most of it produced by

132: 9178: 9053: 6262: 1054: 11091: 10506: 10243: 9907: 9756: 9678: 9100: 8142: 7695: 6334: 5331: 1130:, Scientology, the Unity Church, as well as minor groups including various New Age groups and those based on 31: 4411: 11149: 10951: 8164: 6914: 5241: 5079: 2524: 1097: 703: 9188: 5837: 2321:

Before Prabhupada died in 1977, he selected senior devotees who would continue to direct the organization.

1787: 11159: 10871: 10866: 10638: 9161: 9122: 8677: 8591: 8159: 6531: 5661: 5074: 3300: 632: 317: 9193: 9183: 2740:"Disciplinary Perspectives on New Religious Movements: Views of from the Humanities and Social Sciences" 2260: 9937: 9882: 9578: 8318: 7835: 6526: 6468: 5932: 5917: 5636: 4738: 2548: 892: 637: 188: 7916: 4416: 4039:

Bromley, David G. (2004). "Whither New Religions Studies?: Defining and Shaping a New Area of Study".

3593:"The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem" 3459:

An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

1494: 11184: 10973: 10831: 10283: 9171: 8950: 8581: 8211: 7776: 6908: 6660: 6497: 6452: 6267: 5631: 5336: 5096: 4560: 1248: 1058: 579: 434: 117: 9289: 4072: (2012). "The Sociology of New Religious Movements". In Olav Hammer; Mikael Rothstein (eds.). 1866: 1773: 502:

only one or two." NRMs themselves often claim that they exist at a crucial place in time and space.

10688: 10648: 10603: 10393: 10383: 10188: 9942: 9767: 9703: 9673: 9563: 9328: 9237: 9205: 9166: 9078: 7985: 7242: 7178: 6648: 6633: 6327: 6277: 6176: 6009: 5882: 5651: 5572: 5557: 5261: 5231: 5204: 5184: 5113: 4531: 4302: 4230: 3706: 3618:

The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem

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to apply to the methods employed by Chinese to convert captured US soldiers to their cause in the

11139: 11076: 11026: 10986: 10931: 10566: 10561: 10451: 10398: 10288: 10218: 10014: 9825: 9740: 8945: 8923: 8722: 8544: 8069: 7727: 7654: 7338: 6709: 6509: 6418: 5762: 5582: 5548: 5147: 3306: 2549:"Ten Years After Jonestown, the Battle Intensifies Over the Influence of 'Alternative' Religions" 1176:

for falsely claiming that he had been drugged, kidnapped, and held captive by members of ISKCON.

1123: 830: 711: 254: 215: 4466:

World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World

2398: 11006: 10901: 10861: 10841: 10698: 10673: 10578: 10551: 10501: 10471: 10461: 10378: 10343: 10328: 10313: 10268: 10203: 9877: 9808: 9713: 9708: 9449: 9372: 9134: 9016: 8940: 8737: 8727: 8586: 8554: 8492: 7980: 7975: 7672: 7632: 7417: 6758: 6753: 6733: 6729: 6257: 6205: 6200: 6069: 6059: 6024: 5792: 5193: 5142: 5138: 2579:

Cults and new religious movements: a report of the committee on psychiatry and religion of the

1127: 983: 600: 274: 172: 144: 89: 5752: 4577:. Religious Information Series, 7 (Rev. and updated ed.). New York; London: Garland Pub. 1045:

There has been opposition to NRMs throughout their history. Some historical events have been:

887:, their "desire for peaceful relations with the Catholic Church may be weak or non-existent". 652:

and to continue to direct the organisation. However, according to British scholar of religion

548:, the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both. Some, including the 532:

from "celestial beings" which began in 1911. Some NRMs, particularly those that are forms of

11247: 11192: 11109: 11061: 11036: 10836: 10658: 10653: 10521: 10511: 10333: 10009: 9952: 9772: 9718: 9139: 9117: 9036: 8977: 8643: 8082: 7943: 7105: 6704: 6616: 6215: 5927: 5847: 5676: 5484: 5407: 5246: 5236: 5000: 3701: 2164:

The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements, Volume 1, James R Lewis, OUP US, 2008, p. 385

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New religious movements expanded in many nations in the 1950s and 1960s at the height of the

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Encyclopedia of New Religions: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities

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Prophets and Protons: New Religious Movements and Science in Late Twentieth-Century America

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An article on the categorization of new religious movements in US print media published by

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In the 1930s, Christian critics of NRMs began referring to them as "cults". The 1938 book

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Cargo Cults and Millenarian Movements: Transoceanic Comparisons of New Religious Movements

2306: 2300: 168: 8: 11242: 11217: 11197: 11174: 11101: 11051: 11031: 10946: 10936: 10891: 10851: 10806: 10801: 10791: 10781: 10776: 10771: 10761: 10746: 10741: 10736: 10731: 10726: 10703: 10613: 10588: 10466: 10456: 10418: 10388: 10373: 10358: 10348: 10338: 10303: 10298: 10248: 10193: 10168: 10112: 9969: 9957: 9845: 9840: 9830: 9698: 9499: 9412: 9357: 9333: 9220: 9105: 9063: 8858: 8707: 8335: 8127: 8012: 7808: 7610: 7495: 7423: 7313: 7234: 7061: 6714: 6538: 6384: 6221: 6181: 6124: 6094: 6064: 5722: 5587: 5474: 5370: 4888:, Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific & University of Papua New Guinea, 1985. 4844:, Waco: J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and Baylor University Press, 2002. 4673:. Vol. 10 (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, Mi: Macmillan Reference USA – via 4662: 4389:

Olson, Paul J. (2006). "The Public Perception of "Cults" and "New Religious Movements"".

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Olson, Paul J. (2006). "The Public Perception of 'Cults' and 'New Religious Movements'".

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Petersen, Jesper Aagaard (2004). "Modern Satanism: Dark Doctrines and Black Flames". In

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Gallagher, Eugene V. (2007). "Compared to What? 'Cults' and 'New Religious Movements'".

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over a thousand groups that have been or might be called cults" listed in the files of

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Michael J. McManus, "Eulogy for the godfather of the anti-cult movement", obituary in

2279: 1554: 599:. The history of the Latter Day Saint movement includes multiple cases of significant 11279: 11273: 11207: 11164: 11154: 11144: 11134: 11041: 10961: 10921: 10846: 10816: 10708: 10663: 10643: 10618: 10593: 10556: 10541: 10516: 10491: 10403: 10353: 10308: 10293: 10273: 10263: 10238: 10178: 10122: 9887: 9663: 9259: 9230: 9154: 9149: 9110: 9048: 9004: 8989: 8972: 8967: 8962: 8901: 8636: 8522: 8288: 8258: 8238: 8059: 7864: 7845: 7840: 7786: 7749: 7470: 7385: 7308: 7206: 7196: 7164: 7152: 7120: 7097: 7079: 6975: 6830: 6738: 6724: 6687: 6675: 6504: 6423: 6375: 6210: 6044: 6034: 6019: 5977: 5671: 5543: 5469: 5417: 5350: 5301: 5226: 5086: 4949: 4930: 4852: 4813: 4769: 4755: 4746: 4699: 4636: 4608: 4578: 4541: 4517: 4509: 4495: 4483: 4469: 4426:

Robbins, Thomas (2000). "Quo Vadis the Scientific Study of New Religious Movements".

4402: 4375: 4312: 4240: 4216: 4197: 4179: 4117: 4096: 4077: 4025: 4019: 3947: 3719: 3391: 3370: 3350: 3310: 3281: 3212: 3014: 2755: 2585: 2553: 2532: 2509: 2402: 2366: 2338: 2310: 2084: 1884: 1695: 1598: 1466: 1419: 1388: 1303: 1184:, writes Eileen Barker, the "vast majority" have not engaged in criminal activities. 1131: 857: 846: 806: 791: 629:, the American founder of Christian Science, spent fifteen years working on her book 536:, have a prescribed system of courses and grades through which members can progress. 441: 348: 219: 8742: 8340: 8000: 7754: 4098:

New Religions in Global Perspective: A Study of Religious Change in the Modern World

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Opening A Channel To The Stars: The Origins and Development of the Aetherius Society

250:. This conference gave Asian religious teachers their first wide American audience. 11232: 11114: 11011: 10623: 10583: 10531: 10526: 10443: 10413: 10323: 10213: 10077: 10029: 10024: 9588: 9553: 9526: 9284: 9269: 9144: 9068: 8918: 8896: 8804: 8665: 8444: 8407: 8263: 8248: 8196: 7990: 7970: 7938: 7933: 7904: 7899: 7823: 7813: 7642: 7606: 7598: 7569: 7482: 7402: 7397: 7360: 7350: 7276: 7214: 7056: 6893: 6743: 6401: 5937: 5782: 5772: 5521: 5429: 5402: 5360: 5281: 5221: 5216: 5157: 4939: 4892: 4674: 4632: 4622: 4604: 4592: 4568: 4540:. Oxford Handbooks. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. 4461: 4435: 4398: 4350: 4277: 4265: 4211:

Hammer, Olav; Rothstein, Mikael (2012). "Introduction to New Religious Movements".

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Ashcraft, W. Michael (2005). "A History of the Study of New Religious Movements".

3535:"China: The crackdown on Falun Gong and other so-called "heretical organizations"" 801:

The study of new religions is unified by its topic of interest rather than by its

11283: 9912: 9892: 9382: 9274: 9264: 8933: 8601: 8392: 8372: 8303: 8268: 8201: 7921: 7894: 7869: 7818: 7796: 7589: 7532: 7303: 6820: 6621: 6547: 6487: 6442: 6411: 5962: 5867: 5797: 5787: 5747: 5526: 5382: 5355: 4982: 4765: 4572: 4535: 4306: 4234: 4111: 4107: 4091: 3941: 3644: 3638:"Q&A: Author and analyst Ethan Gutmann discusses China's illegal organ trade" 3624: 3604: 3573: 3504: 3465: 3346: 2502: 2286: 2267: 1923: 1794: 987: 923: 626: 615: 558: 498: 387: 270: 247: 4194:

Modern World Religions: Hinduism – Pupil Book Core (Modern World Religions)

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Journeys East: 20th century Western encounters with Eastern religious traditions

1645: 841: 11309: 10034: 9927: 9867: 9583: 9558: 9343: 9247: 9129: 9073: 9026: 8439: 8387: 8283: 8253: 8233: 8228: 8223: 8206: 8102: 8022: 8005: 7958: 7948: 6992: 6655: 6638: 6457: 6437: 6406: 6252: 5972: 5957: 5922: 5907: 5862: 5817: 5807: 5717: 5594: 5444: 5321: 5266: 5189: 5152: 4919: 4778: 4768:(2000). Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective. Richmond : Curzon. 4762:, Paris: UNESCO/London, Beverly Hills & New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 1986. 4167: 3711: 3560: 3256:"Stepping out of the Ivory Tower: A Sociological Engagement in 'The Cult Wars'" 2042: 1928: 1376: 1046: 1010: 896: 810: 571: 511: 463: 363: 329: 302: 7995: 7257: 1853:

Rita M. Hauck, "Stratospheric Transparency: Perspectives on Internet Privacy,

1619: 611: 286: 11298: 9962: 9516: 9397: 8789: 8784: 8732: 8569: 8507: 8402: 8293: 8191: 8122: 8054: 8044: 8017: 7953: 7850: 7828: 7766: 7662: 7625: 7544: 7452: 6903: 6854: 6559: 6119: 6049: 5872: 5737: 5732: 5691: 5531: 5387: 5251: 4909: 4719: 4354: 3937: 3715: 3450: 1903:

Magliocco, Sabina. 2012. “Neopaganism.” In O. Hammer and M. Rothstein, Eds.,

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that 40 to 45 new religious movements emerge each year in the United States.

262: 8631: 3921: 405: 10097: 9999: 9860: 9548: 9543: 9521: 9511: 9392: 8824: 8759: 8702: 8687: 8653: 8278: 8186: 7224: 7115: 7110: 6961: 6931: 6805: 6773: 6521: 6492: 6479: 6194: 6129: 6074: 5942: 5842: 5827: 5757: 5506: 5422: 5123: 5103: 4281: 4148: 4132: 4052: 3985: 3772: 1119: 1066: 944: 935: 771: 707: 689: 681: 352: 306: 282: 200: 156: 109: 84: 8325: 7012: 5015: 3272: 3255: 235: 10019: 9994: 9818: 9786: 9777: 9723: 9653: 9638: 9531: 9422: 9083: 9031: 8819: 8537: 8517: 8357: 8298: 8036: 8032: 7855: 7375: 7323: 7293: 7130: 6984: 6876: 6800: 6665: 6601: 6552: 5897: 5832: 5777: 5577: 5511: 5499: 5489: 5412: 5005: 3454: 2807: 1200: 994: 950: 864: 802: 674: 653: 383: 340: 290: 227: 204: 52: 9338: 9279: 8382: 7803: 7637: 7186: 3458: 3021: 2349:

Before his death Prabhupada appointed eleven American devotees as gurus.

595:, told them that they would be protected from bullets by the oil of the 582:

committed suicide in Canada and Switzerland. In 1997, 39 members of the

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in South Africa. The early 20th century also saw a rise in interest in

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was held in Chicago. The conference included NRMs of the time such as

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Communities of Dissent: A History of Alternative Religions in America

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Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Evangelical Approach

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The New Believers: A Survey of Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions

1649: 1300: 1295:, 1999, "New Religious Movements: their incidence and significance", 884: 787: 596: 575: 533: 478: 418: 410: 298: 192: 184: 80: 7407: 6936: 5128: 4714:

New Religious Movements in Western Europe: An Annotated Bibliography

4215:. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–9. 3757:"unapologetically hostile to young and developing spiritual trends" 1532: 1402: 1400: 164: 9735: 9479: 9469: 9324: 8814: 8794: 8621: 8497: 8352: 7926: 7680: 7620: 7539: 7447: 7434: 7412: 7392: 7370: 7365: 7345: 7285: 7252: 7191: 7035: 7020: 6898: 6859: 6815: 6606: 6543: 6447: 6350: 5892: 5599: 5516: 5439: 5167: 4076:. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 13–28. 3204: 1062: 998: 795: 545: 483: 367: 294: 160: 121: 105: 97: 4871:

Extraordinary groups: an examination of unconventional life-styles

3967:"What Are We Studying? A Sociological Case for Keeping the "Nova"" 3231: 2938:

Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism

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Cults in context: readings in the study of new religious movements

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Seeking Entry-Level Prophet: Burning Bush and Tablets Not Required

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Hartford Institute of Religious Research: New religious movements

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Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History

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by Jan Karel van Baalen (1890–1968), an ordained minister in the

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in 1844. In India there have been mob killings of members of the

1001:, in particular, came to be known as a distinct phenomenon, the " 779: 549: 519: 467: 243: 176: 101: 38: 5887: 4692:

Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and redefinitions

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In Gods we trust: new patterns of religious pluralism in America

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was founded in England. It and some other NRMs have been called

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