Customer Reviews

Pocket Dictionary of New Religious Movements: Over 400 Groups, Individuals & Ideas Clearly and Concisely Defined

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Far from a bias towards New Religions, this is brillinaly presented. It is the best guide book I have ever known regarding new religious movements.

Irving Hexham, a professor of religion at the University of Calgary, provides brief definitions or descriptions of over four hundred "groups, individuals and ideas" associated in some way with what are now being called "new religious movements."

Hexham has provided a useful little reference tool that covers a host of exotic topics and individuals. One finds several entries on items of interest to Latter-day Saints, including "Joseph Smith," "Mormons," "cult," "cult apologist," "countercult," "Christian Research Institute," and "Martin, Walter (1928--1989)."

Hexham does not entirely shy away from difficult issues.

For example, he indicates that "Dr." Martin "shaped popular Christian attitudes to contemporary religions" but that he "had a penchant for ad hominem arguments."

The information in the Pocket Dictionary seems to be both nonpolemical and generally accurate. Hexham maintains an interesting Web page, found at www.ucalgary.ca/~hexham/ as recently as 17 March 2003.

In addition to his interest in the contemporary array of different and competing religious movements, he manifests his own piety in a series of Christian travel guides, published by Zondervan, to such places as Great Britain, Italy, Germany, and France.

This is a good summary of most of the alternative religions out there. Can also be read page by page like a regular book.