Product Description

The second revised edition explains the backgrounds to main world religions and then tackles the ever growing variations and alternatives under broad headings such as Christian originated, Eastern movements, Satanism, Neo-pagan, and the esoteric, psychological and self-help groups.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #615484 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
"New" religions are as old as time. Every period of history has produced a crop of cults with their messiahs, faith healers, charlatans, gurus, preachers and prophets. The human religious impulse almost demands that such characters be thrown up from the teeming mass of searching souls. Author David V Barrett is eminently suited to chronicle The New Believers of our times. He is a journalist and scholar. He writes for popular papers and magazines, but he is also finishing a PhD in the sociology of new religions. His journalistic style is fast-paced and interesting. Like any good journalist he reduces his topic to short readable chunks while his scholarship makes sure the facts are right.

The New Believers is a great resource for every religious educator and college library. It outlines all the current cranky religions in four logical categories: those which derive from Christianity, from other "religions of the book", from Eastern faiths and from the occult and paganism. Barrett also provides an overview of the "cult mentality", the history of sects and a glance at "personal development" cults. In doing so he always combines a genuine enthusiasm for his topic with an objective approach which is never sensationalist or condemnatory. With an exhaustive bibliography and detailed index, this is both a good reference book and a good read. The only down side is that a book like this has to be big, and big means expensive. Unfortunately, this will put The New Believers out of the range of some readers. --Dwight Longenecker

The Daily Telegraph 10 Feb 2001
David Barrett's The New Believers is an excellent guide to fringe religions that juxtaposes "respectable" movements and those conventionally dismissed as cults.

Daily Mail 16 Feb 2001
David Barrett has compiled a no-nonsense, comprehensive survey packed with non-judgmental information about the beliefs, aims and activities of such movements.

Customer Reviews

Drawing Down The Moon?
Drawing comparisons with a book over 20 years old is not much use. David Barrett has been visiting modern religious groups on a regular basis, and the aim of the book is to give an up-to-date account. It does this superbly.

An interesting book, if not the definitive
As this was the first book I have read on the subject of "new religious movements", I am not qualifiied to comment on the accuracy of it's content. However, I found this book to be clear in most of the topics it discussed, and also intensely readable. Considering that this is quite a sensitive, not to say controversial, issue I thought the book provided a fairly objective view of the different religious movements which it commented on. Altogether I think this is a useful resource, if not the definitive guide to the subject.

A remarkable reference work
The New Believers is an incredible undertaking, resulting in a truly remarkable, and extremely readable reference work. Barrett provides clear
criteria with which each religion discussed has been included in the book,together with fascinating accounts of the original meanings of the often emotive descriptors: sects, cults and alternative religions.

Part One adresses common misconceptions and challenges the source of those opinions, going on to discuss major issues that affect our society today, from tabloid headlines to the losing of a loved one to a religious organisation.

Part Two centres on individual movements - from religions with Christian origins through to Neo-pagan movements and even Personal Development movements. Each entry provides details of the origin and history of the movement concerned, together with details of the beliefs and practices.

For teachers and preachers and other religious leaders through to journalists, interested parties or concerned relatives, this book provides a truly objective account of the many traditional religions and new religious movements across the world today.