Shamans and Elders is a ground-breaking study of Mongolian shamanism and society, past and present. Lavishly illustrated and containing a wealth of new information, it presents a fresh understanding of the widespread phenomenon of shamanism. Caroline Humphrey and Urgunge Onon offer much-needed insight on a little-known world, and point the way to a new method of doing anthropology.

The Scientology Handbook offers tools to overcome problems and achieve a more fulfilling and happier life. For no matter the situation, something "can" be done about it. Life's everyday difficulties and challenges can be overwhelming. Whether it's a failed marriage, trouble raising a child, problems on the job or simply the desire to achieve your goals, where do you turn for help? Scientology has answers. What's more, it provides an exact technology with step-by-step procedures anyone can apply to handle life's difficulties and to better conditions for yourself and those around you.This book offers an introduction to basic Scientology principles -- tools you can use to improve any aspect of life.

When it became evident that the People's Republic of China (PRC) was on the verge of banning the Falun Gong movement, Li Hongzhi, the movement's founder, and his family escaped China, relocating permanently in the United States. Subsequently, the dramatic crackdown on Falun Gong in 1999 made international headlines. From the safety of his new home, Master Li encouraged his followers left behind in the PRC to vigorously demonstrate against the Chinese government, even if it meant imprisonment or even death. Further, Master Li actively discourages his followers from telling outsiders about his esoteric teachings; rather, he explicitly directs them to say that Falun Gong is just a peaceful spiritual exercise group being persecuted by the PRC. Not only has Falun Gong succeeded in propagating their side of the story in the media but the group will vigorously protest any news story that disagrees with their point of view. In more recent years, Falun Gong has attempted to silence critical scholars, including two of the contributors to the present volume. Enlightened Martyrdom: The Hidden Side of Falun Gong provides a comprehensive overview of Falun Gong: the movement's background, history, beliefs and practices. But whereas prior treatments have generally tended to downplay Falun Gong's 'dark side, ' in Enlightened Martyrdom, we have made an effort to include treatments of the less palatable aspects of this movement.

This unparalleled introduction to cults and new religious movements has been completely up-dated and expanded to reflect the latest developments; each chapter reviews the origins, leaders, beliefs, rituals and practices of a NRM, highlighting the specific controversies surrounding each group. * A fully updated, revised and expanded edition of an unparalleled introduction to cults and new religious movements * Profiles a number of the most visible, significant, and controversial new religious movements, presenting each group s history, doctrines, rituals, leadership, and organization * Offers a discussion of the major controversies in which new religious movements have been involved, using each profiled group to illustrate the nature of one of those controversies * Covers debates including what constitutes an authentic religion, the validity of claims of brainwashing techniques, the implications of experimentation with unconventional sexual practices, and the deeply rooted cultural fears that cults engender * New sections include methods of studying new religions in each chapter as well as presentations on groups to watch

Stories of witchcraft and demonic possession from early modern England through the last official trials in colonial New England Those possessed by the devil in early modern England usually exhibited a common set of symptoms: fits, vomiting, visions, contortions, speaking in tongues, and an antipathy to prayer. However, it was a matter of interpretation, and sometimes public opinion, if these symptoms were visited upon the victim, or if they came from within. Both early modern England and colonial New England had cases that blurred the line between witchcraft and demonic possession, most famously, the Salem witch trials. While historians acknowledge some similarities in witch trials between the two regions, such as the fact that an overwhelming majority of witches were women, the histories of these cases primarily focus on local contexts and specifics. In so doing, they overlook the ways in which manhood factored into possession and witchcraft cases. Vexed with Devils is a cultural history of witchcraft-possession phenomena that centers on the role of men and patriarchal power. Erika Gasser reveals that witchcraft trials had as much to do with who had power in the community, to impose judgement or to subvert order, as they did with religious belief. She argues that the gendered dynamics of possession and witchcraft demonstrated that contested meanings of manhood played a critical role in the struggle to maintain authority. While all men were not capable of accessing power in the same ways, many of the people involved-those who acted as if they were possessed, men accused of being witches, and men who wrote possession propaganda-invoked manhood as they struggled to advocate for themselves during these perilous times. Gasser ultimately concludes that the decline of possession and witchcraft cases was not merely a product of change over time, but rather an indication of the ways in which patriarchal power endured throughout and beyond the colonial period. Vexed with Devils reexamines an unnerving time and offers a surprising new perspective on our own, using stories and voices which emerge from the records in ways that continue to fascinate and unsettle us.

'a smart, daring and refreshing book' - Weekend Australian 'deliciously sinister' - Herald Sun Why would anyone join a cult? Maybe they're unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they're disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world. Or maybe they just want to give themselves the best possible chance of having sex with aliens. Whatever the reason, once people are in, it's usually very difficult for them to leave. Cults have ways of making their followers do loopy, dangerous stuff to prove their loyalty, and in return they get a chance to feel secure within the cult's embrace, with an added bonus of being utterly terrified of the outside world. From the tragic JONESTOWN Kool-Aid drinkers to the Australian cult THE FAMILY to the fiery Waco climax of THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, this book is a wide-sweeping look at cults around the world, from the host of the popular podcast ZEALOT. 'a piss-taker of rare boldness' - Weekend Australian

Cults and New Religions Aren t Hard to Find They re in your neighborhood . . . your workplace . . . your school . . . maybe even your family. Cults are flourishing across America. Chances are, you ve encountered one, perhaps even know someone who is involved in a cult. Can you discuss knowledgably the critical differences between Christianity and the teachings of Mormonism, Jehovah s Witnesses, Scientology, the New Age movement, Hindu-based cults, and other prominent groups and religious movements? In this essential resource, preeminent cult authority Ron Rhodes explains what cults are, why they are cause for concern, and why in the 21st century, as never before, their numbers and memberships are exploding nationally and worldwide. Drawing on his extensive experience as a cult researcher, Rhodes offers to-the-point, cutting-edge information on twelve major cults and new religions: Mormonism Jehovah s Witnesses Mind Sciences New Age Movement Church of Scientology Hindu-based Cults Unification Church Baha i Faith Unitarian Universalism Oneness Pentecostalism Masonic Lodge Satanism Learning the distinctives of these groups will equip you to deal with any of the thousands of other less significant cults you may encounter. The Challenge of the Cults and New Religion includes Color photos Scripture Index Subject Index Glossary Bibliography And your resources don t end at the last page. You can supplement your knowledge whenever you choose by visiting the author s Web site at www.ronrhodes.org for free, thorough, up-to-the-minute information on each cult discussed in the book. If you re concerned for the temporal and eternal welfare of others, The Challenge of the Cults is a must. It will help you confront the deception of false Christs and lying doctrines with the clear, well-grounded truth of biblical Christianity."

"A masterful piece of reporting . . . Reitman tells a spellbinding story of a larger-than-life personality whose quirks, ticks and charisma shaped America's newest homegrown religious movement." --" Washington Post"
Scientology is known for its celebrity believers and its team of "volunteer ministers" at disaster sites such as the World Trade Center; its notably aggressive response to criticism or its attacks on psychiatry; its requirement that believers pay as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars to reach the highest levels of salvation. But for all its notoriety, Scientology has remained America's least understood new religion, even as it has been one of its most successful.
Now Janet Reitman tells its riveting full story in the first objective modern history of Scientology, at last revealing the astonishing truth about life within the controversial religion for its members and ex-members. Based on five years of research, confidential documents, and extensive interviews with current and former Scientologists, this is an utterly compelling work of nonfiction and the defining work on an elusive faith.
"A meticulously researched history and revealing expose, a frightening portrait of a religion that many find not just controversial, but dangerous." -- "Boston Globe "
"This book is fearless." -- "Wall Street Journal "
A "New York Times" Notable Book
Amazon.com Best Books of 2011, Nonfiction
"San Francisco Chronicle "Top Ten of 2011

The Order of Christ Sophia (OCS) is a small New Religion which, in the short span of eight years, has evoked intense controversy. An unusual synthesis of traditional Catholicism, esoteric cosmology, and psychotherapy, the OCS already has centers in a dozen major cities in the United States. Thus far, however, it has eluded the attention of scholars of alternative religions. A schismatic offshoot of an earlier group, the Holy Order of Man, the OCS developed a distinctive set of beliefs and practices that set it apart from the mother faith. It has cultivated some curious and provocative features for a Christian-based religion, including the elevation of women to full participation and status within the evolving sacred order. Its treatment of gender is refreshingly egalitarian; women can be priests, and Mary is deified and given equal status with Jesus. Another unusual feature of the group is its emphasis on psychology and prescription of intensive psychotherapy for all members. Beyond surveying the history, doctrines and practices of this unusual group, Lewis brings data from his study of the OCS to bear on many items of conventional wisdom in the New Religions field. He shows, for example, that far from joining the Order in response to a 'youth crisis,' the average age of new OCS members is 37. This and a number of other characteristics of the OCS membership challenge generally accepted conclusions about recruits to New Religions. Lewis also examines how various theoretical models, such as Rodney Stark's influential model of religious 'success,' pan out when applied to the OCS. Lewis shows that although some of Stark's postulates are insightful, other aspects of the model are severely deficient. In addition to the six core chapters of the book authored by Lewis, three other experts contribute chapters on: the results of personality and I.Q. tests administered to member; membership attitudes; comparison of OCS with mainstream denominations; and sex roles in the OCS.

Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That was nev--er more evident than in 2013, when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology. Now, in this frank, funny, poignant memoir, the former King of Queens star reveals the in-depth details of her painful split with the church and its controversial practices. Indoctrinated into Scientolo--gy as a child while living with her mother and sister in New York, Remini eventually moved to Los Angeles, where her dreams of becoming an ac--tress and advancing Scientology's causes grew increasingly intertwined. As an adult, she found the success she'd worked so hard for, and with it a prominent place in the hierarchy of celebrity Scientologists, such as Tom Cruise. But when she began to raise questions about some of the church's actions, she was declared to be a threat and therefore a "Suppressive Per--son." As a result, all of her fellow parishioners-including members of her own family-were told to disconnect from her. Forever. Bold, brash, and bravely confessional, Troublemaker reveals the hard-won truths of a life lived honestly-from an author unafraid of the consequences.

"All will find here much reality, much wisdom, much encouragement, and much to praise God for."--J.I. Packer
This popular book from respected leader Charles H. Kraft shows believers how to exercise the authority they have from God through Jesus Christ. When Christians recognize and use the amazing gift of spiritual authority, they position themselves to provide protection and bring transformation, not only in their lives but in the lives of family members, friends, even coworkers. Now fully revised and updated.

Mitt Romney's run for President of the United States created enormous interest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In spite of enormous media focus during the so-called Mormon Moment, coverage was often shallow and misleading, even from the LDS Church. Few reporters dug deep enough to deal with the evidence that the Mormon Church is in a deep crisis, not only because of members leaving but because of increasing proof of lies, fraud, false teaching, and criminality at the start of Mormonism. James Beverley tells the Mormon story as few can. He has studied Mormonism for over 35 years and has consulted frequently with other experts on Mormonism, both LDS and outside the LDS Church. His research trips to Utah have included interaction with polygamous Mormons, major LDS scholars, and the Attorney General of the State of Utah. Mormon Crisis deals with major issues about Joseph Smith, the first LDS prophet, provides sustained critique of Mormon Scripture, examines flaws in the LDS understanding of Church leadership, and probes unique doctrines and practices, including the secret temple ceremonies. The book offers a serious indictment of the current LDS belief system but also a way out of the current crisis facing one of Americas most famous and controversial religions.