How will these resources help you?

New religious movements (NRM) are a fascinating area for study. They are by nature part of our modern world, showing how religious ideas have been updated or recreated to respond to the challenges of modernity while often drawing on ancient ideas and seeking to appeal as genuine or untainted versions of their traditions. These resources give academic grounding to discussions around NRMs and case studies that students may be aware of and particularly interested in exploring. While members of those groups may not view themselves as part of NRMs, they are generally considered as such by the academic world due to their origins and characteristics. The further materials also offer the opportunity to explore the language we are using, specifically the terms ‘religion’ and ‘cult’.