Exploring New Religions

416 Pages·2000·21.269 MB·English

by  George D. Chryssides

Exploring
New Religions
ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY RELIGION
Series editors: Christopher Lamb and M. Darrol Bryant
The volumes in this series are interdisciplinary and present their
subjects from global and cross-religious perspectives, examining
issues that cut across traditions and emerge in distinctive ways in
different religions and cultural settings. Based on sound scholarship,
the books are intended for undergraduate courses and for
professionals involved in inter-faith dialogue.
Also available in this series:
Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Understanding the Holocaust: An Introduction
Christopher Lamb and M. Darrol Bryant (eds),
Religious Conversion: Contemporary Practices and Controversies
Exploring
New Religions
George D. Chryssides
CONTINUUM
London and New York
Continuum
The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
370 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6503
www.continuumbooks.com
First published 1999
Reprinted 2001
© George D. Chryssides 1999
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 0-304-33651-3 (hardback)
0-8264-5959-5 (paperback)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chryssides, George D., 1945—
Exploring new religions / George D. Chryssides
p. cm. — (Issues in contemporary religion)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-304-33651-3 (hardcover). - ISBN 0-304-33652-1 (pbk.)
1. Religions. 2. Cults. I.Title. II. Series.
BL85.C49 2000
291'.046-dc21 99-30475
CIP
Typeset by Bookens Ltd, Royston, Hertfordshire
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction ix
1. Methodological issues 1
2. The 'suicide cults' 33
3. The old new religions 77
4. The 'New Christian' movements 120
5. New religions in the Hindu tradition 164
6. New forms of Buddhism 204
7. Independent new religions 244
8. The Human Potential Movement 278
9. New Age, witchcraft and Paganism 315
10. The counter-cult movement 342
Appendix 1: Statistical data 366
Appendix 2: Compendium 370
Bibliography 377
Index 391
To Margaret
Acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the help of a
number of people, including members of new religious movements. I
should therefore like to express my thanks to the following: Bill and
June Thompstone, Stephen Morris (Jehovah's Witnesses), Bryan
Grant and John Burton (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints), Steven Upton (Spiritualist National Union), Mark Brann,
William Chasseaud, David and Patricia Earle, Robin Marsh, George
Robertson (Unification Church), Mick 'Temp' Haines (Jesus Army),
Rachel and Gideon Scott (The Family), Graeme Wilson, Barbara
Bradley, Sheila Macdonald (Church of Scientology), Rasamandala
and Indriyesha (ISKCON), Subhuti and Naghabodhi (Western
Buddhist Order), Stephen Potter (NKT). Audrey Chaytor (FAIR),
Eileen Barker and the staff of INFORM have also given invaluable
assistance. Dr Jean-Francois Mayer patiently answered my numer-
ous questions on the Solar Temple.
Acknowledgements are also due to Kevin Tingay for answering
queries about Theosophy, and to Preston D. Hunter on statistical
information. Professor Brian Bocking (SOAS, University of London)
has kindly given permission for me to use sections of an article in
Diskus, entitled 'New religious movements: some problems of
definition' (1994), and the Lindsey Press Publications Panel has
authorized the reproduction of some material on the New Age. I
have also been helped by contributors to the Nurel e-mail list, co-
ordinated by Professor Irving Hexham at the University of Calgary.
Thanks are due to students and staff at the University of
Wolverhampton. Several students brought back up-dated informa-
tion while studying the 'module' on New Religious Movements and
helped to stimulate ideas. The faculty's Research Executive allocated
time to work on the project. Among colleagues, I am grateful to
Deirdre Burke, Joyce Miller, Susan Arblaster and Sandeep Chohan,
vn
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
who have made invaluable comments and sat through several
research seminars based on sections of this book. Particular thanks
are due to Ron Geaves, who made many valuable suggestions on
preliminary drafts.
Above all, thanks are due to my wife Margaret, who not only
provided encouragement, but scrutinized the text, discussed it and
assisted with background research.
viii
Introduction
Providing solid and up-to-date analysis of the new religious
movements (NRMs) that are covered in this volume has proved to
be quite an ambitious task. Not only is the subject matter complex,
but NRMs are volatile, and it is likely that, even before this book
reaches the public, affairs will have moved on. I can therefore do no
more than offer a snapshot of NRMs as I have found them at the
turn of the millennium.
One or two words of explanation of matters of policy may be
useful. Part of the volatility of NRMs involves changes of name:
'Rajneesh' becomes 'Osho', the 'Children of God' become 'The
Family of Love' and now 'The Family'. Unless the discussion dictates
otherwise, I have always used the most recent name, with one
exception. The name 'Unification Church' has become so widely
known, and it has taken the UC decades to persuade the media to use
this name in preference to the pejorative label 'Moonies'; the new
name 'Family Federation for World Peace and Unification' is at
present little known, and is likely to cause bewilderment rather than
intelligibility. In any case, the name change is so recent that it
remains to be seen whether this is a permanent change or a passing
experiment.
'Political correctness' is always a problem when dealing with
religions that are sometimes very traditionalist in their expression.
Scientologists never use gender-inclusive language; Unificationists
always use the term 'Old Testament', which many Jews now find
offensive, and their Divine Principle does not seem to consider the
possibility that its central figures might have been female rather than
male. In general, I have chosen to use politically correct forms of
expression where these do not affect the essence of a religious
group's teaching: since Scientologists really mean 'men and women',
I have usually avoided using the word 'men' to embrace both
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