Description
The relationship between new religious movements (NRMs) and violence has long been a topic of intense public interest--an interest heavily fueled by multiple incidents of mass violence involving certain groups. Some of these incidents have made international headlines. When New Religious Movements make the news, it's usually because of some violent episode. Some of the most famous NRMs are known much more for the violent way they came to an end than for anything else. Violence and New Religious Movements offers a comprehensive examination of violence by-and against-new religious movements. The book begins with theoretical essays on the relationship between violence and NRMs and then moves on to examine particular groups. There are essays on the "Big Five"--the most well-known cases of violent incidents involving NRMs: Jonestown, Waco, Solar Temple, the Aum Shunrikyo subway attack, and the Heaven's Gate suicides. But the book also provides a richer survey by examining a host of lesser-known groups. This volume is the culmination of decades of research by scholars of New Religious Movements.
Table of Contents
IntroductionI. THEORIZING NRM VIOLENCE1. Deciphering the NRM-Violence Connection David G. Bromley2. Minority Religions and the Context of Violence: A Conflict/Interactionist Perspective James T. Richardson3. Reciprocal Totalism: The Toxic Interdependence of Anticult and Cult Violence Dick Anthony, Thomas Robbins, Steven Barrie-AnthonyII. THE "BIG FIVE" (PLUS ONE)4. Narratives of Persecution, Suffering, and Martyrdom: Violence in Peoples Temple and Jonestown Rebecca Moore5. Revisiting the Branch Davidian Mass Suicide Debate Stuart A. Wright6. Explaining the murder-suicides of the Order of the Solar Temple: A survey of hypothesises Henrik Bogdan7. Religion and Violence in Japan: The Case of Aum Shinrikyo Martin Repp8. The Euphemization of Violence: The Case of Heaven's Gate Benjamin Zeller9. "There will follow a new generation and a New Earth": From Apocalyptic Hopes to Destruction in the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God Jean-Francois MayerIII. SELECT RELIGIOUS GROUPS INVOLVED IN VIOLENCE10. Murder in Knutby: Charisma, Eroticism and Violence in a Swedish Pentecostal Community Jonathan Peste11. Modern Pagan Warriors: Violence and Justice in Rodnoverie Kaarina Aitamurto12. Ananda Marga, PROUT and the Use of Force Helen Crovetto13. Knocking on Heaven's Door: Violence, Charisma, and the Transformation of New Vrindaban Burke RochfordIV. RHETORICS OF VIOLENCE AND PEACEFUL DENOUEMENTS14. The Nation of Islam and Violence Martha Lee15. Cultural Capital, Social Networks, and Collective Violence at Rajneeshpuram Marion Goldman16. "Strong as Steel, Steady as Stone": Skirting Pitfalls in 3HO/Sikh Dharma Constance Elsberg17. "Smite him hip and thigh": Satanism, violence and transgression Jesper Aagaard PetersenV. VIOLENCE AGAINST NRMS18. State Fostered Violence against the Falun Gong in China James T. Richardson and Bryan Edelman19. Deprogramming Violence: The Logic, Perpetration, and Outcomes of Coercive Intervention Anson ShupeAfterword
