Cults: A Reference and Guide(Approaches to New Religions)

Cults examines the history and current status of cults across the United States, Europe, and East Asia. Focusing on the principal controversial religions and movements that have attracted major media attention, the book also includes profiles of hundreds of minority religions, from Jesus People and Rastafarians to voodoo practitioners and the human-cloning Raelians. All the issues central to the practice and the fear of cults are examined - apocalypticism, deprogramming, social isolation, cults and the media, the use and threat of violence, child custody, libel, tax evasion, solicitation, and the techniques of persuasion and conviction - as are the many charismatic cult leaders. Cults presents a comprehensive and authoritative reference, offering a balanced view of the controversy surrounding these new religious movements, assessing the movements themselves as well as the legal and governmental responses to them, including attempts to quantify membership.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1. Overview 2. Court Decisions, Legislation and Governmental Actions 3. Controversial Groups and Movements 4. Documents and Data 5. Organizations and Websites Chronology Bibliography Index

About the Author :
James R. Lewis is Associate Professor at the University of Tromso. His most recent books include Sacred Schisms (edited with Sarah Lewis, Cambridge University Press, 2009), Children of Jesus and Mary (with Nicolas Levine, Oxford University Press, 2010), Islamic Sects and Movements (Oxford University Press, forthcoming), Modern Satanism (with Asbjorn Dyrendal and Jesper A. Petersen, Oxford University Press, forthcoming) and Introduction to New Religious Movements (with Danielle Kirby, Routledge, forthcoming).

Review :
'Cults provides a wealth of information about many different new (and older) religions from around the world, and about the history of these groups and movements over the past two centuries. This should be on the shelf of anyone interested in newer religious phenomena.' James T. Richardson, University of Nevada at Reno 'Written by one of the world's leading authorities on new religious movements, Cults can be thoroughly recommended to students and scholars, but its lucidity makes it thoroughly accessible to the general reader and anyone who needs to become informed about the 'cult scene'.' George Chryssides, University of Birmingham 'A 'go to' reference for academics, professionals and the general public. The case studies of a wide array of new religions are invaluable. Anyone who studies religion will find this book valuable.' Dell de Chant, University of South Florida 'A precise and useful overview of this important and often controversial phenomenon.' Regis Dericquebourg, National Center for Scientific Research, Paris 'I strongly believe that this book will be a very interesting and useful tool not only for those who are familiar with the field of NRMs, but for those who want to acquire well grounded knowledge on this scientific field. It is an objective textbook, which focuses on the exact facts and provides the reader with specific and grounded information. Being a non apologetic for NRMs book is a great advantage, because the field is full of anti-cult books, articles and websites. That is why I argue that the publication of the book will be very important for scholars, students or any other person, who is interested in forming a concrete and objective opinion concerning NRMs. I would also add that the inclusion of case-studies (tax cases, court cases, libel cases, etc.), are quite illuminating and helpful for the reader.' Alexandros Sakellariou, Post-doctoral Researcher, Sociology of Religion, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences of Athens