Modern Religious Cults and Movements

"Modern Religious Cults and Movements" by Gaius Glenn Atkins is a study of new religious groups that sprung up in recent times, probably around the beginning of the 1900s. It looks at how groups like Christian Science and Theosophy started and how they affect older religions like Christianity. The book tries to understand why these new religions are appearing and what makes people want to join them. It starts by talking about how many new religious groups have grown in recent decades, often because people feel that traditional religions are missing something. Atkins talks about the difficult time in history when people were trying to balance their old beliefs with new ideas from science, philosophy, and changes in society. He says that we need to understand these modern movements because they all show the different ways people try to find meaning and spirituality in their lives. This introduction leads into a more detailed look at specific groups and their beliefs in the rest of the book.