The Oxford handbook of new religious movements - James R. Lewis

The study of New Religious Movements (NRMs) is one of the fastest-growing areas of religious studies. This Handbook covers the current state of the field and breaks new ground. Its contributors are drawn equally from sociology and religious studies and include both established scholars and "rising stars" in the field. The core chapters deal with such central issues as conversion, the brainwashing debate, millennialism, and modernization. Another section deals withNRM subfields such as neopaganism, satanism, and UFO religions. The final section considers NRMs in global perspective.