Mystics and Messiahs

Mystics and Messiahs
Author: Philip Jenkins
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2000-04-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 0198029330

In Mystics and Messiahs--the first full account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history--Philip Jenkins shows that, contrary to popular belief, cults were by no means an invention of the 1960s. In fact, most of the frightening images and stereotypes surrounding fringe religious movements are traceable to the mid-nineteenth century when Mormons, Freemasons, and even Catholics were denounced for supposed ritualistic violence, fraud, and sexual depravity. But America has also been the home of an often hysterical anti-cult backlash. Jenkins offers an insightful new analysis of why cults arouse such fear and hatred both in the secular world and in mainstream churches, many of which were themselves originally regarded as cults. He argues that an accurate historical perspective is urgently needed if we are to avoid the kind of catastrophic confrontation that occurred in Waco or the ruinous prosecution of imagined Satanic cults that swept the country in the 1980s. Without ignoring genuine instances of aberrant behavior, Mystics and Messiahs goes beyond the vast edifice of myth, distortion, and hype to reveal the true characteristics of religious fringe movements and why they inspire such fierce antagonism.

The History of a Modern Millennial Movement

The History of a Modern Millennial Movement
Author: Jane Shaw
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2017-05-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1786731908

A feverish expectation of the end of the world seems an unlikely accompaniment to middle-class respectability. But it was precisely her interest in millennial thinking that led Jane Shaw to a group of genteel terraced townhouses in the English county town of Bedford. Inside their unassuming grey-brick exteriors Shaw found something extraordinary. For here, within the 'Ark', lived two members of the Panacea Society, last survivors of the remaining Southcottian prophetic communities in Britain. And these individuals were the heirs to a rich archive charting not just their own apocalyptic sect, but also the histories of the many groups and their leaders who from the early nineteenth century onwards had followed the beliefs of the self-styled prophetess and prospective mother of the Messiah ('Shiloh'), Joanna Southcott, who died in 1814. Placing its subjects in a global context, this is the first book to explore the religious thinking of all the Southcottians. It reveals a transnational movement with striking and innovative ideas: not just about prophecy and the coming apocalypse, but also about politics, gender, class and authority. The volume will sell to scholars and students of religion and cultural studies as well as social history.

Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume Two

Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume Two
Author: Philip A. Greasley
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 1074
Release: 2016-08-08
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 0253021162

The Midwest has produced a robust literary heritage. Its authors have won half of the nation's Nobel Prizes for Literature plus a significant number of Pulitzer Prizes. This volume explores the rich racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the region. It also contains entries on 35 pivotal Midwestern literary works, literary genres, literary, cultural, historical, and social movements, state and city literatures, literary journals and magazines, as well as entries on science fiction, film, comic strips, graphic novels, and environmental writing. Prepared by a team of scholars, this second volume of the Dictionary of Midwestern Literature is a comprehensive resource that demonstrates the Midwest's continuing cultural vitality and the stature and distinctiveness of its literature.

King of the Harem Heaven

King of the Harem Heaven
Author: Anthony Sterling
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2024-01-24
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

King Of The Harem Heaven, first published in 1960, is the fascinating, although likely somewhat sensationalized story, of the House of David religious cult and its leader, Benjamin Franklin Purnell. Based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the group also owned a large tract of land on High Island in Lake Michigan, and eventually developed a number of successful enterprises including farms, timber, a vegetarian restaurant, amusement park, roadside service station, and a motel. Notable was their having several baseball teams, the "Flying Rollers," famous for their long hair and beards (they did not believe in cutting their hair) which toured the U.S and played against other semi-pro teams. The group was rocked by scandal when members alleged that leader Purnell, while enforcing celibacy among the members, was engaging in sex with the women - including underage teenagers - of the group, and also for massive financial irregularities. Legal battles ensued, ending only upon the death of Purnell in December 1927.

The Red Planet

The Red Planet
Author: Russell Robert Winterbotham
Publisher:
Total Pages: 156
Release: 1962
Genre: Mars (Planet)
ISBN:

A group of space explorers on a mission to Mars must overcome internal strife and external threats from hostile Martians if they hope to foil their sadistic captain and make it home to Earth.

Many Are Called

Many Are Called
Author: Scott Hahn
Publisher: Image
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2010-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0307590771

In Many Are Called, Dr. Scott Hahn, one of the most celebrated scholars and influential Catholic writers living today, enthusiastically encourages Catholics around the world to renew their focus on the sacred role of the Catholic priest. Using his unique ability to present deep spiritual and theological ideas in the language of everyday life, Dr. Hahn examines the biblical and historical roots of the priesthood to explain the centrality of the priest in the life of the Church. He brings reinvigorated attention to the many roles of the priest—provider, mediator, protector, teacher, judge, and more—all of which are united in the priest's place as spiritual father to God's people, and ultimately he shows that it is through the priest, empowered by God, that the continuing presence of Jesus Christ makes itself known to our world. Lively, insightful, and engaging, Many Are Called will serve as an inspiration to students and seminarians considering a vocation, to clergy renewing their call, to Catholic readers looking to deepen their faith, and to seekers curious about one of Catholicism's defining but least understood elements. With a foreword by the Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, this is a truly special book, one that speaks to the restless heart of humanity and reveals that our pleas for a spiritual father have already been answered.

For the Love of God (Vol. 1, Trade Paperback)

For the Love of God (Vol. 1, Trade Paperback)
Author: D. A. Carson
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2006-07-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433519550

In a world that views absolute truth, right and wrong, and salvation as being subject to individual interpretation, the Bible's unwavering proclamations and miraculous stories seem obsolete in modern times. But it is not God's Word that has changed. Indeed, its relevancy and its power to transform lives are intact. What has changed is the number of people who consult it. Now more than ever the need to read the Bible, to understand the big picture of its storyline, and to grasp the relevance this has for your life is critical. As with its companion volume, For the Love of God-Volume 2, this devotional contains a systematic 365-day plan, based on the M'Cheyne Bible-reading schedule, that will in the course of a year guide you through the New Testament and Psalms twice and the rest of the Old Testament once. In an effort to help preserve biblical thinking and living, D. A. Carson has also written thought-provoking comments and reflections regarding each day's scriptural passages. And, most uniquely, he offers you perspective that places each reading into the larger framework of history and God's eternal plan to deepen your understanding of his sovereignty-and the unity and power of his Word.

Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series

Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series
Author: Library of Congress. Copyright Office
Publisher: Copyright Office, Library of Congress
Total Pages: 2006
Release: 1961
Genre: Copyright
ISBN:

Includes Part 1, Number 1 & 2: Books and Pamphlets, Including Serials and Contributions to Periodicals (January - December)