 | |
| Editor | James R. Lewis |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | April 6, 2011 |
| Pages | 443 |
| ISBN | 978-0-19-973561-7 |
| OCLC | 612347811 |
| 200.086’92 | |
| LC Class | BL65.V55 V55 2011 |
Violence and New Religious Movements is a 2011 edited volume. It was edited by sociologist James R. Lewis and published by Oxford University Press. Lewis' previous work had focused on new religious movements, and he had edited several books on the topic. Containing 19 articles by 22 academics, mostly sociologists or scholars in religious studies, it discusses the intersection between new religious movements and violence, both perpetrated by and against the groups. It is divided into five sections.
The book covers theoretical approaches to violence and NRMs at large, as well as individual chapters on as what the book classifies as the "big five" violent NRMs: the Peoples Temple, the Branch Davidians, the Order of the Solar Temple, Aum Shinrikyo, and Heaven’s Gate. Other sections cover less studied movements associated with violence, like Rodnoverie or Ananda Marga, or groups that had certain commonalities with violent groups but did not actually escalate to large scale violence.
It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its coverage of a variety of cases, including less studied and more obscure movements than the typical cases. The content of its individual chapters, as well as its usage of comparative analysis and new insights, was complimented. Its chapter on the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God was singled out for praise by several reviewers.