Recent decades have seen an apparent increase in the number and vitality of new religious movements throughout the world. They have also been marked by evident social conflict over the activities of 'cults'. These developments have been met by growing interest among social scientists in the significance of new religious movements and a proliferation of research into their activities and their social impact. In this wide-ranging survey Tom Robbins assesses the state of the art in sociological and related work on new religious movements. Concentrating on research on movements in the USA and Western Europe, he analyses theories relating the growth of new religions to sociocultural changes, the dynamics of conversion to and defection from movements, patterns of organization and institutionalization, and social controversies over cults. He also examines the impact of the study of new and deviant movements on the sociology of religion in general, and the implications of recent spiritual ferment for previous models of secularization and sect-church theory. The book concludes with a comprehensive bibliography. This text will be essential reading for students and researchers in the sociology of religion and in religious studies. Cults, Converts and Charisma is a university edition of the author's trend report in Current Sociology Volume 36.1.
- ISBN10 0803981597
- ISBN13 9780803981591
- Publish Date 24 May 1988
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 22 February 2010
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Sage Publications Ltd
- Format Paperback
- Pages 288
- Language English