New Religious Movements in the Twenty-First Century: Legal, Political, and Social Challenges in Global Perspective

New Religious Movements in the 21st Century is the first volume to examine the urgent and important issues facing new religions in their political, legal and religious contexts in global perspective. With essays from prominent NRM scholars and usefully organized into four regional areas covering Western Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, Russia and Eastern Europe, and North and South America, as well as a concluding section on the major themes of globalization and terrorist violence, this book provides invaluable insight into the challenges facing religion in the twenty-first century. An introduction by Tom Robbins provides an overview of the major issues and themes discussed in the book.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; Alternative Religions, the State, and the Globe - Thomas Robbins; Section 1. Western Europe General Overview of the 'Cult Scene' in Great Britain - Eileen Barker; Religious Minorities and New Religious Movements in Denmark - Armin W. Geertz and Mikael Rothstein; France's Obsession with the 'Sectarian Threat' - Daniele Hervieu-Leger; The Secte Response to Religious Discrimination: Subversives, Martyrs, or Freedom Fighters in the French Sect Wars - Susan J. Palmer; Italy's Surprisingly Favorable Environment for Religious Minorities - Massimo Introvigne; New Religions in Germany: The Publicity of the Public Sphere - Brigitte Schoen; Section 2. Eastern Europe and Eurasia New Religions in the New Russia - Marat Shterin; New Religious Minorities in the Baltic States - Solveiga Krumina-Konkova; Crushing Wahhabi Fundamentalists in Central Asia and the Caucasus: Sub-plot to the Global Struggle against Al-Qaeda or Suppression of Legitimate Religious Opposition? - Brian Glyn Williams; Section 3. Africa, Asia, and Australia Prophets, 'False Prophets', and the African State: Emergent Issues of Religious Freedom and Conflict - Rosalind I. J. Hackett; Religion on a Leash: NRMs and the Limits of Chinese Freedom - Scott Lowe; Consensus Shattered: Japanese Paradigm Shift and Moral Panic in the Post-Aum Era - Ian Reader; New Religions in Australia: Public Menace or Societal Salvation - James T. Richardson; Section 4. North and South America The Mainstreaming of Alternative Spirituality in Brazil - Robert T. Carpenter; The Fate of NRMs and their Detractors in Twenty-First Century America - J. Gordon Melton; New Religions and the Anticult Movement in Canada - Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe; Section 5. Theoretical Considerations New Religious Movements and Globalization - James A. Beckford; Apocalypse 9/11 John R. Hall Establishments and Sects in the Islamic World - Mark Sedgwick; Research on New Religious Movements in the Post-9/11 World - Benjamin Zablocki and J. Anna Looney; Cults, Porn, and Hate: Convergent Discourses on First Amendment Restriction - Dick Anthony and Thomas Robbins; Conclusion: The Future of New and Minority Religions in the 21st Century: Religious Freedom under Global Siege - Phillip Charles Lucas

About the Author :
Phillip Lucas is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Stetson University. He is the author The Oddyssey of aNew Religion and Prime Time Religion, with J. Gordon Melton and Jon Stone. He is also the founding editor of the journal iNova Religion. Tom Robbins, an independent scholar, has authored and edited many volumes including Millennium, Messiahs, and Mayhem (Routledge, 1997).

Review :
"New Religious Movements is a good starting point for a serious student of religion to learn more about the challenges that face emerging faith communities...It is well indexed, and each essay has a good set of endnotes." -- Journal of Church and State "This text is a valuable anthology by 25 New Religious Movement scholars on political and social reactions to New Religious Movements in their host countries." -- Brian Jennings, Ghana Christian College and Seminary "This volume is unlike previous efforts examining new religions. It is sweeping in its geopolitical scope, addressing important issues facing new religious expressions in their political, legal and social contexts." -- Robert C. Douglas, Lincoln Christian Seminary