Controversial New Religions
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Controversial New Religions
''Controversial New Religions'' is an edited volume discussing new religious movements, or cults, that have resulted in controversy. It was co-edited by James R. Lewis and Jesper Aagaard Petersen, and was first published in 2004 by Oxford University Press. A second edition containing mostly new content was published with the same two editors in 2014. The first edition contains 19 essays, while the second contains 22. Both editions are divided into four sections by topic, and cover numerous groups. Both editions contain content on Western or Christian inspired new religious movements like the Unification Church or the Peoples Temple, in addition to Asian-derived groups like the Falun Gong, the Rajneesh movement and Aum Shinrikyo. Groups related to western esoteric and New Age concepts are also subject to discussion: the Church of Scientology and the Order of the Solar Temple are covered in both volumes, as are unclassified other groups like Heaven's Gate and Raëlism. Reviews f ...
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Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books by decree in 1586. It is the second-oldest university press after Cambridge University Press, which was founded in 1534. It is a department of the University of Oxford. It is governed by a group of 15 academics, the Delegates of the Press, appointed by the Vice Chancellor, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford. The Delegates of the Press are led by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as OUP's chief executive and as its major representative on other university bodies. Oxford University Press has had a similar governance structure since the 17th century. The press is located on Walton Street, Oxford, Walton Street, Oxford, opposite Somerville College, Oxford, Somerville College, in the inner suburb of Jericho, Oxford, Jericho. ...
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Religious Studies
Religious studies, also known as religiology or the study of religion, is the study of religion from a historical or scientific perspective. There is no consensus on what qualifies as ''religion'' and definition of religion, its definition is highly contested. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing empirical, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives. While theology attempts to understand the Transcendence (religion), transcendent or supernatural according to traditional religious accounts, religious studies takes a more scientific and objective approach, independent of any particular religious viewpoint. Religious studies thus draws upon multiple academic disciplines and methodologies including Anthropology of religion, anthropology, Sociology of religion, sociology, Psychology of religion, psychology, Philosophy of religion, philosophy, and history of religion. Religious studies originated in Modern Europe, 19th-century Europe, when B ...
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Marion S
Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People and fictional characters *Marion (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Marion (surname), a list of people with the surname Places Australia * City of Marion, a local government area in South Australia * Marion, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide ** Marion railway station United States * Marion, Alabama, a city * Marion, Arkansas, a city * Marion, Connecticut, a neighborhood of the town of Southington * Marion, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Marion, Illinois, a city * Marion, Indiana, a city ** Marion station (Amtrak), a former train station ** Marion station (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad), a former train station of the Pennsylvania Railroad * Marion, Shelby Coun ...
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Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified by adherence to the concept of ''dharma'', a Ṛta, cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word ''Hindu'' is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, it has also been described by the modern term ''Sanātana Dharma'' () emphasizing its eternal nature. ''Vaidika Dharma'' () and ''Arya dharma'' are historical endonyms for Hinduism. Hinduism entails diverse systems of thought, marked by a range of shared Glossary of Hinduism terms, concepts that discuss God in Hinduism, theology, Hindu mythology, mythology, among other topics in Hindu texts, textual sources. Hindu texts have been classified into Śruti () and Smṛti (). The major Hin ...
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Aumists
Aumism is a minor religious sect founded in 1969 by Gilbert Bourdin (1923–1998). Centered on the "holy city" of Mandarom, near Castellane in the French Alps, it has approximately 400 members, down from 1200 at its peak. It is a synthesis of a number of religions, most prominently Hinduism. Its name derives from the mystical "aum" sound used in Hindu meditation, which is said to be the sound that gave birth to all other sounds. There is debate about whether Bourdin's founding of the Ashram (Holy City) of Mandarom in 1969 marked the beginning of the Aumist movement. History Gilbert Bourdin (June 25th, 1923 – March 19th, 1998), also known by several other names such as Hamsananda Sarasvati, Imam Mahdi Manarah, Melkitsedeq, and "His Holiness Lord Hamsah Manarahthe(Manarah)", is the founder of the Aumist movement. He was born in Martinique. Bourdin spent time in the French Civil Service before engaging in a spiritual journey that led him to Aumism. Bourdin founded the Aumist moveme ...
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Soka Gakkai
is a Japanese new religions, Japanese new religion led by Minoru Harada since December 2023 based on the teachings of the 13th-century Buddhist priest Nichiren. It claims the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhist groups. The organization bases its teachings on Nichiren's interpretation of the ''Lotus Sutra'' and places chanting Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō at the center of devotional practice. The organization promotes its goals as supporting "peace, culture, and education". Soka Gakkai was founded by educators Makiguchi and Toda on 18 November 1930, and held its inaugural meeting in 1937. It was disbanded during the Second World War when much of the leadership was imprisoned for violations of the Peace Preservation Law#Public Security Preservation Law of 1925, 1925 Peace Preservation Law and charges of lèse-majesté. After the war, its expansion was led by its former third president Daisaku Ikeda. In Japan, Soka Gakkai is the head ...
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ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The organization's spiritual and administrative headquarters is located in Mayapur, West Bengal, India, and it claims a global membership of around one million people. ISKCON teaches a form of Panentheism, panentheistic Hinduism rooted in the Bhagavad Gita, the ''Bhagavata Purana'', and other Hindu texts, scriptures, interpreted through the commentaries of its founder. Although commonly regarded as monotheistic by the general public, ISKCON theology emphasizes that the Supreme Being, Krishna, manifests in multiple forms while remaining the singular, ultimate reality. The movement is described as the largest and most influential branch of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which origi ...
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Stuart A
Stuart may refer to: People *Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) * Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan * House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England Places Australia Generally * Stuart Highway, connecting South Australia and the Northern Territory Northern Territory *Stuart, the former name for Alice Springs (changed 1933) * Stuart Park, an inner city suburb of Darwin * Central Mount Stuart, a mountain peak Queensland * Stuart, Queensland, a suburb of Townsville * Mount Stuart, Queensland, a suburb of Townsville * Mount Stuart (Queensland), a mountain South Australia * Stuart, South Australia, a locality in the Mid Murray Council *Electoral district of Stuart, a state electoral district * Hundred of Stuart, a cadastral unit Canada * Stuart Channel, a strait in the Gulf of Georgia region of British Columbia United Kingdom * Castle Stuart United States *Stuart, Florida * Stuart, Iowa * Stuart, Nebraska * Stuart, ...
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Waco Siege
The Waco siege, also known as the Waco massacre, was the siege by US federal government and Texas state law enforcement officials of a compound belonging to the religious cult known as the Branch Davidians, between February 28 and April 19, 1993. The Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh, were headquartered at Mount Carmel Center ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, 13 miles (21 kilometers) northeast of Waco, Texas, Waco. Suspecting the group of stockpiling illegal weapons, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) obtained a search warrant for the compound and arrest warrants for Koresh and several of the group's members. The ATF had planned a sudden daylight raid of the ranch in order to serve these warrants. Any advantage of surprise was lost when a local reporter who had been tipped off about the raid asked for directions from a US Postal Service mail carrier who was coincidentally Koresh's brother-in-la ...
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David Koresh
David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader. who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect, Koresh claimed to be its final prophet. His apocalyptic Biblical teachings, including interpretations of the Book of Revelation and the Seven Seals, attracted various followers. Coming from a dysfunctional background, Koresh was a member and later a leader of the Branch Davidians, a movement originally led by Benjamin Roden, based at the Mount Carmel Center outside Waco, Texas. There, Koresh competed for dominance with another leader, Benjamin Roden's son George, until Koresh and his followers took over Mount Carmel in 1987. In the early 1990s, he became subject to allegations about polygamy and child sexual abuse by former Branch Davidian associates. Further allegations related to the Branch Davidians' stockpiling of weapons led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacc ...
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Conspiracy Theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term generally has a negative connotation, implying that the appeal of a conspiracy theory is based in prejudice, emotional conviction, or insufficient evidence. A conspiracy theory is distinct from a conspiracy; it refers to a hypothesized conspiracy with specific characteristics, including but not limited to opposition to the mainstream consensus among those who are qualified to evaluate its accuracy, such as scientists or historians. Conspiracy theories tend to be internally consistent and correlate with each other; they are generally designed to resist Falsifiability, falsification either by evidence against them or a lack of evidence for them. They are reinforced by circular reasoning: both evidence against the conspiracy '' ...
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Jonestown Massacre
The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, an American religious movement under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationally infamous when, on November 18, 1978, a total of 918 people died at the settlement; at the nearby Port Kaituma Airport, airstrip in Port Kaituma; and at a Temple-run building in Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana's capital city. The name of the settlement became synonymous with the incidents at those locations. A total of 909 individuals died in Jonestown itself, all but two from apparent cyanide poisoning, a significant number of whom were injected against their will. Jones and some Peoples Temple members referred to the act as a "revolutionary suicide" on an audio tape of the event, and in prior recorded discussions. The poisonings in Jonestown followed the murder of five others, including Member of Congress#United State ...
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