New Religious Movements in Five Minutes

Forthcoming, 2026

New Religious Movements in Five Minutes answers all the questions usually asked about the many newer religions that have emerged in different socio-cultural and religious contexts around the world in the last two centuries. Often these movements have been viewed with suspicion and treated with problematic prejudice. Terms such as “cult,” with their obviously derogatory connotations, have been widely used, and many stories about the alleged misdeeds of their founders or the harmful effects on members fill the media. Because of this specific setting, the study of new religious movements has always been a difficult subject. One of the main aims of this volume is to provide insight into all the conceptual issues, including questions of definition and scope of the term “new religious movements,” but also to give concrete examples of movements and the typical topics that arise when they are mentioned.

The contributors to this volume are mainly from the United States, Europe, and Australia, where the study of new religious movements has always been a major area of interest. Questions are answered in accessible, non-technical language without footnotes. As each chapter can be read in about five minutes, the book is ideal as a supplementary resource in classrooms or as engaging reading for those curious about the world around them.