By James R. Lewis
James R. Lewis has written the 1st booklet to deal explicitly with the problem of ways rising religions valid themselves. He contends new faith has no less than 4 varied, although overlapping, components the place legitimacy is a priority: making converts, keeping fans, shaping public opinion, and appeasing executive professionals. The legitimacy that new religions search within the public realm is basically that of social popularity. Mainstream society's acknowledgement of a faith as valid capability spotting its prestige as a real faith and hence spotting its correct to exist. via a sequence of wide-ranging case stories Lewis explores the diversification of legitimation concepts of new religions in addition the strategies that their critics use to de-legitimate such teams. instances contain the flow for non secular internal expertise, local American prophet religions, spiritualism, the Church of Christ-Scientist, Scientology, Church of devil, Heaven's Gate, Unitarianism, Hindu reform activities, and Soka Gakkai, a brand new Buddhist sect.
Since the various concerns raised with recognize to more recent religions can be prolonged to the legitimation options deployed by way of validated religions, this e-book sheds an exciting new gentle on vintage questions concerning the foundation of all religions.
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