영문목차
Figures=xi
Tables=xii
Acknowledgements=xiii
Acronyms=xiv
Introduction=xv
1. Alternative religion in perspective=1
Problems of definition=1
Defining the 'alternatives'=4
The post-Christian society=6
The alternatives:the religions of the gaps?=9
Variations on a theme=12
Problems of objectivity=14
Summary=15
Further reading=15
2. Cults=17
Cults defined=17
The social significance of cults=20
Cults and cultural innovation=23
Cult controversies=24
Doomsday cults=26
Societal reaction to cults and new alternative religions=29
Summary=32
Further reading=32
3. Sectarianism=33
Sects defined=34
Church-sect transformations=36
Sects and deprivation=37
Sects as an integrating force=39
Recruitment to sects=40
Some major Christian sectarian movements=41
The Brethren movement=42
Christadelphians=44
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints=45
Jehovah's Witnesses=47
Quakers=50
Seventh-day Adventists=51
Swedenborgians=53
Unitarians=54
Worldwide Church of God=54
Summary=56
Further reading=56
4. Christian fundamentalism=61
Fundamentalism defined=61
Fundamentalism as anti-modernism=62
A phenomenological approach=64
The New Christian Right and political activism=64
Who are the fundamentalists?=66
Fundamentalism appraised=68
The global significance of Christian fundamentalism=70
Fundamentalist movements within Roman Catholicism=72
Summary=74
Further reading=74
5. Pentecostalism and movements of Christian renewal=75
The Charismatic Renewal movement=76
The nature of Pentecostalism=78
Who are the Pentecostals?=79
Stands within neo-Pentecostalism=81
Restorationism and the house church movement=82
The Third Wave movement=83
Reconstructionism=85
Social activism=85
The black Pentecostal churches=85
Summary=87
Further reading=87
6. New Religious Movements=89
Varieties of NRMs=89
The 1960s and getting saved from them=91
NRMs and contemporary society=93
Accounting for success=95
Who joins NRMs?=96
Social class=96
The young and NRMs=98
Women and NRMs=99
NRMs:conversion and disengagement=100
The 'causes' of conversion=101
Learning processes=103
Social networks=103
The convert's point of view=104
Disengagement from the new religions=105
Summary=106
Further reading=106
7. Some major New Religious Movements=109
NRMs derived from Christianity=109
The Family=110
The Messianic Communities=111
The Jesus Fellowship=113
The Central London Church of Christ=115
NRMs derived from Hinduism=115
The Divine Light Mission=116
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness=117
Sai Baba=118
Shri Swaminarayan=119
Brahma Kumaris=120
Healthy Happy Holy Organization=121
NRMs derived from Islam=122
Subud=122
The Baha'i Faith=123
Syncretic movements=124
The Unification Church=124
Rastafarianism=126
Rajneeshes=127
Summary=128
Further reading=128
8. The New Age=131
What is the New Age movement?=131
New Age:the religion of post-modernity?=133
New Age:empowerment and identity=134
Inherent contradictions of the New Age=136
Strands of the New Age=137
Eastern mysticism=138
New Age environmentalism=139
New Age feminism=140
The New Age-Christian wing=140
Who are the New Agers?=142
New Age travelling=143
Levels of involvement=143
The impact of the New Age=144
Summary=146
Further reading=146
9. Neo-Paganism and esoteric spiritualities=147
Neo-Paganism=147
Strands within neo-Paganism=149
Heathenism=149
Wicca=150
Druidry=153
Related neo-Pagan practices=155
Magic=155
Shamanism=155
Astral travelling=156
Satanism=157
Esoteric movements=158
Freemasonry=159
Rosicrucianism=160
Contemporary esoteric movements=161
Locating neo-Paganism and esotericism=163
Summary=164
Further reading=164
10. Popular forms of religiosity=169
Superstition=170
Astrology=171
Divination=173
Tarot=174
Dowsing=174
Numerology=175
Palmistry=176
Spiritualism=177
Practices related to oriental occultism=178
I Ching=178
Feng Shui=178
The social backgrounds of occult practitioners=179
Summary=180
Further reading=181
11. Human potential and healing movements=183
The contemporary concern with health and healing=183
Healing of mind, body, and spirit=185
Healing in the new religions=186
Christian healing=189
Christian Science=189
Neo-Pentecostal healing=190
The Faith movement=192
Programmes of self-improvement=193
Scientology=194
Transcendental Meditation=197
Fringe religiosity and alternative medicines/therapies=198
Summary=200
Further reading=200
12. World religions and the faiths of ethnic minorities=201
Religion and ethnicity=202
The implications of global fundamentalism=203
World religions in the Western context=205
Islam=205
Judaism=208
Hinduism=212
Sikhism=213
Jainism=215
Buddhism=217
Summary=220
Further reading=220
13. Quasi-religions=221
Defining quasi-religions=221
The rise of quasi-religions=222
Some examples of quasi-religions=223
The 'religious' nature of secular organizations=223
Sport=224
Television and rock stars=224
Consumerism=225
Environnmentalism=226
UFO cults=226
Ethical eating=228
Summary=229
Further reading=230
14. The 'rise' of the alternatives:some implications=231
The alternatives:a revival of religion?=231
The demise of mainstream Christianity revisited=232
The decline of Christianity:does it matter?=236
Summary and future prospects=237
Bibliography=239
Glossary of terms=257
Index=263
Figures
1. The Family, pamphlet on 'Flirty Fishing'=57
2. Rooms in Masonic Temple, Salt Lake City=58
3. Cover of Plain Truth magazine of the Worldwide Church of God=59
4. Cover of Lesbian and Gay Christians magazine=60
5. Depiction of the fall of Adam and Eve from The Watchtower magazine, Jehovah's Witnesses=165
6. Pagan symbols in use among neo-Pagan groups today=166
7. Enoch Adeboye, leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigeria=167
8. Healing card, Divine Inner Light movement=168
9. Image of worship in the Charismatic Renewal Movement=168
Tables
1. Christian Church membership in Britain=9
2. Belief in occultist practices in Britain, 1970-90=10
3. Types of religious organizations=19
4. Classification of Church, denomination and sect=37
5. Estimate of pagan numbers in Britain, 1992=154
6. Teenagers involved in occult practices in England, 1992=171
7. Erosion of the Christian tradition:international patterns=233
8. Beliefs in Sweden=234
9. Swedish youth's belief in the paranormal=235