Traditional Religious Institutions Research Articles

Promoting socio-religious rights of Tibetan Buddhists in China in the 21st century: Legislators and political realities

Relevance. The study of the formation of relations between the Chinese political elite and Tibetan Buddhism in this period is critical for understanding the main aspects of political, interfaith and intercultural interaction in the region both in the 21st century and today. Purpose. The study aims to analyse how the social and religious rights of Tibetan Buddhist followers are ensured in modern China, taking into account the existing laws and political situation in the 21st century. Methodology. The study employs historical, comparative, and systematic methods to analyze legislative documents, official policies, and scholarly literature in order to examine the socio-religious rights of Tibetan Buddhists in China in the 21st century, considering both legal frameworks and political realities. Results. The study demonstrates the role and importance of international law in the context of the complex religious policy of the Chinese Communist Party. The author shows the influence of the reforms of the communist government on the process of changing the role of traditional religious institutions in public life. The study revealed the impact of reforms on the nature of interethnic relations in the region. The study examines aspects of the ethnic policy of the Communist Party of China on the subsequent process of formation of civil and religious identity in the region. Conclusions. The study concludes that relations between the Chinese Communist Party and Tibetan Buddhist leaders are complex, focusing on lama reincarnation, while government policies significantly impact Tibetan demographics, ethnicity, and culture. Keywords: international law; freedom of religion; conflict; soteriology; regional autonomy; soft power politics

ENTRE O DIABO DA IGREJA E O DIABO DO CORDEL: O DIABO PORTUGUÊS

In his work A religião popular portuguesa (1990), Moisés Espírito Santo proposes that in Portugal's popular belief the proverb “The Devil is not as ugly as they paint him” is taken into account, a maxim that translates very well the alternative way in which the “fallen angel” is conceived and contradicts the discourses about Evil and its supreme representative, officially disseminated by the most traditional religious institutions. My proposal in this work is to reflect on how the Devil of portuguese popular religiosity, represented several times in the country's literature, spread in Brazilian Cordel literature, not only prolonging elements of the Portuguese “base”, but taking new contours that constituted one of the topoi of the textual genre Cordel. Both in portuguese popular religiosity and in Brazilian Cordel, certain elements can be seen, especially with regard to the humanized characteristics of the Devil, which are considerably opposed to the way in which more traditional religious institutions have disseminated and disseminate the demonic figure, with discourses that reinforce, even in our days, its existence and role in society.

The Effect of Religious Spiritual Education and Care on the Quality of Life among the Elderly: A Review

This segment explores spirituality in elderly care, emphasizing its significance and challenges. It highlights Cicely Saunders' pioneering holistic approach to integrating spirituality into patient care, especially in palliative settings. The lack of universally defined research concepts and cultural diversities impeding the understanding of spiritual care practices in elderly care environments are emphasized. It underscores how contemporary secular societies redefine spirituality from traditional religious institutions, yet its importance in addressing existential questions remains intact. We outline the study's methodology for evaluating spirituality's impact on the quality of life of the elderly in Iran. It details the systematic review and meta-analysis used to synthesize findings from relevant studies, assessing the influence of religious-spiritual education, notably theotherapy, on quality of life. Factors affecting intervention efficacy, such as cultural norms, are discussed. The study showed positive outcomes post-intervention, indicating improvements in various life quality dimensions. The potential of theotherapy is noted, acknowledging cultural influences on effectiveness. Insights into spirituality's role in emotional stability, leadership, and organizational practices within Malaysian contexts, particularly amidst Industry 4.0, are presented. The need for comprehensive caregiver education and incorporating culturally aligned religious-spiritual education for the elderly's well-being is underscored. Additionally, the significance of emotional stability and effective organizational practices in Malaysia's evolving socio-economic context for quality care among the elderly is emphasized. This conclusion stresses the holistic approach necessary for optimized elderly care and organizational success.

Специфика формирования маргинальных культов «детей-чудотворцев» Славика Чебаркульского и Кюннэй Кардашевской

Two cults of deceased “children — wonderworkers” Slavik Chebarkulsky and Kunnei Kardashevskaya were formed under the influence of their mothers, who wrote books about the life and miracles of their children. Digitalization has expanded the audience of admirers, supplementing textual narratives with electronic ones (films about the miracles of Slavik, videos of Kunnei concerts and interviews with her mother). Also, digitalization provided online communication of admirers, and their unification into communities. The content and history of the formation of cults differ: Slavik during his lifetime told and prophesied more (which was recorded mainly by his mother), sometimes he healed people; after death, thanks to books and films, a marginal cult arose, associated with visiting the grave of a youth and numerous healings. Kunnei almost did not prophesy during her lifetime, she experienced signs of a shamanic illness, and, at the behest of the spirits, she healed people (which was recorded mainly by her mother). Both cults are at odds with the discourses of the traditional religious institutions they are trying to fit into. The doctrine of Slavik is refuted by the Church as pseudo-Orthodox, books about him are not recommended for reading by Orthodox people, hagiology does not contain criteria sufficient for his recognition as a saint, prophet or martyr. Slavik's eschatological narrative is focused on the present and the future, where he helps people. Online communication allows to respond to current events in a timely manner, generating new conspiracy prophecies. An organized cult of Kunnei was not established. Her narrative is focused on the present, when she can actually help, and on the past, when she was alive. She is remembered and revered as a talented girl and udaganka.

B-Side Spirituality: An Empathetic Theory of Religion and Ethnographic Data About Spiritual (but Not Religious) Belonging

Abstract According to some cognitive and neuroscientific theories, religion is not an evolved adaptation but rather an artifact, one that may lead to adaptive behaviors. Here I relate (a) an empathetic theory of religion with (b) a functional theory of musicality to clarify religion’s adaptive features. This theory contributes to previous research by explaining the link between spirituality and music and makes the nontrivial prediction that increasing numbers of people who are disaffected by traditional religious institutions will find modes of meaning-making and fellow-feeling in contemporary festival and live music scenes.

THE EVOLUTION OF WESTERN SPIRITUALITY: FROM ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME TO CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the history of spirituality in the Western world, examining its evolution from ancient Greece and Rome to contemporary practices. The article explores the development of key religious and philosophical traditions, including early Christianity, the Protestant Reformation, and the Enlightenment, and analyzes their contributions to the evolution of Western spirituality. The article also investigates the emergence of contemporary spirituality, highlighting its emphasis on personal experience and individual growth, and its rejection of traditional religious institutions and dogma. While contemporary spirituality has been criticized for its lack of structure and its tendency to promote subjective experiences over objective truth, it has also had a significant impact on Western culture, particularly in the areas of health and wellness. The article discusses the challenges that contemporary spirituality poses, including the potential for spiritual bypassing, the need for authenticity in spiritual practices, and the importance of recognizing spirituality as a deeply personal and individual experience. Additionally, the article explores the future of Western spirituality, considering the impact of changing cultural and social trends and the ongoing evolution of spiritual practices. The article also examines important works and figures that have contributed to the development of Western spirituality from Ancient Greece and Rome to contemporary times, showing the diversity and richness of spiritual perspectives and practices over time. Ultimately, this article offers a comprehensive overview of the history of Western spirituality and highlights its enduring influence on Western culture and society, while also providing insights into the challenges and opportunities that contemporary spirituality presents.

Visiting a Sufi Shaykh: A Contemporary Experience of Religious Pilgrimage

Modern experience of spiritual search has mixed up all the colors of the religious domain. It is no longer a strict definition of what the term pilgrimage implies. There is a growing number of seemingly secular places visited by both members of traditional religious institutions and New Age movements. However, the Western culture of pilgrimage is still recognized as individual and not accepting religious elements as such. Using reliable sociological approaches and the ethnographical material, the present article challenges this assumption and seeks to create a more productive discussion on the topic. For this, it examines the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi community of Lefke (Cyprus), a place of pilgrimage for Muslims, non-Muslims, Europeans, Americans—all motivated by the goal of visiting a Sufi shaykh. The article analyzes the pilgrimage to Lefke by means of John Urry’s three bases of co-presence and illustrates how the Islamic vocabulary of pilgrimage has also changed in adaptation to the new realities of the post-secular world. As a result, it is argued that Sufism, with its historically proven ability to combine the individual and collective spheres of religious life, can provide a useful framework for understanding the contemporary pilgrimage phenomenon.

Growing Up Like Romola: The Spiritual Evolutions of George Eliot and Bernard Shaw

ABSTRACT Bernard Shaw and George Eliot both criticized traditional religious doctrines and institutions, yet also recognized the strength and sense of purpose religion could offer and sought in their writings to identify some new religion that they could accept as intellectually honest. This article examines Eliot’s efforts to articulate such a principle in her novel Romola (1862–63) and Shaw’s echoes and critiques of her ideas in Major Barbara (1905). While Eliot’s ending calls for a humanistic faith rooted in compassion and fellowship, Shaw dismissed individual compassion as an ineffective substitute for socialist reform. Moreover, whereas Eliot’s novel ultimately rejects the idea of religious institutions, Shaw left the issue unsettled in Major Barbara and returned to it in later writings in an effort to formulate an idea of a widely shared religion grounded in economic equity and cooperation with the Life Force.

Introduction

Introduction

Modernleşme Sürecinde Tasavvuf ve Günümüzde Tasavvuf Kültürünün Taşıyıcıları

Modernleşme, on yedinci yüzyılda Avrupa’da başlayan, aydınlanma kültürünü ve kapitalizmin hayat tarzını dünyaya yayan toplumsal bir yaşam tarzıdır. Modernleşme ile birlikte başlayan çoğulculuk ve bireyselleşme süreçleri dinî bütünlükte ve kurumlaşmış dindarlıkta bir gevşeme ortaya çıkarmıştır. Modernleşmenin dinin anlam dünyası üzerindeki sarsıcı etkisi tasavvuf hareketlerinin geleneksel yapılarını ve kurumsal kimliklerini zayıflatmış ve fertle devlet arasındaki bu ikincil yapıların sosyal fonksiyonlarını yerine getirme becerilerini zayıflatmıştır. Çalışmada modernleşme sürecinin tasavvuf hareketleri üzerindeki etkisi ve günümüzde bu kültürün taşıyıcılarının kimler olduğu problemine odaklanılmıştır. Çalışmanın amacı, bilinç kalıpları içerici ve davranışları yönlendirici bir paket olarak gelen modernleşme sürecinin geleneksel dinî kurumlar üzerindeki dönüştürücü etkisini anlamaktır. Tarama yöntemiyle elde edilen nitel verilerin Berger ve Luckmann’ın tezleri çerçevesinde ele alındığı bu çalışmada, Cumhuriyet dönemi ile birlikte geleneksel formları aşan, modern kamusal yapılarla uyumlu ve bireyselleşmeyi belli düzeyde hoş gören yeni dinî grupların ortaya çıktığı ve bu grupların günümüzde tasavvuf kültürünün paydaş taşıyıcıları olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Activities of Borno Traditional Political and Religious Leaders in the Nigerian Civil War, 1967–1970

This article examines the activities of Borno traditional political and religious leaders in the Nigerian Civil War, with specific reference to the role of the Shehu of Borno and other chiefs, Muslim and Christian leaders. Traditional political leaders are the custodians of culture and traditions in Borno. They galvanised support for the war by mobilising society to contribute to the war effort. This article adopts a qualitative method, using oral sources from interviews conducted with surviving members of the traditional political and religious institutions. Traditional political leaders also commissioned religious leaders to pray for a successful end to the civil war, the unity of Nigeria and to preach the legality of enlisting into the military profession.

Religion on Millennials: Phenomenon of Hijra and Changes in Islamic Landscape in Aceh

This study examined the emergence of the phenomenon of hijra among millennials in Aceh, Indonesia, and how this phenomenon has changed the Islamic landscape. This study applied qualitative research methods while the data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The research subjects consisted of 4 hijra community founders and 10 teenage members of 3 hijra communities in Langsa. These communities include Komunitas Generasi Rabbani (KGR), the Akhwat Ilmu Agama (AKHIA) and the Muslimah Aceh Fillah (MAF). This research integrated Michael Foucault's theory of power and knowledge and Jurgen Habermas’s theory of public space. The findings of this study indicated that the phenomenon of hijra among them has implications for changes in the Islamic landscape. It was triggered by the rapid development of information technology, such as the use of the internet through social media and content production on various digital platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The impact of this phenomenon fosters the autonomy of the millennials to find their interpretations and choose new religious patrons that can be accessed easily through various existing digital platforms. The emergence of these new religious patrons does not come from traditional religious institutions like dayah. Such Islamic expression will expose young Muslims to pop culture and information technology in the future.

The Veil of Religious Pluralism in Neoliberalism Agenda in Indonesia

In this 21st century, the understanding of religion has undergone significant changes. The emergence of pluralism concepts is a concrete manifestation of this change. Among them are the World Theology concept presented by Wilfred Cantwell Smith and the Global Theology introduced by John Hick. These two concepts have in common in assuming that all the divine religions have the same God, be it Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. This understanding raises controversy in society. Neoliberalism shapes religion from above. It changes the environment in which religious institutions evolve and imposes new ways of managing human and economic resources. Traditional religious institutions, which were bureaucratized, hierarchical, and vertical, are forced to downsize, ‘rationalize’ their activities, develop communication strategies and branded identities, outsource administrative tasks, and cast their mission as the provision of services meeting individual needs. Meanwhile, new networked, supple, charismatic, horizontal and transnational religious organizations emerge which increase pluralism and challenge institutionalized privileges. This paper aims to reveal the reasons why this phenomenon persists to this day with problem boundaries in the context of Indonesia. This research is a literature study with a critical analysis method through Content Analysis. The results of this study indicate that the development of religious pluralism can persist because it is supported by the ideology of neoliberalism. Furthermore, this research can be a reference for public education efforts related to the issue of religious pluralism.

Нецерковное религиозное большинство как проблема современной Православной Церкви: социально-философский аспект

The article is devoted to the actual problem for the Russian Orthodox Church related to the new phenomenon in the history of the Church – the non-church religious majority consisting of people baptized in the Orthodox Church but practically not identifying themselves with the Church and even opposing themselves to it. This phenomenon characterizes our society as post-secular which religiosity was separated from the main religious institutions and became an individual project that everyone realizes independently, using what traditional religious institutions give, for example Baptism, but maintaining from them independence and distance. The actual strategy of the Russian Orthodox Church in the interaction with the state and society is traditionally focused on the idea of a symphony of powers of the state and the church but this strategy is ineffective in interaction with society. The reason is the non-church nature of the religious majority and also the absence of the expected socially significant activity of the Church that people would be ready to identify with. The internal mission of Church for the baptized people is oriented towards the knowledge-based approach and fits as such into the post-secular model of religiosity. The activity-oriented approach can change the situation. It requires socially significant activity from the Church and involving people into it. This will be a return to the ancient practice of the Church, when the life of a Christian was associated with serving his neighbor. Such activities will make it possible to actualize the Christian teaching in the modern anthropological and social situation, will reveal the essence of the Christian idea of ontological transcending, which consists not in avoiding people, but in communication, and will allow the Church to carry out its mission in the post-secular space as a socially significant institution.

Pragmatic Saintliness: Toward a Criticism and Celebration of Community

Abstract This essay responds to John McDermott’s diagnosis of politics and religious life in the U.S.: “[B]oth traditional political and religious institutions are no longer an adequate let alone rich resource for a celebratory language.” I present a new celebratory language by reading William James’s description of saintliness in Varieties of Religious Experience. James gives me the resources to naturalize and democratize saintliness. Distinguished not by her transcendent miracles but by her this-worldly energies and experiments, the pragmatic saint remakes the experience of her community through celebration, a form of appreciation and criticism exemplified in engaged art. My ethical and aesthetic description of the saint thus builds on E. Paul Colella’s recent political description of the saint as the “strenuous citizen.”

Risky Appearances, Skillful Performances: Female Islamic Preachers and Professional Style in Malaysia

ABSTRACTMass involvement of women in Islamic associations and public religious expressions has led to an unprecedented demand for women Islamic authorities. Yet, paradoxically, the global Islamic revival has also strengthened conservative norms with regard to the exposure of women's bodies and voices. In Malaysia, women Islamic popular preachers navigate, and to some extent obviate, this tension between publicity and modesty by cultivating a professional style. In the context of mass education, mass mediatization, and a public sphere saturated with techno‐political language, these women combine religious guidance with knowledges and performances more commonly associated with nonreligious professions. They perceive their work and careers as an accumulation of professional skills. They work from offices as well as traditional religious institutions. And they provide specialized, often paid services ranging from conventional religious teaching and preaching to professionalized Islamic healing and media performances. The increasing salience of a professional persona in women's preaching requires an analysis that moves beyond pious exemplarity—a central concern of many anthropological studies of women's religious authority—and that recognizes the central role of professional style and associated performances in the shaping of new Muslim femininities. [religious authority, professional style, women preachers, Islam, Malaysia]

СПІВВІДНОШЕННЯ ДЕМОКРАТИЗАЦІЇ ТА РЕЛІГІЙНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

The article examines the problems of the component s of the concept of threats to religious security, for example, which are transformed into concepts. Religion as a relatively independent socio-cultural reality needs protection from internal and external threats. Religious security is a system of conditions that ensures the preservation of the traditional religious system within the established norm that has historically developed. The problem of religious security was identified when the cases of anti-state, anti-social activities of religious associations became more frequent. Methodology: The following research methods were used to address the issues set in the article: general scientific methods – descriptive, systemic, structural-functional, comparative, institutional-comparative; general logical methods – empirical, statistical, prognostic modeling and analysis; special methods of political science. The preference was given to the method of political-system analysis, by which the common and distinctive characteristics of the basic components of soft power strategies were identified, reflecting existing political, public, information and other challenges for international relations and global development. Results. As societies develop from agrarian to industrial to knowledge-based, growing existential security tends to reduce the importance of religion in people's lives and people become less obedient to traditional religious leaders and institutions. Research of the problem by scientists. Religion is characterized by the historical predominance of Catholic Christianity (40 % of the world's Catholics in the region). Conclusions. Although some religious conservatives warn that the retreat from faith will lead to a collapse of social cohesion and public morality, the evidence doesn't support this claim. Surprising as it may seem, countries that are less religious actually tend to be less corrupt and have lower murder rates than religious ones.

Reasons for the emergence of new religious movements in the republics of the North Caucasus Federal district of the Russian Federation

The North Caucasus Federal District is one of the most difficult regions of Russia, which is due to multi-ethnicity, multi-confessionals in the first place, as well as a number of acute problems typical of the region, such as economic destabilization, open transnational issues around repeatedly changing borders, and the problem of repressed peoples. Such a circle of acute questions cannot but create a conflict-generating situation in the region. This article partially discloses the problem of religion and its significance in the region. The author reveals the history of the emergence of the strengthening of traditional religions and branches of new religious trends from them. The article used the materials of a mass survey of the population of the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation: in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, the Chechen Republic, the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Republic of Dagestan, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, conducted in the summer of 2016, North – The Ossetian Department of Social Research of the Institute of Social and Political Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Department of Sociology of North Ossetian State University named after K.L. Khetagurova. In total, 1200 respondents took part in the survey, including 50 experts (journalists, scientists, officials, members of political parties, cultural workers, representatives of various faiths, lawyers). The opinion of the population of the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District and the expert community on the reasons for the spread of NRT is given. It is concluded that the basis of such movements is young people who seek their spiritual ideal, and sometimes simply social justice, which they today can’t find either within the walls of traditional religious institutions or in high society.

Vulcan Clothing Company

As an advertising consultant for a New York—based clothing company, the protagonist in this case wants to respect and reflect religious diversity in both promotion and publicity. An actress wearing a hijab, the head cover many Muslim women wear in public, has been included in the company's upcoming global ad campaign, sparking concerns about how the campaign will be received in France. Taking into account the friction between political secularism and Islam that had manifested itself in France, with one prominent clothing retailer having withdrawn some advertising that depicted hijabs, the protagonist must decide how to advise the clothing company to proceed with its campaign. Excerpt UVA-E-0438 Apr. 14, 2020 Vulcan Clothing Company In just a few months, you planned to roll out a major advertising campaign for one of your longest-standing clients, the New York—based clothing company Vulcan. In an effort to reflect and respect religious diversity, the video-clip series you and your team produced depicted representatives from a number of major faiths and some atheists wearing various Vulcan garments while going about their daily lives. One of those representatives was a Muslim woman, and her video segment dually functioned as an unveiling of Vulcan's own line of patterned hijabs, the head cover that some Muslim women and girls wore when in public. And while Vulcan made its American roots loud and clear in its overall brand language, it recently gained considerable traction in French metropolitan markets—so much so that opening a brick-and-mortar store in Paris had become a serious prospect. Challenges to Entering European Markets Expansion into European markets didn't come without its cultural, historical, and political caveats. First, the story of religion, secularization, and public life in Europe was a uniquely complex and complicated one, shaped by a blend of historical and contemporary influences: centuries of religious warfare; peculiar church—state relationships; contesting views on immigration; and challenges of pluralistic social integration, among others. Amid that complexity and complication, however, one thing was clear: Church attendance and, more broadly, faith in traditional religious institutions had waned consistently throughout the continent. Even if devotion remained strong in some Eastern European countries (especially contrasted with their Western European neighbors); and even if Asia housed the world's most secularized nations (e.g., China and Japan), Europe's narrative arc had brought it to a much more deinstitutionalized religious place when considered against the rest of the world. . . .

Communes in America, 1975–2000 by Timothy Miller

Reviewed by: Communes in America, 1975–2000 by Timothy Miller Devin R. Lander (bio) Communes in America, 1975–2000 By Timothy Miller . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2019. 280 pages, 6″ x 9″. $65.00 cloth, $29.95 paper. Timothy Miller, professor of religious studies at the University of Kansas, has done more important work on the history of intentional communities in the United States than any historian I can think of. Communes in America, 1975–2000 is the third and final book in his series that examines the history and relevance of American communes from 1900 to 2000 and includes the previous volumes The Quest for Utopia in Twentieth-Century America (1998) and The '60s Communes: Hippies and Beyond (1999). Collectively they represent a groundbreaking approach to the subject by deeply mining the archival record, oral history, and quantitative methods. According to the Foundation for Intentional Community's database, there are currently forty-seven "established" (including four or more adults in residence and in existence for at least two years) intentional communities in New York State, which is more than any other state except California, Washington, and Oregon. 1 New York has a long and varied history as the home of prominent intentional communities ranging from the Shakers settling in New Lebanon in the late eighteenth century, the Oneida Community's founding in 1848, and the establishment of the turn-of-the-century communal art colonies of Roy-croft in East Aurora and Byrdcliffe near Woodstock, to the Gate Hill Cooperative avant-garde artists' commune cofounded by John Cage in 1954 near Stony Point and Timothy [End Page 392] Leary's psychedelic commune residing on a 2,500-acre estate in the village of Millbrook, all of which are touched upon in Miller's series. His most recent work also notes the important communal Hindu ashrams Shree Muktananda Ashram in the Catskills and Shanti Mandir in Walden, as well as the Buddhist communes Dai Bosatsu Zendo and the Zen Mountain Monastery, also both in the Catskill mountains. The number and variety of intentional communities that called New York State home is truly amazing. In the preface of Communes in America, 1975–2000, Miller outlines his criteria for inclusion in his study, which is consistent with the previous volumes and includes the following four "must haves" that a group must possess to be considered an intentional community: 1. The group must be gathered on the basis of some kind of purpose or vision and not simply just people living together by chance or family ties. 2. The group must live together on property that has some clear physical commonality. 3. The group must have some kind of financial or material sharing. 4. The group must consist of at least five adults who are not related by blood or marriage. Miller adds that to be considered for the study, a group also must have "a sense of being withdrawn or set apart from conventional society," which is why he does not include Native American tribes, which he rightfully defines as being of the conventional society of their time and place, not outside it. Miller also does not include groups such as monasteries or convents belonging to traditional religious institutions. Communes in America, 1975–2000 is broken down into seven thematic chapters and two appendices. Chapters 2 and 3 illustrate how intentional communities reacted and adapted to social and environmental challenges in the larger society through such innovations as cohousing communes and ecovillages. Chapters 4 and 5 are dedicated to intentional communities with a spiritual purpose, and chapter 6 outlines activist and social justice communities, including feminist and LGBTQ groups. Chapter 7 investigates the often negative public perception of intentional communities during the period of 1975–2000 as a result of tragedies such as the mass suicides at Jonestown and Heaven's Gate and the deadly assaults on MOVE and the Branch Davidian compounds. Miller cautions the reader not to paint all intentional communities with the same brush based on these horrifying (but rare) catastrophes. The appendices provide excellent quantitative material drawn from the entire series as well as Miller's other works on the subject. Appendix A uses evidence going back...