J Gordon Melton's Books

The Vampire Book

The Encyclopedia of the Undead

By: J. Gordon Melton

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The Vampire Book

The Encyclopedia of the Undead

By: J. Gordon Melton

Explores the myth, lore, and representation in popular culture of vampires and vampire legends from around the globe.

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909

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ISBN 10

157859281X

ISBN 13

9781578592814

The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena

By: J. Gordon Melton

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The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena

By: J. Gordon Melton

From sacred mountains and places of pilgrimage to visions and out-of-body travel, this reference explores unusual and unexplained physical events, apparitions, and other phenomena rooted in religious beliefs. Each entry features a balanced presentation and includes a description of the phenomenon, the religious claims surrounding the occurrence, and a scientific response. Touring the world and history, this comprehensive reference includes entries on angels, comets, Marian apparitions, and religious figures such as Jesus, Mohammad, and Lao Tzu.

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380

Published Date

ISBN 10

1578592097

ISBN 13

9781578592098

The Vampire Book

The Encyclopedia of the Undead

By: J. Gordon Melton

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The Vampire Book

The Encyclopedia of the Undead

By: J. Gordon Melton

This book takes the reader on a vast, alphabetic tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the blood-sucking undead. From Vlad the Impaler to Barnabas Collins to Dracula and Lestat, it supplies nearly 500 exhaustive essays illustrated with more than 250 photos. A very thorough unearthing of the vampire through the ages, this guide relies on a collection of 2,000 titles on vampires, digging deep into the lore, the myths, and the reported realities of vampires and vampire legends from around the world.

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976

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ISBN 10

157859071X

ISBN 13

9781578590711

Encyclopedia of Protestantism

By: J. Gordon Melton

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Encyclopedia of Protestantism

By: J. Gordon Melton

An illustrated A to Z reference containing over 600 entries providing information on the theology, people, historical events, institutions and movements related to Protestantism.

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657

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Infobase Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0816069832

ISBN 13

9780816069835

Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America

By: J. Gordon Melton

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Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America

By: J. Gordon Melton

First Published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

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428

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Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815311400

ISBN 13

9780815311409

The Vampire Book

The Encyclopedia of the Undead

By: J Gordon Melton

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The Vampire Book

The Encyclopedia of the Undead

By: J Gordon Melton

The Ultimate Collection of Vampire Facts and Fiction From Vlad the Impaler to Barnabas Collins to Edward Cullen to Dracula and Bill Compton, renowned religion expert and fearless vampire authority J. Gordon Melton, PhD takes the reader on a vast, alphabetic tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the blood-sucking undead. Digging deep into the lore, myths, pop culture, and reported realities of vampires and vampire legends from across the globe, The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead exposes everything about the blood thirsty predator. Death and immortality, sexual prowess and surrender, intimacy and alienation, rebellion and temptation. The allure of the vampire is eternal, and The Vampire Book explores it all. The historical, literary, mythological, biographical, and popular aspects of one of the world's most mesmerizing paranormal subject. This vast reference is an alphabetical tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the soul-sucking undead. In the first fully revised and updated edition in a decade, Dr. J. Gordon Melton (president of the American chapter of the Transylvania Society of Dracula) bites even deeper into vampire lore, myths, reported realities, and legends that come from all around the world. From Transylvania to plague-infested Europe to Nostradamus and from modern literature to movies and TV series, this exhaustive guide furnishes more than 500 essays to quench your thirst for facts, biographies, definitions, and more.

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945

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Visible Ink Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1578593506

ISBN 13

9781578593507

New Age Religion and Western Culture

Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought

By: Wouter J. Hanegraaff

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New Age Religion and Western Culture

Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought

By: Wouter J. Hanegraaff

Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first-ever comprehensive analysis of New Age Religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing the reader with a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions. While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the 19th century. This ground-breaking publication is compulsive reading for all those involved or interested in the New Age movement.

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598

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BRILL

Published Date

ISBN 10

9004378936

ISBN 13

9789004378933

Sociology of Religion

Contemporary Developments

By: Kevin J. Christiano,William H. Swatos,Peter Kivisto

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Sociology of Religion

Contemporary Developments

By: Kevin J. Christiano,William H. Swatos,Peter Kivisto

Sociology of Religion charts changes in the sociology of religion without ignoring the continuing relevance of Weber, Durkheim, and Marx. Veteran sociologists Christiano, Swatos, and Kivisto address both the foundations and the profound changes in the field, placing new conceptions against their historical background. Charts, pictures, down-to-earth examples, and a readable style keep the history and new developments within the reach of undergraduates. Instructors who want to give their students a current and comprehensive overview of the field should take a look at Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments.

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392

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Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

0742561119

ISBN 13

9780742561113

Aldous Huxley and the Mysticism of Science

By: J. Deery

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Aldous Huxley and the Mysticism of Science

By: J. Deery

Can religious belief survive in a scientific era? Aldous Huxley thought so. His early recognition of the profound significance of twentieth-century science and the need for moral and spiritual direction resulted in his espousal of mysticism. An examination of his fiction and nonfiction reveals Huxley's significance for cross-disciplinary debates between religion, science and literature and provides examples of the transmission or refraction of knowledge from one discourse to another.

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239

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Springer

Published Date

ISBN 10

0230375057

ISBN 13

9780230375055

An Introduction To Theological Research

A Guide for College and Seminary Students

By: Cyril J. Barber,Robert M. Krauss

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An Introduction To Theological Research

A Guide for College and Seminary Students

By: Cyril J. Barber,Robert M. Krauss

An indispensable guide for undergraduate, graduate, or seminary students, this book provides valuable insight into the best reference tools available for Bible research. Not only do the authors provide general information on atlases, concordances, lexicons, dictionaries, and the like, but they also evaluate their usefulness. Titles reviewed range from theologically conservative to theologically liberal in their orientation. Electronic databases are included within the scope of the book's coverage. A highly useful resource, the book will certainly find a permanent place on the desk of anyone involved with Bible research.

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194

Publisher

University Press of America

Published Date

ISBN 10

1461677262

ISBN 13

9781461677260

Transnational Crime in the Americas

An Inter-American Dialogue Book

By: Tom J. Farer

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Transnational Crime in the Americas

An Inter-American Dialogue Book

By: Tom J. Farer

First Published in 2000, Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

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300

Publisher

Psychology Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0415923301

ISBN 13

9780415923309

Aliens Adored

Rael's UFO Religion

By: Susan J. Palmer

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Aliens Adored

Rael's UFO Religion

By: Susan J. Palmer

Aliens Adored is the first full length, in-depth look at the Raëlian movement, a fascinating new religion founded in the 1970s by the charismatic prophet, Raël. Born in France as Claude Vorilhon, the former race-car driver founded the religion after he experienced a visitation from the aliens (the "elohim") who, in his cosmology, created humans by cloning themselves. This pioneering study provides a thorough analysis of the movement, focusing on issues of sexuality, millenarianism, and the impact of the scientific worldview on religion and the environment. Raël's radical sexual ethics, his gnostic anthropocentrism, and shallow ecotheology offer us a mirror through which we see how our worldview has been shaped by the forces of globalization, postmodernism, and secular humanism.

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260

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Rutgers University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0813534763

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9780813534763

The Mormon Culture of Salvation

By: Douglas J. Davies

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The Mormon Culture of Salvation

By: Douglas J. Davies

The Mormon Culture of Salvation presents a comprehensive study of Mormon cultural and religious life, offering important new theories of Mormonism - one of the fastest growing movements and thought by many to be the next world religion. Bringing social, scientific and theological perspectives to bear on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Douglas Davies draws from theology, history of religions, anthropology, sociology and psychology to present a unique example of a truly interdisciplinary analysis in religious studies. Examining the many aspects of Mormon belief, ritual, family life and history, this book presents a new interpretation of the origin of Mormonism, arguing that Mormonism is rooted in the bereavement experience of Joseph Smith, which influenced the development of temple ritual for the dead and the genealogical work of many Mormon families. Davies shows how the Mormon commitment to work for salvation relates to current Mormon belief in conversion, and to traditional Christian ideas of grace. The Mormon Culture of Salvation is an important work for Mormons and non-Mormons alike, offering fresh insights into how Mormons see the world and work for their future glory in heavenly realms. Written by a non-Mormon with over 30 years' research experience into Mormonism, this book is essential reading for those seeking insights into new interdisciplinary forms of analysis in religion, as well as all those studying or interested in Mormonism and world religions. Douglas J. Davies is Professor in the Study of Religion in the Department of Theology, Durham University, UK. He is the author of many books including Death, Ritual and Belief (Cassell, 1997), Mormon Identities in Transition (Cassell, 1994), Mormon Spirituality (1987), and Meaning and Salvation in Religious Studies (Brill, 1984).

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321

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Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1351885499

ISBN 13

9781351885492

New Age Spirituality

Rethinking Religion

By: Steven J. Sutcliffe,Ingvild Saelid Gilhus

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New Age Spirituality

Rethinking Religion

By: Steven J. Sutcliffe,Ingvild Saelid Gilhus

New Age and holistic beliefs and practices - sometimes called the "new spirituality" - are widely distributed across modern global society. The fluid and popular nature of new age makes these movements a very challenging field to understand using traditional models of religious analysis. Rather than treating new age as an exotic specimen on the margins of 'proper' religion, "New Age Spirituality" examines these movements as a form of everyday or lived religion. The book brings together an international range of scholars to explore the key issues: insight, healing, divination, meditation, gnosis, extraordinary experiences, and interactions with gods, spirits and superhuman powers. Combining discussion of contemporary beliefs and practices with cutting-edge theoretical analysis, the book repositions new age spirituality at the forefront of the contemporary study of religion.

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349

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317546237

ISBN 13

9781317546238

Birth Control Battles

How Race and Class Divided American Religion

By: Melissa J. Wilde

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Birth Control Battles

How Race and Class Divided American Religion

By: Melissa J. Wilde

Conservative and progressive religious groups fiercely disagree about issues of sex and gender. But how did we get here? Melissa J. Wilde shows how today’s modern divisions began in the 1930s in the public battles over birth control and not for the reasons we might expect. By examining thirty of America’s most prominent religious groups—from Mormons to Methodists, Southern Baptists to Seventh Day Adventists, and many others—Wilde contends that fights over birth control had little do with sex, women’s rights, or privacy. Using a veritable treasure trove of data, including census and archival materials and more than 10,000 articles, statements, and sermons from religious and secular periodicals, Wilde demonstrates that the push to liberalize positions on contraception was tied to complex views of race, immigration, and manifest destiny among America’s most prominent religious groups. Taking us from the Depression era, when support for the eugenics movement saw birth control as an act of duty for less desirable groups, to the 1960s, by which time most groups had forgotten the reasons behind their stances on contraception (but not the concerns driving them), Birth Control Battles explains how reproductive politics divided American religion. In doing so, this book shows the enduring importance of race and class for American religion as it rewrites our understanding of what it has meant to be progressive or conservative in America.

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299

Publisher

University of California Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0520303210

ISBN 13

9780520303218

Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers

Women's Roles in New Religions

By: Susan J. Palmer

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Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers

Women's Roles in New Religions

By: Susan J. Palmer

A study of women's roles and alternative patterns of sexuality in seven contemporary communal and millenarian movements. Based almost exclusively on interviews and first-hand data, this book will be of interest to scholars and students in communal and utopian studies, American religious history, and new religious movements. 10 illustrations. Index.

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316

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Syracuse University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815602979

ISBN 13

9780815602972

Living in Bible Times

F. F. Bosworth and the Pentecostal Pursuit of the Supernatural

By: Christopher J. Richmann

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Living in Bible Times

F. F. Bosworth and the Pentecostal Pursuit of the Supernatural

By: Christopher J. Richmann

F. F. Bosworth was the only major living link between the late-nineteenth-century divine healing movement that gave birth to Pentecostalism and the post-World-War II healing revival that brought Pentecostalism into American popular culture. At once on the fringes and in the mainstream of American Pentecostalism, Bosworth has largely been ignored by historians. Richmann demonstrates that Bosworth's story not only draws together disparate threads of the Pentecostal story but critiques traditional interpretations of speaking in tongues, Azusa Street, denominational affiliation, divine healing, the relationship to fundamentalism, the Word of Faith movement, and eschatology. In this critique, Richmann provides a much-needed critical biography of Bosworth as well as a fresh interpretation of Pentecostalism.

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272

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Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1532694067

ISBN 13

9781532694066

Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions

Revised and Updated Edition

By: Larry A. Nichols,George Mather,Alvin J. Schmidt

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Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions

Revised and Updated Edition

By: Larry A. Nichols,George Mather,Alvin J. Schmidt

Up-to-date, well-documented, comprehensive coverage of cults, sects, and world religions, from the historical to the contemporary INCLUDES • Well-known groups and world religions, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Islam, and Baha’i • Groups with a significant North American influence, including Santeria, Rastafarians, Haitian Voodo, white supremacy groups, Wicca, and Satanism REVISED, UPDATED, AND EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NEW ENTRIES AND NEW INFORMATION • Updated information on Islam and its global impact • New entries: the Branch Davidians, Native American religions, Heaven’s Gate, Aum Supreme Truth, the Boston Movement, the Masonic Lodge, and many others • Developments in the world of cults and the occult Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions is arguably the most significant reference book on the subject to be published. Formerly titled Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult, it provides reliable information on the history and beliefs of nearly every form of religion active today. This extensively revised edition includes new topics, updated information, and a brand-new format for a clearer, more organized approach. The authors evaluate the beliefs and practices of each group from the perspective of the Bible and the historic creeds of the Christian church. You’ll also find group histories, numerous illustrations, charts, current statistics, websites, bibliographies, and other useful information.

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827

Publisher

Zondervan Academic

Published Date

ISBN 10

0310866065

ISBN 13

9780310866060

Grassroots Pentecostalism in Brazil and the United States

Migrations, Missions, and Mobility

By: Paul J. Palma

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Grassroots Pentecostalism in Brazil and the United States

Migrations, Missions, and Mobility

By: Paul J. Palma

This book offers an historical and comparative profile of classical pentecostal movements in Brazil and the United States in view of their migratory beginnings and transnational expansion. Pentecostalism’s inception in the early twentieth century, particularly in its global South permutations, was defined by its grassroots character. In contrast to the top-down, hierarchical structure typical of Western forms of Christianity, the emergence of Latin American Pentecostalism embodied stability from the bottom up—among the common people. While the rise to prominence of the Assemblies of God in Brazil, the Western hemisphere’s largest (non-Catholic) denomination, demanded structure akin to mainline contexts, classical pentecostals such as the Christian Congregation movement cling to their grassroots identity. Comparing the migratory and missional flow of movements with similar European and US roots, this book considers the prospects for classical Brazilian pentecostals with an eye on the problems of church growth and polity, gender, politics, and ethnic identity.

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289

Publisher

Springer Nature

Published Date

ISBN 10

3031133714

ISBN 13

9783031133718

The Death Penalty

An Historical and Theological Survey

By: James J. Megivern

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The Death Penalty

An Historical and Theological Survey

By: James J. Megivern

A comprehensive history of the death penalty in the West that provides more material on capital punishment in Western Christian history than is available in any other work in English.

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642

Publisher

Paulist Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1616437928

ISBN 13

9781616437923

The Fire Spreads

Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South

By: Randall J. Stephens

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The Fire Spreads

Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South

By: Randall J. Stephens

Pentecostalism came to the South following the post–Civil War holiness revival, a northern-born crusade that emphasized sinlessness and religious empowerment. With the growth of southern Pentecostal denominations and the rise of new, affluent congregants, the movement slipped cautiously into the evangelical mainstream.

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408

Publisher

Harvard University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0674046854

ISBN 13

9780674046856

Christian Reconstruction

R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism

By: Michael J. McVicar

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Christian Reconstruction

R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism

By: Michael J. McVicar

This is the first critical history of Christian Reconstruction and its founder and champion, theologian and activist Rousas John Rushdoony (1916–2001). Drawing on exclusive access to Rushdoony's personal papers and extensive correspondence, Michael J. McVicar demonstrates the considerable role Reconstructionism played in the development of the radical Christian Right and an American theocratic agenda. As a religious movement, Reconstructionism aims at nothing less than "reconstructing" individuals through a form of Christian governance that, if implemented in the lives of U.S. citizens, would fundamentally alter the shape of American society. McVicar examines Rushdoony's career and traces Reconstructionism as it grew from a grassroots, populist movement in the 1960s to its height of popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He reveals the movement's galvanizing role in the development of political conspiracy theories and survivalism, libertarianism and antistatism, and educational reform and homeschooling. The book demonstrates how these issues have retained and in many cases gained potency for conservative Christians to the present day, despite the decline of the movement itself beginning in the 1990s. McVicar contends that Christian Reconstruction has contributed significantly to how certain forms of religiosity have become central, and now familiar, aspects of an often controversial conservative revolution in America.

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326

Publisher

UNC Press Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1469622750

ISBN 13

9781469622750

A Will to Choose

The Origins of African American Methodism

By: J. Gordon Melton

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A Will to Choose

The Origins of African American Methodism

By: J. Gordon Melton

A Will to Choose traces the history of African-American Methodism beginning with their emergence in the fledgling American Methodist movement in the 1760s. Responding to Methodism's anti-slavery stance, African-Americans joined the new movement in large numbers and by the end of the eighteenth century, had made up the largest minority in the Methodist church, filling positions of authority as class leaders, exhorters, and preachers. Through the first half of the nineteenth century, African Americans used the resources of the church in their struggle for liberation from slavery and racism in the secular culture. --From publisher description.

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336

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

0742552659

ISBN 13

9780742552654

Protestant Faith in America

By: J. Gordon Melton

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Protestant Faith in America

By: J. Gordon Melton

Examines the oldest Christian communion in the United States, the Protestant faith.

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204

Publisher

Infobase Learning

Published Date

ISBN 10

1438140398

ISBN 13

9781438140391

Goddesses, Elixirs, and Witches

Plants and Sexuality throughout Human History

By: J. Riddle

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Goddesses, Elixirs, and Witches

Plants and Sexuality throughout Human History

By: J. Riddle

From the earliest times, the medicinal properties of certain herbs were connected with deities, particularly goddesses. Only now with modern scientific research can we begin to understand the basisand rationality that these divine connections had and, being preserved in myths and religious stories, they continued to have a significant impact through the present day. Riddle argues that the pomegranate, mandrake, artemisia, and chaste tree plants substantially altered thedevelopment of medicine and fertility treatments.The herbs, once sacred to Inanna, Aphrodite, Demeter, Artemis, and Hermes, eventually came to be associated with darker forces, representing theinstruments of demons and witches. Riddle's ground-breaking work highlights the important medicinalhistory thatwas lost and argues for itsrightful place as one of the predecessors

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215

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Springer

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ISBN 10

0230105513

ISBN 13

9780230105515

From the Outside Looking In

Essays on Mormon History, Theology, and Culture

By: Matthew J. Grow

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From the Outside Looking In

Essays on Mormon History, Theology, and Culture

By: Matthew J. Grow

This book contains fifteen essays, each first presented as the annual Tanner Lecture at the conference of the Mormon History Association by a leading scholar. Renowned in their own specialties but relatively new to the study of Mormon history at the time of their lectures, these scholars approach Mormon history from a wide variety of perspectives, including such concerns as gender, identity creation, and globalization. Several of these essays place Mormon history within the currents of American religious history--for example, by placing Joseph Smith and other Latter-day Saints in conversation with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nat Turner, fellow millenarians, and freethinkers. Other essays explore the creation of Mormon identities, demonstrating how Mormons created a unique sense of themselves as a distinct people. Historians of the American West examine Mormon connections with American imperialism, the Civil War, and the wider cultural landscape. Finally the essayists look at continuing Latter-day Saint growth around the world, within the context of the study of global religions. Examining Mormon history from an outsider's perspective, the essays presented in this volume ask intriguing questions, share fresh insights and perspectives, analyze familiar sources in unexpected ways, and situate research on the Mormon past within broader scholarly debates.

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439

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0190244674

ISBN 13

9780190244675

New Brethren in Flanders

The Origins and Development of the Evangelische Christengemeenten Vlaanderen, 1971-2008

By: Thomas J. Marinello

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New Brethren in Flanders

The Origins and Development of the Evangelische Christengemeenten Vlaanderen, 1971-2008

By: Thomas J. Marinello

New Brethren in Flanders is the story of the planting and remarkable growth of Brethren churches in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium at the end of the twentieth century. The Evangelische Christengemeenten Vlaanderen (ECV) began in the early 1970s as a result of evangelistic church-planting efforts led by a group of Canadian Christian Brethren missionaries. In just under twenty years, the ECV grew from one evangelistic, home Bible study to over thirty local churches in Flanders, the Netherlands, and Germany composed almost entirely of newly converted evangelical Christians. As one of those who grew up in these churches notes, "The Spirit of God, through the ECV's founders, built up an altogether masterly piece of work right in front of us.

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303

Publisher

Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1620321890

ISBN 13

9781620321898

Saving Souls, Serving Society

Understanding the Faith Factor in Church-Based Social Ministry

By: Heidi Rolland Unruh,Ronald J. Sider

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Saving Souls, Serving Society

Understanding the Faith Factor in Church-Based Social Ministry

By: Heidi Rolland Unruh,Ronald J. Sider

Recent years have seen unprecedented attention to faith-based institutions as agents of social change, spurred in part by cuts in public funding for social services and accompanied by controversy about the separation of church and state. The debate over faith-based initiatives has highlighted a small but growing segment of churches committed to both saving souls and serving society. What distinguishes faith-based from secular activism? How do religious organizations express their religious identity in the context of social services? How do faith-based service providers interpret the connection between spiritual methodologies and socioeconomic outcomes? How does faith motivate and give meaning to social ministry? Drawing on case studies of fifteen Philadelphia-area Protestant churches with active outreach, Saving Souls, Serving Society seeks to answer these and other pressing questions surrounding the religious dynamics of social ministry. While church-based programs often look similar to secular ones in terms of goods or services rendered, they may show significant differences in terms of motivations, desired outcomes, and interpretations of meaning. Church-based programs also differ from one another in terms of how they relate evangelism to their social outreach agenda. Heidi Rolland Unruh and Ronald J. Sider explore how churches navigate the tension between their spiritual mission and the constraints on evangelism in the context of social services. The authors examine the potential contribution of religious dynamics to social outcomes as well as the relationship between mission orientations and social capital. Unruh and Sider introduce a new vocabulary for describing the religious components and spiritual meanings embedded in social action, and provide a typology of faith-based organizations and programs. Their analysis yields a framework for Protestant mission orientations that makes room for the diverse ways that churches interrelate spiritual witness and social compassion. Based on their observations, the authors offer a constructive approach to church-state partnerships and provide a far more objective understanding of faith-based social services than previously available.

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334

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198036574

ISBN 13

9780198036579

Storming Zion

Government Raids on Religious Communities

By: Stuart A. Wright,Susan J. Palmer

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Storming Zion

Government Raids on Religious Communities

By: Stuart A. Wright,Susan J. Palmer

While scholars, media, and the public may be aware of a few extraordinary government raids on religious communities, such as the U.S. federal raid on the Branch Davidians in 1993, very few people are aware of the scope of these raids or the frequency with which they occur. Inspired by the Texas State raid on the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints in 2008, authors Stuart A. Wright and Susan J. Palmer decided to collect data on all the raids of this kind that have taken place in Western-style democracies over the last six decades. They thus established the first archive of raided groups and then used it see if any patterns could be identified. Their findings were shocking; there were far more raids than expected, and the vast majority of them had occurred since 1990, reflecting a nearly exponential increase. What could account for this sudden and dramatic increase in state control of minority religions? In Storming Zion, Wright and Palmer argue that the increased use of these high-risk and extreme types of enforcement corresponds to expanded organization and initiatives by opponents of unconventional religions. Anti-cult organizations provide strategic "frames" that define potential conflicts or problems in a given community as inherently dangerous, and construct narratives that draw on stereotypes of child and sexual abuse, brainwashing, and even mass suicide. The targeted group is made to appear more dangerous than it is, resulting in an overreaction by authorities. Wright and Palmer explore the implications of heightened state repression and control of minority religions in an increasingly multicultural, globalized world. At a time of rapidly shifting demographics within Western societies this book cautions against state control of marginalized groups and offers insight into the reasons why the responses to these groups are often so reactionary.

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301

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

019991141X

ISBN 13

9780199911417

A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors

By: Dwight A. Radford,Kyle J. Betit

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A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors

By: Dwight A. Radford,Kyle J. Betit

Discover your roots! Everything you need to start your Irish ancestry is in this book. You'll learn how to investigate the various generation of your family, the events that shaped their lives, the details about how they lived, and the story of their emigration.Inside you'll find: • Guidelines for determining an Irish ancestor's place of origin • Advice for accessing Irish cemetery, land, church, estate, census, and military records • Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths as well as emigration lists • Sources and strategies for researching Irish ancestors that settled in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales, and the Caribbean Plus answers to common questions: How far back in time can you expect to trace your family; and how does Protestant Irish research differ from Catholic Irish research?

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372

Publisher

Penguin

Published Date

ISBN 10

144032428X

ISBN 13

9781440324284

We Gather Together

The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics

By: Neil J. Young

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We Gather Together

The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics

By: Neil J. Young

Tracing the interactions among evangelicals, Catholics, and Mormons from the 1950s to the present day, We Gather Together recasts the story of the emergence of the Religious Right, showing that it was not a brilliant political strategy of compromise and coalition-building hatched on the eve of a history-altering election. Rather, it was the latest iteration of a much-longer religious debate that had been going on for decades. Evangelicals, Catholics, and Mormons found common cause and pursued similar ends in debates about abortion, school prayer, the Equal Rights Amendment, and tax exemptions for religious schools, but they were far from a unified bloc, cracks in the alliance shaped the movement from the very beginning. This provocative book will reshape our understanding of the most important religious and political movement of the last 30 years.

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429

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

019973898X

ISBN 13

9780199738984

Hollywood Gothic

The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen

By: David J. Skal

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Hollywood Gothic

The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen

By: David J. Skal

The primal image of the black-caped vampire Dracula has become an indelible fixture of the modern imagination. It's recognition factor rivals, in its own perverse way, the familiarity of Santa Claus. Most of us can recite without prompting the salient characteristics of the vampire: sleeping by day in its coffin, rising at dusk to feed on the blood of the living; the ability to shapeshift into a bat, wolf, or mist; a mortal vulnerability to a wooden stake through the heart or a shaft of sunlight. In this critically acclaimed excursion through the life of a cultural icon, David Skal maps out the archetypal vampire's relentless trajectory from Victorian literary oddity to movie idol to cultural commidity, digging through the populist veneer to reveal what the prince of darkness says about us all.

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388

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Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

0571211585

ISBN 13

9780571211586

Witnessing for Sociology

Sociologists in Court

By: Pamela J. Jenkins,J.S. Kroll-Smith

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Witnessing for Sociology

Sociologists in Court

By: Pamela J. Jenkins,J.S. Kroll-Smith

The American court system is making increasing use of sociologists as expert witnesses. From toxic torts to religious cults and brainwashing, sociological knowledge is becoming increasingly more commonplace in the legal arena. This edited volume is a collection of the experiences of sociologists who have appeared as expert witnesses in a variety of court cases. Many of the cases covered in this book revolve around central issues of murder, self-defense, religious cults, battered women, child pornography, environmentalism, and homelessness. This volume is unique in its breadth of topics and contributions.

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285

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Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313021589

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9780313021589

History of African Americans

Exploring Diverse Roots

By: Thomas J. Davis

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History of African Americans

Exploring Diverse Roots

By: Thomas J. Davis

This rich cultural history of African Americans outlines their travails, triumphs, and achievements in negotiating individual and collective identities to overcome racism, slavery, and the legacies of these injustices from colonial times to the present. One of every five Americans at the nation's beginning was an African American-a fact that underscores their importance in U.S. growth and development. This fascinating study moves from Africans' early contacts with the Americas to African Americans' 21st-century presence, exploring their role in building the American nation and in constructing their own identities, communities, and cultures. Historian and lawyer Thomas J. Davis's multi-themed narrative of compelling content provides a historical overview of the rise of African Americans from slavery and segregation in their anti-racist quest to enjoy equal rights and opportunities to reach the American Dream of pursuing happiness. The work features portraits of individuals and treats images of African Americans in their roles as performers, producers, consumers, and creators, and as the face of social problems such as crime, education, and poverty.

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256

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Bloomsbury Publishing USA

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ISBN 13

9798216097020

American Televangelism and Participatory Cultures

Fans, Brands, and Play With Religious "Fakes"

By: Denis J. Bekkering

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American Televangelism and Participatory Cultures

Fans, Brands, and Play With Religious "Fakes"

By: Denis J. Bekkering

This book examines unintended participatory cultures and media surrounding the American televangelists Robert Tilton and Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner. It brings to light heavily ironic fan followings; print, audio, and video projects; public access television parodies; and other comedic participatory practices associated with these controversial preachers from the 1980s onwards. For Tilton’s ministry, some of these activities and artifacts would prove irksome and even threatening, particularly an analog video remix turned online viral sensation. In contrast, Bakker-Messner’s “campy” fans – gay men attracted to her “ludicrous tragedy” – would provide her unexpected opportunities for career rehabilitation. Denis J. Bekkering challenges “supply-side” religious economy and branding approaches, suggestions of novelty in religion and “new” media studies, and the emphasis on sincere devotion in research on religion and fandom. He also highlights how everyday individuals have long participated in public negotiations of Christian authenticity through tongue-in-cheek play with purported religious “fakes.”

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233

Publisher

Springer

Published Date

ISBN 10

3030005755

ISBN 13

9783030005757

Judaisms

A Twenty-First-Century Introduction to Jews and Jewish Identities

By: Aaron J. Hahn Tapper

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Judaisms

A Twenty-First-Century Introduction to Jews and Jewish Identities

By: Aaron J. Hahn Tapper

What does it mean to be a Jew in the twenty-first century? Exploring the multifaceted and intensely complicated characteristics of this age-old, ever-changing community, Judaisms examines how Jews are a culture, ethnicity, nation, nationality, race, religion, and more. With each chapter revolving around a single theme (Narratives, Sinais, Zions, Messiahs, Laws, Mysticisms, Cultures, Movements, Genocides, Powers, Borders, and Futures) this introductory textbook interrogates and broadens readers’ understandings of Jewish communities. Written for a new mode of teaching—one that recognizes the core role that identity formation plays in our lives—this book weaves together alternative and marginalized voices to illustrate how Jews have always been in the process of reshaping their customs, practices, and beliefs. Judaisms is the first book to assess and summarize Jewish history from the time of the Hebrew Bible through today using multiple perspectives. Ideal for classroom use, Judaisms provides a synthetic and coherent alternative understanding of Jewish identity for students of all backgrounds; focuses on both the history of and potential futures for physical and ideological survival; includes an array of engaging images, many in color; offers extensive online resources including notes, key terms, a timeline of major texts, and chapter-by-chapter activities for teaching.

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Page Count

277

Publisher

Univ of California Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0520960009

ISBN 13

9780520960008

Book's by J Gordon Melton

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