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Some Aspects of Religion and Spiritual Healing in Cultsville, a Contemporary North American City

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

Irving Hexham*
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba

Extract

In many ways modern society resembles a large stone in an overgrown garden. The stone stands apart from the weeds. Its outline is clear and its surface smooth and clean. But if we turn the stone we find another world. This is a realm of slime with a host of creepy crawlies scrurrying to escape the light. Attempting to penetrate beyond the official rational scientific culture of modern society which, like the top-side of the stone, is visible to all, is similar to the act of turning the stone to expose its repulsive underside. Beneath the ordered exterior of our official culture is a disorderly and, to the rational mind, shocking vision of reality.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Ecclesiastical History Society 1982

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References

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15 In working on the new religious movements in North America I have found that most of the small non-western groups are prepared to accept criticism provided one recognises their right to exist. On the other hand fundamentalist and evangelical Christian groups are very sensitive to any form of analysis which does not fit their theological paradigm. Recently I wrote a paper examining the beliefs and life-style of a well known evangelical organisation. Unfortunately I named the group concerned in my paper. While the group’s leaders were positive towards my criticisms and prepared to take my argument.seriously, I received a number of letters from evangelicals which ranged from threats of libel action to open abuse. The paper was circulated at an academic conference. How some of the people who wrote to me obtained it I just don’t know. However it has taught me to be very cautious in writing about evangelical religion. The evidence discussed in this paper is far more emotional than my earlier study hence my need to preserve the anonymity of the groups.

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