New Religions and Spiritualities

The articles brought together in this volume reveal the range of contentious attitudes towards human sexuality from the so-called 'new spiritualities', quasi-religions and the more 'hidden' forms of religiosity, which are now evident on a global scale.

Since the 1960s a fresh wave of new religions and what has come to be termed ''spiritualities'' have been evident on a global scale. This volume in The Library of Essays on Sexuality and Religion focuses on these ''new'' religions and their often contentious attitudes towards human sexuality. Part 1, through previously-published articles, provides instances of affirming orientations of the ''new'' religions towards sexuality. This entails scrutinising examples of innovative religion from a historical perspective, as well as those of a more contemporary nature. Part 2 examines, with pertinent illustrations, the controversial character of ''new'' religions in their ''cultist'' forms and matters of sexual control and abuse. Part 3 considers sexuality as articulated through paganism, the occult and esotericism in the postmodern setting. Part 4 examines both hetero- and non-hetero- expressions of sexuality through the so-called ''New Spiritualities'', Quasi-religions and the more ''hidden'' forms of religiosity.