Mystics & Messiahs

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Jenkins, Philip 저자(글)

Oxford University Press · 2002년 09월 19일

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Philip Jenkins is Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University.
Philip Jenkins, one of the world's leading religion scholars joined Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion as Distinguished Professor of History and Co-Director for the Program on Historical Studies of Religion.
Phillip Jenkins is Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University and the author of Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Social Crisis (OUP). He lives in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Phillip Jenkinsis Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University and the author ofPedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Social Crisis(OUP). He lives in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Are religious fringe movements a recent phenomeon in American history? Are widespread fears of mass suicides, sexual abuse, and brainwashing in cults justified? Do marginalized religious groups play any positive role in American spiritual life? Do the panics over such groups follow any discernible pattern? Phillip Jenkins gives fascinating--and surprising--answers to these and many other questions in Mystics and Messiahs, the first full account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history. Jenkins shows that, contrary to popular belief, cults were by no means an invention of the 1960s. In fact, most of the frightening images and stereotypes surrounding fringe religious movements are traceable to the mid-nineteenth century when Mormons, Freemasons, and even Catholics were vehemently denounced for supposed ritualistic violence, fraud, and sexual depravity. As Charles Ferguson observed in 1928, "America has always been the sanctuary of amazing cults." But America has also been the home of an often hysterical anti-cult backlash. Jenkins provides an insightful new analysis of why cults arouse such fear and hatred both in the secular world and in mainstream churches, many of which--Baptists, Quakers, Pentecostals, and Methodists--were themselves originally regarded as cults. Most importantly, Jenkins argues that an accurate historical perspective is urgently needed if we are to avoid the kind of catastrophic confrontation that occurred in Waco or the ruinous prosecution of imagined Satanic cults in the 1980s. While not ignoring genuine instances of aberrant behaviour, Mystics and Messiahs goes beyond the vast edifice of myth, distortion, and hype to reveal the true characteristics of religious fringe movements and why they inspire such fierce antagonism.
The first full-length account of cults & anti-cult scares in American history.
"A fascinating look at the importance of the religious fringe in American life. Jenkins argues convincingly that cults and new religions are significant social and cultural contributors to the healthy development of society.... A fresh and thoughtful analysis that sheds much-needed light onan often overheated phenomenon."--Kirkus Reviews
"A fascinating look at the importance of the religious fringe in Americanlife. Jenkins argues convincingly that cults and new religions are significantsocial and cultural contributors to the healthy development of society.... Afresh and thoughtful analysis that sheds much-needed light on an oftenoverheated phenomenon."--Kirkus Reviews
"A fascinating look at the importance of the religious fringe in Americanlife. Jenkins argues convincingly that cults and new religions are significantsocial and cultural contributors tot he healthy development of society....Afresh and thoughtful analysis that sheds much-needed light on an oftenoverheated phenomenon."--Kirkus Reviews
"An innovative, engaging portrait of recent American religious history that transposes traditional conceptions of foreground and background. Jenkins places religious movements, usually treated as peripheral, front and center. He demonstrates that religious movements have always been a primarysource of religious vitality and of what ultimately becomes mainstream tradition. Organized outrage and panic at the challenges posed by these movements are an equally integral part of our tradition. His portrait compels us to see ourselves as representing both traditions and the contemporary cultwars as just the latest cultural rendering of a very ancient theme."--David Bromley, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth University
"An innovative, engaging portrait of recent American religious historythat transposes traditional conceptions of foreground and background. Jenkinsplaces religious movements, usually treated as peripheral, front and center. Hedemonstrates that religious movements have always been a primary source ofreligious vitality and of what ultimately becomes mainstream tradition.Organized outrage and panic at the challenges posed by these movements are anequally integral part of our tradition. His portrait compels us to see ourselvesas representing both traditions and the contemporary cult wars as just thelatest cultural rendering of a very ancient theme."--David Bromley, Professor ofSociology and Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth University
"Jenkins...possesses the virtue of being able to perceive new and unusual religious sects on their own terms, not through the frequently distorted mirror in which they have been viewed in popular writings for at least a century." --Washington Post Book World "A valuable tool....A fine resource and starting point for further exploration of a fascinating element of national life."--ForeWord "A superb historical primer....Loaded with intriguing sketches of dozens of cults and distinguished by Jenkins' healthily nonjudgmental attitude."--Booklist "Offers sweeping cultural breadth and fresh insights into the role of new religions."--Publishers Weekly "A scholarly and balanced book on this controversial and explosive topic....Mystics and Messiahsis a much needed...contribution to a topic that has for too long been the subject of public hysteria and distortion. Highly Recommended."--Multicultural Review
"Loaded with intriguing sketches fo dozens of cults and distinguished byJenkins' healthily nonjudgemental attitude, this is a superb historical primeron what, tomorrow, may be a hot topic again."--Booklist
"Loaded with intriguing sketches of dozens of cults and distinguished by Jenkins' healthily nonjudgemental attitude, this is a superb historical primer on what, tomorrow, may be a hot topic again."--Booklist
"Loaded with intriguing sketches of dozens of cults and distinguished byJenkins' healthily nonjudgemental attitude, this is a superb historical primeron what, tomorrow, may be a hot topic again."--Booklist
"Not many books deserve the epithet fascinating, but this is one of them."-The Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"Not many books deserve the epithet fascinating, but this is one ofthem."-The Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"Not many books deserve the epithet fascinating, but this is one of them."-The Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"Philip Jenkins has provided a vital historical perspective to the contemporary conflict between new religious groups and those who condemn them as cults that destroy spiritual and moral values. It is a conflict that has persisted through the twentieth century, with roots as far back as theReformation era of the sixteenth century, and is likely to continue many decades into the future. His research forces all of us to reexamine the price we pay for the freedoms we enjoy, both in our allowance of the creative ferment of new divergent faiths that erode attachments to stableinstitutions, and in our tolerance of widespread critique of the unfamiliar that ranges from the rational to the bigoted."--J. Gordon Melton, editor of The Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America
"Philip Jenkins has provided a vital historical perspective to thecontemporary conflict between new religious groups and those who condemn them ascults that destroy spiritual and moral values. It is a conflict that haspersisted through the twentieth century, with roots as far back as theReformation era of the sixteenth century, and is likely to continue many decadesinto the future. His research forces all of us to reexamine the price we pay forthe freedoms we enjoy, both in our allowance of the creative ferment of newdivergent faiths that erode attachments to stable institutions, and in ourtolerance of widespread critique of the unfamiliar that ranges from the rationalto the bigoted."--J. Gordon Melton, editor of The Encyclopedic Handbook of Cultsin America
"Serious and important"--Library Journal
"Serious and important"--Library Journal
"This study offers sweeping cultural breadth and fresh insights into therole of new religions, though it remains to be seen whether Jenkin's predictionof a cult resurgence around 2010 will pan out."--Publishers Weekly
"This study offers sweeping cultural breadth and fresh insights into the role of new religions, though it remains to be seen whether Jenkins's prediction of a cult resurgence around 2010 will pan out."--Publishers Weekly
"This study offers sweeping cultural breadth and fresh insights into therole of new religions, though it remains to be seen whether Jenkins's predictionof a cult resurgence around 2010 will pan out."--Publishers Weekly
Philip Jenkins looks at how the image of the cult evolved and why panics about such groups occur at certain times. He examines the deep roots of cult scares in American history, offering the first-ever history and analysis of cults and their critics from the 19th century to the present day. Contrary to popular belief, Jenkins shows, cults and anti-cult movements were not an invention of the 1960's, but in fact are traceable to the mid- 19th century, when Catholics, Mormons and Freemasons were equally denounced for violence, fraud and licentiousness. He finds that, although there are genuine instances of aberrant behaviour, a foundation of truth about fringe religious movements is all but obscured by a vast edifice of myth, distortion and hype.
In this full-length account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history, Jenkins gives accurate historical perspective and shows how many of today's mainstream religions were originally regarded as cults.

작가정보

저자(글) Jenkins, Philip

목차

• Acknowledgments
  Overrun with Messiahs	p. 3
  False Prophets and Deluded Subjects: The Nineteenth Century	p. 25
  Anti-Christian Cults?: The Christian Sects, 1890-1930	p. 46
  The First New Age	p. 70
  Black Gods	p. 100
  The Cult Racket: Anticult Campaigns, 1920-1940	p. 121
  The Purge of the Forties	p. 149
  The New Boom 1960-1980	p. 165
  Cult Wars, 1969-1985	p. 187
  Devil Cults and Doomsday Cults, 1980-2000	p. 208
  Teeming with Faith	p. 227
  Notes	p. 241
  Index	p. 283
  Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

기본정보

ISBN	9780195127447 ( 0195127447 )
발행(출시)일자	2002년 09월 19일
쪽수	304쪽
크기	161 * 237 * 24 mm / 617 g
총권수	1권
언어	영어