There are 100,000 Baha'is in the United States, about five million worldwide including a significant population in Iran, their country of origin. They are also the most persecuted minority in Iran, where they are accused of being heretics by the Shi'i establishment. In fact, Baha'i draws on a diverse heritage that encompasses both East and West. Reflecting their Islamic roots, they observe daily prayers and the reading of sacred texts; a month of fast; pilgrimage to Haifa, Israel, where the religion's relics are preserved; and abstinence from alcohol. They face toward their prophet Baha'u'llah's resting place when praying, which is reminiscent of Muslims facing Mecca to pray. In other ways, the Baha'i religion has dissociated itself from orthodox Shi'ism. ...

The founder of the Hare Krishna movement (or International Society for Krishna Consciousness / ISKCON) was the Indian guru, Swami Bhaktivedanta, who during the last years of his life brought a Hindu denomination to the West. He represented the Bengali (Gaudiya) school of Vaisnavism—devotion to Vishnu and Krishna—which he molded somewhat to the times when he arrived in New York in the 1960s. Since then, ISKCON has evolved along more conventional—by Western standards—denominational lines with a largely middle-class, lay membership. When Bhaktivedanta arrived in America, it was a bold step because historically a guru who ventured outside of India was stripped of his Brahman status. ...

L. Ron Hubbard—best-selling science fiction writer, former naval officer, and people's philosopher—did not initially intend to found a new religion. But neither did he object when followers organized a church based on his teachings. The resulting movement has attracted millions of adherents from around the globe. Much of Scientology applies common sense solutions to life's perplexities. If a church should be judged according to its good works, then Scientology receives high marks for its addition treatment, literacy, and civil rights programs. But there is more, including mysticism, mythology, some secrecy, and a healthy dose of what might be termed eccentricity. Some observers wonder how a church that promotes mental and emotional health ...

Unificationists believe in "reconciling the internal truth pursued by religion with the external truth pursued by science." They promote anti-Communism, family values, and the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Hebrew prophets. Where they depart from traditional Christianity is in their acceptance of the Divine Principle as a companion to the Bible and in their assertion that founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon is Lord of the Second Advent, that with his wife (together the "True Parents"), Original Sin is conquered through special blessings. Since 1954 Unificationism has evolved toward a more normative approach to worship and lifestyle, if not belief—a point that Italian scholar Massimo Introvigne emphasizes in his balanced overview of the church's ...

Why is Soka Gakkai one of the fastest-growing religions in the world today? Founded in post-World War II Japan, this Buddhist movement claims upward of 15 million members, including more than a half million in North and South America. It sponsors two universities in the United States. Professor Dobbelaere points to several reasons for its growth. Soka Gakkai emphasizes inner peace rather than rules of behavior or hierarchical allegiance. Sociologists describe it as "trans-modern," meaning that it blends ancient and contemporary sensitivities such as Buddhist mysticism, science, art and music, a concern for the environment, and social activism. ...

Authentic religious experience includes both meditation and celebration, according to the twentieth-century Indian guru Osho Rajneesh (1931-90). Blending Tantra, Zen, and Western psychotherapy into his teachings, Osho produced incisive commentaries on religious mysticism and devised unique, "active meditation" that elicited emotional catharsis. Highly unorthodox, he courted controversy and was condemned for being a "sex guru." His Oregon headquarters, Rajneeshpuram, proved to be a short-lived utopia that provoked antagonism and only added to his notoriety. But his ashram in Poona, India, continues to thrive, as do Osho centers in Europe and elsewhere. His adherents number in the thousands. His books have become ...

This book, co-sponsored by the Salt Lake Olympic Committee's Interfaith Roundtable, introduces the remarkable and diverse world of faith to a new generation. Each page opens with a story that tells about the origins of a particular religion or denomination. The authors talk about founding events in a simplified way, using the language of the religion/church under consideration. In discussing current practices, the focus is on infancy, coming of age, worship, and marriage rituals. Each page has been read ...