Distinguished Professor of History
and Religious Studies
Materials for the early classes
A discussion of why religious traditions tend to split into lots of diverse movements.
One theme in this course will be the religious impact of ideas of the Apocalypse and the Last days. This is a handout of questions for discussion on this topic; and another handout on Biblical passages about the origin of the idea of the Antichrist.
Tim Guest's My Life in Orange.
Dorothy Allred Solomon, Daughter of the Saints.
More Biblical passages suggesting the highly separatist and, dare I say, "cult-like" aspects of early Christianity.
A handout on UFO cults and contactees.
Some questions for discussion when we watch a film about modern-day polygamist sects.
A handout on a film about the "Satanic menace."
A handout about the response of the psychiatric profession to the Satanic scare.
Common themes in esoteric and occult sects and movements.
A case-study of one of the classic English witchcraft trials.
Some common themes in how people imagine "dangerous outsiders" in various cultures.
Deborah Layton's Seductive Poison.
This is an unpublished paper I wrote called To What Green Altar? about the myth that paganism, human sacrifice and Satanic cults still exist underground in the modern USA.
And another paper on The Jesus of the Cults: How the Esoteric Christ Became the Christ of Scholars.
And finally, a nice parody of cult stereotypes: useful hints for evil cult members!
NUREL is a good starting place.
This is a major resource collection from the University of Virginia.
CESNUR - superb resources
Sites that provide an excellent launching point for studying NRMs can be found here and here.
This is a good site on pagan and indigenous religions.
You can find other religious studies links here.