Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American HistoryOxford University Press, 6 abr 2000 - 304 páginas In Mystics and Messiahs--the first full account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history--Philip Jenkins shows that, contrary to popular belief, cults were by no means an invention of the 1960s. In fact, most of the frightening images and stereotypes surrounding fringe religious movements are traceable to the mid-nineteenth century when Mormons, Freemasons, and even Catholics were denounced for supposed ritualistic violence, fraud, and sexual depravity. But America has also been the home of an often hysterical anti-cult backlash. Jenkins offers an insightful new analysis of why cults arouse such fear and hatred both in the secular world and in mainstream churches, many of which were themselves originally regarded as cults. He argues that an accurate historical perspective is urgently needed if we are to avoid the kind of catastrophic confrontation that occurred in Waco or the ruinous prosecution of imagined Satanic cults that swept the country in the 1980s. Without ignoring genuine instances of aberrant behavior, Mystics and Messiahs goes beyond the vast edifice of myth, distortion, and hype to reveal the true characteristics of religious fringe movements and why they inspire such fierce antagonism. |
Índice
The Nineteenth | |
The Christian Sects 1890 | |
FOUR The First New | |
Anticult Campaigns 19201940 | |
EIGHT The New Boom 19601980 | |
TEN Devil Cults and Doomsday Cults 19802000 | |
Notes | |
Otras ediciones - Ver todo
Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History Philip Jenkins Vista previa restringida - 2000 |
Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History Philip Jenkins Vista previa restringida - 2000 |
Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History Philip Jenkins No hay ninguna vista previa disponible - 2000 |
Términos y frases comunes
activities Adventist African Aleister Crowley American religion Angeles anticult Ascended Masters Asian Atlantis attack Ballard became believers Black Muslims brainwashing Catholic charges Charles Chicago Christ Christian Science claimed commune contemporary critics Crowley Crowley’s cult leaders cultists culture Curtiss Davidians decades denominations deprogramming early Eddy esoteric evangelical families Fard Father Divine followers fringe religions Gordon Melton healing Holy human sacrifice ideas influence Jehovah’s Witnesses Jesus Jewish Jonestown magazine magic mainstream Mary Baker Eddy messiahs million modern Mormon murder mystical Nation of Islam occult Pelley Pentecostal polygamy popular practices Press prophets Psychiana published quote racial Religious Cults religious fringe religious groups religious movements revival rhetoric Rosicrucian satanic scandals Seabrook secret sects sexual Shakers social society spiritual stereotypes stories Temple Theosophists Theosophy Thought thousand traditions twentieth century Unification Church Univ violence voodoo William William Dudley Pelley Witchcraft witches York