The New Believers: Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions [Hardcover]

"New" religions are as old as time. Every period of history has produced a crop of cults with their messiahs, faith healers, charlatans, gurus, preachers and prophets. The human religious impulse almost demands that such characters be thrown up from the teeming mass of searching souls. Author David V Barrett is eminently suited to chronicle The New Believers of our times. He is a journalist and scholar. He writes for popular papers and magazines, but he is also finishing a PhD in the sociology of new religions. His journalistic style is fast-paced and interesting. Like any good journalist he reduces his topic to short readable chunks while his scholarship makes sure the facts are right.

The New Believers is a great resource for every religious educator and college library. It outlines all the current cranky religions in four logical categories: those which derive from Christianity, from other "religions of the book", from Eastern faiths and from the occult and paganism. Barrett also provides an overview of the "cult mentality", the history of sects and a glance at "personal development" cults. In doing so he always combines a genuine enthusiasm for his topic with an objective approach which is never sensationalist or condemnatory. With an exhaustive bibliography and detailed index, this is both a good reference book and a good read. The only down side is that a book like this has to be big, and big means expensive. Unfortunately, this will put The New Believers out of the range of some readers. --Dwight Longenecker

David Barrett's The New Believers is an excellent guide to fringe religions that juxtaposes "respectable" movements and those conventionally dismissed as cults.

David Barrett has compiled a no-nonsense, comprehensive survey packed with non-judgmental information about the beliefs, aims and activities of such movements.

"compellingly readable"
It allows the groups to speak for themselves [and] gives proper weight to their critics.

Sceptics may criticise this brilliantly researched book for its non-judgmental approach… But Barrett's objectivity is one of his strengths.

"thorough and fair-minded"

Barrett's analysis will be as useful to concerned parents and teachers as to disinterested students of the subject...

"Barrett writes...in an accessible, objective, and...encyclopedic fashion that makes his work truly stand out."--Library Journal. "This is a fascinating book to read. . .a useful resource. . ."--Booklist. A greatly expanded, revised, and updated edition of this much-praised, topical, and best-selling reference. From variations on the major world religions to the Moonies, Wicca, Scientology, and Transcendental Meditation, it's the best available source book to the off beat and alternative organizations, sects, and cult movements. The first edition and the paperback version both sold out--and this will prove equally popular.

This book has annoyed anti-cult organisations, because it takes a fair stance, and doesn't have the knee-jerk attitude that all modern religions are cults, and all cults are dangerous. It has also annoyed some religious movements, because I have said things about them they would rather remain unsaid. But many others have said that I have treated them critically but fairly.

Ignorance breeds fear, which breeds prejudice, antagonism and persecution. The whole point of this book is to provide well-researched, scholarly information in a readable form, in order to dispel ignorance. The reviews by experts in the field of religion, and the fact that the book is now being used in several universities, suggests that I have succeeded at least in part.David V Barrett

David V Barrett has been researching new religions and esoteric beliefs for many years. The New Believers draws on his earlier book, Sects, "Cults" & Alternative Religions, but also draws on both his doctoral studies and his hands-on work in cult advice.