New Religious Movements in Five Minutes answers all the questions usually posed about the many newer religions that have emerged in different socio-cultural and religious contexts around the world in the last two centuries. These movements have been often viewed with suspicion and treated with negative prejudice. Terms, with their obviously derogatory connotations, such as "cult," have been widely used, and many stories about the alleged misdeeds of their founders or the harmful effects on members more often than not preoccupy the media. Due to this specific setting, the study of new religious movements has always been a challenging subject. One of the main aims of this volume is to provide insight into all the conceptual issues, including questions on the definition and scope of the very term "new religious movements," but also to give concrete examples of movements and the typical topics that arise when they are mentioned. The contributors to this volume are mainly from the United States, Europe, and Australia. Questions are answered in accessible, non technical language without footnotes. As each chapter can be read in about five minutes, the book is ideal as a supplementary resource in classrooms or as an engaging reading for those curious about the world around them.
