New Religious Movement - E-book - ePub

The book primarily focuses on developments of New Religious Movements, the religions that broke away from the mainline churches. The book studies some of these religions and the reasons why they broke away from the mainline churches. While there are many reasons, exploitation, cultural values and need for change played influential in the formation of the New Religious Movements. There is also special focus on the concept of New Religious Movements.
In other way, there is a discussion on why these religious groups are justified to be called, new, religious and movement. Factors that led to the rise of African Independent Churches are also tabled at advanced level. Besides, the reasons why these religions are called African, independent and churches are also well-outlined. Also, there is discussion of causes and theories of African Independent Churches.
There is also critical analysis of these New Religious Movements. Furthermore, the book also attempts to discuss how these religious movements understand themselves as well as how others understand these movements. While mainline churches view these movements as non-religious and satanic because of how they started, their rituals and their beliefs sometimes, these movements understand themselves that they are genuine religious groups who care their cultural beliefs and values.
Finally, the book discusses the future of New Religious Movements and their Mission Churches. It is argued that perhaps both New Religious Movements as well as the mainline churches must engage in dialogue rather than judge another one. The fact that there could be bad practices and beliefs in both New Religious Movements and Mission churches means that they all have weaknesses so there is a need to discuss and agree by removing the weaknesses from the both sides in order to have good practices.
The future of New Religious Movements and Main churches depend on the issues of independence, human rights, spiritual ecumenism(unity), establishment of theological institutions, holistic approach to human problems, globalization and contextualization just to mention a few. These issues affect the growth and decline of the main churches as well New Religious Movements. For instance, on the issue of human rights such as the freedom of worship, this gives freedom of people to join New Religious Movement from mainline churches.
At the same time, the right to worship is also right not to worship.