This chapter provides an overview of the study of abuse in new religious movements. The new second edition has been updated and revised throughout and includes a new foreword by noted historian of religion, j. First, there are the new religious movements o sociology of religion, religion, sociology of the study of the relationship of religion to social structures and social processes. New religions, new religions, new religious movements nrms this concept refers to two separate religious phenomena. A sense of selfawareness and spiritual sensitivity have found expression in the lives of large numbers of people, especially among youth. Conversion, brainwashing, and the new religious movements. The sociology of new religious movements chapter 1 the.
New religious movements are sometimes pejoratively referred to as cults. The academic study of new religious movements is known as new religions studies nrs. It presents studies by several sociologists of new religious movements on the role played by apostates described as individuals that leave new religious movements to pursue opposition against their former group. New books in new religious movements, 20152018 reading. Scholars studying the sociology of religion have almost unanimously adopted this term as a neutral alternative to. For many years he has taught a large course on new religious movements, and recently published five articles in the field and edited the book cults incontext. Among his recent books on religious movements are cults, religion, and. Long the focus of controversy, cults, what sociologists prefer to call new religious movements have been studied by scholars for years. In academic studies, they are more often associated with processes of social change and the critique of modernity. Readings in the study of new religious movements 1996. Short of a time machine, the study of contemporary new religious movements cults is as close as we are likely to get to witnessing the early beginnings, and evolution, of mature religions.
David koresh told his followers that only he understood the book of. A specialist in the sociology of religion and new religious movements, he is the author of many books, including a guide to new religious movements. Academics identify a variety of characteristics which they employ in categorizing groups as new religious movements. The sociology of new religious movements 9780195420098 by dawson, lorne l. Social movement theory and the sociology of religion. Comprehending cults, second edition, provides a sociological interpretation of the phenomenon of new religious movements. Meaning and significance of new religious movements oxford. The study draws from the disciplines of anthropology, psychiatry, history, psychology, sociology, religious studies, and theology. Rent comprehending cults the sociology of new religious movements 2nd edition 9780195420098 and save up to 80% on textbook rentals and 90% on used textbooks. Introduction with james beckford new religious movements and society. Nrms may be novel in origin or they may exist on the fringes of a wider religion, in which case they will be distinct from preexisting denominations. This book is undoubtedly the best introduction to new religious movements nrms as sociological phenomena. Nrms may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as christianity, in which case they will be distinct from preexisting denominations.
Lorne l dawson this book summarizes, synthesizes, and assesses the results of thirty years of research into new religious movements by historians, sociologists, and psychologists of religion. Ronald enroth is professor of sociology at westmont college in santa barbara, california. Hannigan university of toronto despite a similar genesis in the classic nineteenth century theories of social change, scholarly analyses of religious and social movements have frequently addressed different problems and formulated separate paradigms. Dawson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Wallis 1984 argues that the last 30 years in the usa and europe have witnessed a rapid growth in nrms. New religious movements and rapid social change sage. The sociology of new religious movements by lorne l. Religion in sociological perspective sage publications inc.
Many books and articles have been written and many studies have been conducted with regard to nrms. The sociology of religious movements is the culmination of work begun in the future of religion the 1986 award winner of the society for the scientific study of religion and a theory of religion 1993 award winner of the pacific sociological association. A new religious movement nrm, also known as a new religion or alternative spirituality, is a religious or spiritual group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its societys dominant religious culture. Comprehending cults the sociology of new religious. The book shows how rapid social change gives rise to novel religious. Millenarianism also millenarism, from latin millenarius containing a thousand, is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming fundamental transformation of society, after which all things will be changed.
Though minority religions had regularly populated the fringes of western culture throughout history, a host of new religious movements had appeared in north america at the end of the 1960s and incited public controversy. The book contains several fascinating case studies of new religious movements i prefer the shorter sociological term cult, but i understand that the word carries negative connotations to laypersons such as the familychildren of god and the process church of the final judgment, as well as on older. Case studies are used to illustrate the types of violence that were reported by devotees. Nrms may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, in which case they will be distinct from preexisting denominati. Explaining how religion and society transform each other, this book explores such movements as holiness, adventism, religious communes, satanism, new age and democratization. Cults, converts and charisma is a university edition of the authors trend report in current sociology volume 36. Cults versus new religions is a matter of perspective, says ori tavor, a senior lecturer in the department of east asian languages and civilizations, who teaches a class on new religious movements. The term new religious movement has been applied to all new faiths that have arisen worldwide over the past several centuries. The new age movement is one of the better known examples of nature spirituality. Examines how new religions have originated, survived or died, and sometimes prospered throughout u. Social movement theory and the sociology of religion jstor. Encyclopedia of new religious movements peter clarke download.
Drawing on the literature on patriarchal charismatic movements, the chapter explores the dynamics of physical and sexual abuse that characterized leaderfollower relationships across a diverse number of religious groups. I just finished reading william bainbridges the sociology of religious movements 1997. New religious movements provide answers, meet human need e. While the number of people involved in new religious movements nrms is small, the attention they have received in the popular media and academic discourse suggest a greater significance. A 2001 course by lorne dawson at the university of waterloo is designed to serve two ends. The book contains several fascinating case studies of new religious movements i prefer the shorter sociological term cult, but i understand that the word carries. A new religious movement nrm is a faithbased community, or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of recent origin. The sociology of new religious movements by dawson, lorne l. New religious movements and cults in popular culture. Since its inception around 1970, the study of new religious movements nrms has evolved into an established multidisciplinary field. Their incidence and significance introduction the subject that i address in this introduction the incidence and significance of new religious movements is enormous, and the necessity to select a few points from the many that could be raised is. Sep 19, 2018 key features of world rejecting new religious movements their religious ideology tends to be highly critical of mainstream society and possible mainstream religions within that society. Lorne l dawson tackling popular stereotypes and media portrayals of new religious movements nrms, lorne dawson attempts to replace prejudice, misconceptions, and. In the popular media, nrms are most often seen as a social problem.
Bromley is professor of sociology at virginia commonwealth university. Many sociologists prefer to call cults new religious movements. The term new religious movements has been employed to refer to a number of distinguish able but overlapping phenomena, not all of which are unambiguously new and not all of which are, by at least some criteria, religious. New religious movements graduate theological union. The vast majority of the thousands of small and unorthodox religious groups that exist around the world today are not dangerous to their members or to the rest of society. New religions studies nrs, an emerging area of specialization in the academic study of religion, has as its primary mission the study of new religious movements nrms. The new age movement is a loosely defined pantheistic worldview in. Wilson, emeritus fellow in sociology, oxford university. Eileen barker noted that there are five sources of information on new religious movements nrms. In this book, a group of senior nrm scholars who have been instrumental in the development of the field offer pivotal essays in the form of. An analysis and comparison of its religious systems and doctrines.
Meaning and significance of new religious movements. Barrett covering the origin, history, beliefs, practices and controversies of more than sixty new religious movements, including the family international, international church of christ, osho rajneesh, satanism, new kadampa tradition, wicca. Sociologists dislike the term cult because of its negative connotations, prefer new religious movement nrms often have high levels of tension with dominant religious norms however, nrms may become mainstream religions reform social movement seek to change limited aspects of a society but do not seek to alter or replace major social institutions. Some still use the term cult for groups they believe to be extremely manipulative and exploitative. Entries are crossreferenced with short bibliographies for further reading. For classes in religion or the social sciences, or for interested individuals, understanding new religious movements offers the most objective introduction possible. New religious movements are often popularly referred to as cults or sects. Most of his publications deal with matters of theory and method in the study of religion and sociology. In other words, the patterns typical of new religious movements are suggestive of how the old religious movements got their start. Some nrms deal with the challenges posed by the modernizing. While nrs has its roots in a variety of disciplines anthropology, history, psychology, religious studies, and sociology the discipline of sociology has played a. Roy wallis suggests that some of the new religious movements such as the unification church and krishna consciousness attracted mainly well educated middle class people and suggested that these movements compensated them for psychic deprivation they were disillusioned with their parents capitalist values and turned to these. The most ambitions publication of its sort, the encyclopedia of new religious movements is a major addition to the reference literature for students and researchers of the field in religious studies and the social sciences. Violence and new religious movements oxford handbooks.
A guide to new religious movements intervarsity press. Students in this concentration study new religious movements as organizational movements, religious ideas, and distinctive spiritualties that emerged in the nineteenth century metaphysical churches, latter day saints, bahai, occult and esoteric movements and in the upsurge of nontraditional and alternative movements from the midtwentieth century forward western appropriations of. With this caveat in mind, students can expect to experience. Brian wilson argued that many religious and spiritual organisations operating in contemporary society do not fit into categories such as churches and sects. A new religious movement nrm is a religious community or spiritual group of modern origins, which has a peripheral place within its nations dominant religious culture. In the 1970s a new subfield in academia developed around the study of what was termed new religions. A new religious movement nrm is a religious, ethical, or spiritual group or community with practices of relatively modern origins. These are the sources and citations used to research new religious movements. New religious movement is a new term from academic discourse, and is applied to religious movements from the 19th century onwards. Jun 26, 2005 ronald enroth is professor of sociology at westmont college in santa barbara, california. New religious movement, any relatively new religion characterized by innovative responses to modern conditions, perceived counterculturalism, eclecticism and syncretism, and charismatic and sometimes authoritarian leadership. This has led to the development of typologies of cults and other new religious movements.
The most important first that this book achieves is its bold questioning of the whole intellectual apparatus of the sociology of religion as it has been. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the most important theoretical categories in the scope of sociology of religion. The new religious movements experience in america greenwood. New religious movement nrm, the generally accepted term for what is sometimes called, often with pejorative connotations, a cult. While the author does not offer an apologia for cultsin either a religious or a sociological sensehe does attempt to replace suspicion and misinformation with a greater knowledge of the facts as best we know them and a measure of sympathetic understanding. This text will be essential reading for students and researchers in the sociology of religion and in religious studies. Since the mid1960s, new religious movementssome exotic, some homegrownhave burgeoned all over the united states. World rejecting new religious movements revisesociology. New religious movements are revealed as a normal aspect of social life and as. New religions studies nrs, an emerging area of specialization in the academic study of religion, has as its primary mission the study of new.
A survey of sects, cults, and alternative religions, is a book by david v. Academic study of new religious movements wikipedia. At the same time, both the movements and the scholars who study them have been the subjects of intense controversy. The sociology of religious movements is the culmination of work begun in the future of religion the 1986 award winner of the society for the scientific study of religion and a theory of religion 1993 award winner of. Teaching new religious movements oxford scholarship. Lorne l dawson tackling popular stereotypes and media portrayals of new religious movements nrms, lorne dawson attempts to replace prejudice, misconceptions, and speculation with scholarly insight.
Nrms can be novel in origin or part of a wider religion, in which case they are distinct from preexisting denominations. World rejecting movements typically demand high levels of commitment from members. A guide to new religious movements christian book distributors. An article on the categorization of new religious movements in u. The role of apostates in the transformation of religious movements is a 1998 book edited by david g.
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