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A new religious movement (or NRM) is a religious faith, or an ethical, spiritual or philosophical movement of recent origin that is not part of an established traditional denomination, church, or religious body.

Definition of the term


The term new religious movements comprises a wide range of movements which range from loose affiliations based on novel approaches to spirituality or religion to communitarian enterprises that demand a considerable amount of group conformity and a social identity that separates its adherents from mainstream society. This term was introduced in the 1980s by scholars as an alternative to the older term cult, which during the cult debate of the 1970s acquired a pejorative connotation, and was subsequently used indiscriminately by lay critics to disparage faiths whose doctrines they saw as unusual or heretical. Some scholars, especially in sociology of religion, use the term "new religious movement" to describe any non-mainstream religion, while others use "new religious movement" for the majority of benign alternative religions and reserve "cult" to label groups—whether religious, psychotherapeutic, political or commercial—they believe to be extremely manipulative and exploitative. *

While there is no one criteria for when a group is described as a "new" religious movement, it usually refers to both of recent origin and different from existing religions.

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Religious Movements - Jeffrey K. Hadden's extensive collection of resources covering cults, sects, and new and established religions. Includes profiles and links for over 200 religious movements, discussion of cult group controversies, and teaching course materials.

AFF's Cult Information Service - Resources concerning psychological manipulation, cult groups, sects, and new religious movements. Includes conferences, full text essays, study guides, and details of periodicals.
Meta Description: [ ICSA resources about, cults, cult groups, abuse, manipulation. Practical assistance services for families; cult members recover support; cultic studies research for educators and professionals. Periodicals: Cult Observer, Cultic Studies Journal, Psychological Manipulation and Society. The leadi... ]

Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) - Established in 1988 and recognized in Italy as a public cultural institution in 1996, CESNUR is an international research center in the field of religious studies and new religious movements.
Meta Description: [ CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, is an international network of associations of scholars working in the field of new religious movements. Its director is the Italian scholar Massimo Introvigne. CESNUR is independent from any religious group, Church, denomination or association. Th... ]

Cults and New Religious Movements: A Bibliography - Extensive reference list of scholarly literature pertaining to cults and NRMs.

Cults and Religion: Nurelweb - Includes complete texts of selected academic works, an exploration of African religions, and a mailing list: nurel-l.
Meta Description: [ Cults and Religion is an academic Web Site dealing with the complexity of cults and religions in modern society. ]

Cults: From Positive to Homicidal Faith Groups - Essays from the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance cover cults, NRMs, the counter-cult movement, and attitudes toward minority religions.
Meta Description: [ Cults and new religious movements ]

INFORM: Information Network Focus on Religious Movements - London School of Economics based charity providing information about NRMs. Listing of events and seminars.
Meta Description: [ INFORM is a charity which responds to questions and concerns about new religious movements, alternative religions or 'cults'. Staff provide accurate, balanced and up-to-date information, offer practical suggestions and can put enquirers in touch with a network of experts, which includes ... ]

New Religious Movements Group - An American Academy of Religion program unit engaging in the scholarly study of NRMs. Outline of activities and links to journals, directories, and professional societies.

Online Texts About Cults and New Religious Movements - Extensive listing of links to complete text articles.
Meta Description: [ 113 Online articles about cults and new religions. (main page with frames) ]

The Reliability of Apostate Testimony About New Religious Movements - Study by Dr. Kliever of Southern Methodist University.
Meta Description: [ Written by a specialist in modern religions, who has conducted an extensive study of the Church of Scientology. ]

When Scholars Know Sin: Alternative Religions and Their Academic Supporters - Article by Stephen A. Kent and Theresa Krebs sounds the alarm about trusting researchers being co-opted by the groups they study, thus bringing the social study of religion into disrepute.
Meta Description: [ Alternative Religions and Their Academic Supporters ]

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I have just started a new religious movement! (This is a parody, like the FSM. So none of those burn in hell comments, OK? ...
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