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The label 'Suicide Cults' has been applied to a wide variety of
different alternative religions, from Jonestown to the Solar Temple
to Heaven's Gate. Additionally, observers have asked if such group
suicides are in any way comparable to Islamist suicide terrorism,
or to historical incidents of mass suicide, such as the mass
suicide of the ancient community of Masada. Organizationally and
ideologically diverse, it turns out that the primary shared trait
of these various groups is a common stereotype of religion as an
irrational force that pushes fanatics to undertake acts of suicidal
violence. Offering a valuable perspective on New Religious
Movements and on religion and violence, Sacred Suicide brings
together contributions from a diverse range of international
scholars of sociology, religious studies and criminology.
In October 1994, fifty-three members of the Order of the Solar
Temple in Switzerland and Quebec were murdered or committed
suicide. This incident and two later group suicides in subsequent
years played a pivotal role in inflaming the cult controversy in
Europe, influencing the public to support harsher actions against
non-traditional religions. Despite the importance of the Order of
the Solar Temple, there are relatively few studies published in
English. This book brings together the best scholarship on the
Solar Temple including newly commissioned pieces from leading
scholars, a selection of Solar Temple documents, and important
previously published articles newly edited for inclusion within
this book. This is the first book-length study of the Order of the
Solar Temple to be published in English.
Exploring the fascinating world of dreams, this comprehensive
reference examines more than 250 dream-related topics, from art to
history to science, including how factors such as self-healing,
ESP, literature, religion, sex, cognition and memory, and medical
conditions can all have an effect on dreams. Dream symbolism and
interpretation is examined in historical, cultural, and
psychological detail, while a dictionary--updated with 1,000
symbols and explanations--offers further insights. Dreaming about
teeth, for instance, can indicate control issues, and dreaming of a
zoo can indicate that the dreamer needs to tidy up some situation.
Examining these concepts and more, this is the ultimate dreamer's
companion.
Written by a recognized authority on nontraditional religious
movements, this resource is one of the most comprehensive books on
angels and related topics currently available. More than 300
entries are included and drawn from multiple religions, such as
Christianity, Islam, and Hindu traditions, as well as from pop
culture. A variety of angel topics are discussed, including
celebrity angels, classifications of angels, obscure angels still
waiting for their big break, guardian angels, fallen angels,
Anaheim angels, biblical figures associated with angels, angels in
art and architecture, and angels in the media and literature.
Angels are also discussed in terms of the occult and metaphysics,
with entries on UFOs, fairies, and witches.
The label 'Suicide Cults' has been applied to a wide variety of
different alternative religions, from Jonestown to the Solar Temple
to Heaven's Gate. Additionally, observers have asked if such group
suicides are in any way comparable to Islamist suicide terrorism,
or to historical incidents of mass suicide, such as the mass
suicide of the ancient community of Masada. Organizationally and
ideologically diverse, it turns out that the primary shared trait
of these various groups is a common stereotype of religion as an
irrational force that pushes fanatics to undertake acts of suicidal
violence. Offering a valuable perspective on New Religious
Movements and on religion and violence, Sacred Suicide brings
together contributions from a diverse range of international
scholars of sociology, religious studies and criminology.
The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences defines
and explains more than 800 astrological terms and concepts from air
signs to Zeus and everything in between. James R. Lewis updates and
expands this definitive work on celestial forces for anyone seeking
to expand their knowledge on the influence of the stars and other
heavenly bodies on human personality, behaviour, and fate. Students
of the sun and stars and the layman interested in knowing more can
examine the total astrology culture, famous astrologers, heavenly
bodies, and technical terms.
Although speech is the most natural form of communication between
humans, most people find using speech to communicate with machines
anything but natural. Drawing from psychology, human-computer
interaction, linguistics, and communication theory, Practical
Speech User Interface Design provides a comprehensive yet concise
survey of practical speech user interface (SUI) design. It offers
practice-based and research-based guidance on how to design
effective, efficient, and pleasant speech applications that people
can really use. Focusing on the design of speech user interfaces
for IVR applications, the book covers speech technologies including
speech recognition and production, ten key concepts in human
language and communication, and a survey of self-service
technologies. The author, a leading human factors engineer with
extensive experience in research, innovation and design of products
with speech interfaces that are used worldwide, covers both high-
and low-level decisions and includes Voice XML code examples. To
help articulate the rationale behind various SUI design guidelines,
he includes a number of detailed discussions of the applicable
research. The techniques for designing usable SUIs are not obvious,
and to be effective, must be informed by a combination of
critically interpreted scientific research and leading design
practices. The blend of scholarship and practical experience found
in this book establishes research-based leading practices for the
design of usable speech user interfaces for interactive voice
response applications.
Volume 14, Number 1, 2002. Contents: J.R. Lewis, Introduction.
ARTICLES: D.J. Gillan, R.G. Bias, Usability Science 1: Foundation.
H.R. Hartson, T.S. Andre, R.C. Williges, Criteria for Evaluating
Usability Evaluation Methods. R.E. Cordes, Task Selection Bias: A
Case for User-Defined Tasks. M. Hertzum, N.E. Jacobsen, The
Evaluator Effect: A Chilling Fact About Usability Evaluation
Methods. J.R. Lewis, Evaluation of Procedures for Adjusting
Problem-Discovery Rates Estimated From Small Samples. M.
Hassenzahl, The Effect of Perceived Hedonic Quality on Product
Appealingness.
In 45 short essays aimed at a broad audience, the contributors to
From the Ashes place the Branch Davidians in historical and
comparative perspective with nontraditional religions, analyze the
government's handling of the Waco confrontation, assess the media's
coverage and public response, and provide an overview of responses
from the academic and religious community. Although the
contributors represent a wide variety of viewpoints, they are
united in the belief that the 89 deaths could have been avoided and
that the popular demonization of nontraditional religious movements
in the aftermath of Waco represents a continuing threat to freedom
of religion. Contributors include: Dick Anthony, Michael Barkun,
James Beckford, Col. Charlie Beckwith, Eldridge Cleaver, Dean M.
Kelly, Franklin H. Littell, and Thomas Robbins.
Cults examines the history and current status of cults across the
United States, Europe, and East Asia. Focusing on the principal
controversial religions and movements that have attracted major
media attention, the book also includes profiles of hundreds of
minority religions, from Jesus People and Rastafarians to voodoo
practitioners and the human-cloning Raelians. All the issues
central to the practice and the fear of cults are examined -
apocalypticism, deprogramming, social isolation, cults and the
media, the use and threat of violence, child custody, libel, tax
evasion, solicitation, and the techniques of persuasion and
conviction - as are the many charismatic cult leaders. Cults
presents a comprehensive and authoritative reference, offering a
balanced view of the controversy surrounding these new religious
movements, assessing the movements themselves as well as the legal
and governmental responses to them, including attempts to quantify
membership.
Cults examines the history and current status of cults across the
United States, Europe, and East Asia. Focusing on the principal
controversial religions and movements that have attracted major
media attention, the book also includes profiles of hundreds of
minority religions, from Jesus People and Rastafarians to voodoo
practitioners and the human-cloning Raelians. All the issues
central to the practice and the fear of cults are examined -
apocalypticism, deprogramming, social isolation, cults and the
media, the use and threat of violence, child custody, libel, tax
evasion, solicitation, and the techniques of persuasion and
conviction - as are the many charismatic cult leaders. Cults
presents a comprehensive and authoritative reference, offering a
balanced view of the controversy surrounding these new religious
movements, assessing the movements themselves as well as the legal
and governmental responses to them, including attempts to quantify
membership.
This volume is the first English-language anthology to engage with
the fascinating phenomena of recent surges in New Age and
alternative spiritualties in Israel. Contributors investigate how
these New Age religions and other spiritualties-produced in Western
countries within predominantly Protestant or secular
cultures-transform and adapt themselves in Israel. The volume
focuses on a variety of groups and movements, such as Theosophy and
Anthroposophy, Neopaganism, Channeling, Women's Yoga, the New Age
festival scene, and even Pentecostal churches among African labor
migrants living in Tel Aviv. Chapters also explore more
Jewish-oriented practices such as Neo-Kabballah, Neo-Hassidism, and
alternative marriage ceremonies, as well as the use of spiritual
care providers in Israeli hospitals. In addition, contributors take
a close look at the state's reaction to the recent activities and
growth of new religious movements.
In October 1994, fifty-three members of the Order of the Solar
Temple in Switzerland and Quebec were murdered or committed
suicide. This incident and two later group suicides in subsequent
years played a pivotal role in inflaming the cult controversy in
Europe, influencing the public to support harsher actions against
non-traditional religions. Despite the importance of the Order of
the Solar Temple, there are relatively few studies published in
English. This book brings together the best scholarship on the
Solar Temple including newly commissioned pieces from leading
scholars, a selection of Solar Temple documents, and important
previously published articles newly edited for inclusion within
this book. This is the first book-length study of the Order of the
Solar Temple to be published in English.
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.
Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User
Research, Second Edition, provides practitioners and researchers
with the information they need to confidently quantify, qualify,
and justify their data. The book presents a practical guide on how
to use statistics to solve common quantitative problems that arise
in user research. It addresses questions users face every day,
including, Is the current product more usable than our competition?
Can we be sure at least 70% of users can complete the task on their
first attempt? How long will it take users to purchase products on
the website? This book provides a foundation for statistical
theories and the best practices needed to apply them. The authors
draw on decades of statistical literature from human factors,
industrial engineering, and psychology, as well as their own
published research, providing both concrete solutions (Excel
formulas and links to their own web-calculators), along with an
engaging discussion on the statistical reasons why tests work and
how to effectively communicate results. Throughout this new
edition, users will find updates on standardized usability
questionnaires, a new chapter on general linear modeling
(correlation, regression, and analysis of variance), with updated
examples and case studies throughout.
In recent years there has been a renewed interest in textbooks,
partly because they have maintained their position as an important
genre. Not too many years ago - and perhaps currently as well -
many considered textbooks outdated or archaic compared with
technological advances such as the Internet and different kinds of
educational software. Despite these changes, textbooks for school
subjects and for academic studies continue to be in demand.
Textbooks seem to constitute a genre in which established truths
are conveyed, and may thus represent stable forces in a world of
flux and rapid changes. Textbook Gods offers perspectives on
representations of religion and religions in textbooks. The
contributions emerge from different contexts, ranging from European
countries, to North America, Japan and Australia.
Facing issues of violence and conflict, authors of textbooks for
Religious Education (RE) choose a range of different strategies.
While some try to write as non-controversially as possible about
such issues, other authors choose to leave them completely out.
Even in the academic study of religions, a well-established
perspective is that religion is primarily something good, and
important for societies as well as for human development. Such
basic presumptions/perspectives are often nurtured by an apologetic
orientation to the representation of religion. In some cases,
religious violence and conflict are therefore considered disruptive
forces that destroy what is "true," "authentic" and "valuable" in
religion.Textbook Violence offers critical perspectives on how
textbooks deal or not deal with issues of conflict and violence in
religions. The volume's contributions provide examples from
textbooks for university level as well as from RE in schools, and
include discussions of conflict and violence in a range of
different religious traditions. The contributors bring issues of
religious violence and conflict into focus through such questions
as: In what way is violence and/or conflict treated? Who are the
authorial voices? What are their aims? Who is the reader being
addressed? How are the representations of religions framed by value
judgments?Beyond certain obvious ideological considerations (e.g.,
nationalism; the interests of religious pedagogues who contribute
to textbooks in some countries), there are a number of different
factors shaping representations of religions in textbooks - from
commercial considerations and statutory stipulations to situations
where publishers and national examination boards work closely
together to produce textbooks with contents keyed to national
exams. This means that authors have to face different expectations
and considerations when writing textbooks. Textbook Violence will
also include reflections on the choices such authors are facing.
Facing issues of violence and conflict, authors of textbooks for
Religious Education (RE) choose a range of different strategies.
While some try to write as non-controversially as possible about
such issues, other authors choose to leave them completely out.
Even in the academic study of religions, a well-established
perspective is that religion is primarily something good, and
important for societies as well as for human development. Such
basic presumptions/perspectives are often nurtured by an apologetic
orientation to the representation of religion. In some cases,
religious violence and conflict are therefore considered disruptive
forces that destroy what is "true," "authentic" and "valuable" in
religion.Textbook Violence offers critical perspectives on how
textbooks deal or not deal with issues of conflict and violence in
religions. The volume's contributions provide examples from
textbooks for university level as well as from RE in schools, and
include discussions of conflict and violence in a range of
different religious traditions. The contributors bring issues of
religious violence and conflict into focus through such questions
as: In what way is violence and/or conflict treated? Who are the
authorial voices? What are their aims? Who is the reader being
addressed? How are the representations of religions framed by value
judgments?Beyond certain obvious ideological considerations (e.g.,
nationalism; the interests of religious pedagogues who contribute
to textbooks in some countries), there are a number of different
factors shaping representations of religions in textbooks - from
commercial considerations and statutory stipulations to situations
where publishers and national examination boards work closely
together to produce textbooks with contents keyed to national
exams. This means that authors have to face different expectations
and considerations when writing textbooks. Textbook Violence will
also include reflections on the choices such authors are facing.
This volume investigates "alternative" spiritualities that
increasingly cater for the mainstream within the secularized
society of Norway, making Norwegian-based research available to
international scholarship. It looks at New Age both in a restricted
(sensu stricto) and a wide sense (sensu lato), focusing mainly on
the period from the mid-1990s and onwards, with a particular
emphasis on developments after the turn of the century. Few, if
any, of the ideas and practices discussed in this book are
homegrown or uniquely Norwegian, but local soil and climate still
matters, as habitats for particular growths and developments.
Globalizing currents are here shaped and molded by local religious
history and contemporary religio-political systems, along with
random incidences, such as the setting up of an angel-business by
the princess Martha Louise. The position of Lutheran Protestantism
as "national religion" particularly impacts on the development and
perception of religious competitors.
A major, perhaps the major, focus of early research on New
Religious Movements (NRMs) was on the people who joined. Most of
the field's pioneer researchers were sociologists. However, the
profile of NRM members had changed substantially by the
twenty-first century - changes largely missed because the great
majority of current NRM specialists are not quantitatively
oriented. Sects & Stats aims to overturn the conventional
wisdom by drawing on current quantitative data from two sources:
questionnaire research on select NRMs and relevant national census
data collected by Anglophone countries. Sects & Stats also
makes a strong argument for the use of longitudinal methods in
studying alternative religions. Additionally, through case studies
drawn from the author's own research projects over the years,
readers will be brought into a conversation about some of the
issues involved in how to conduct such research.
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.
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