Dr Bryan Wilson is a Fellow Emeritus of All Souls College, Oxford. He is the author of numerous books on new religious movements. His most recent publications include, Scientology, The Social Dimensions of Sectarianism and Religion in Sociological Perspectives.

• Foreword, Jamie Cresswell, Institute of Oriental Philosophy, European Centre, Introduction, Bryan R. Wilson, All Souls College, Oxford, Chapter 1. New Religious Movements: Their Incidence and Significance, Eileen Barker, London School of Economics, Chapter 2. The Easternization of the west, Colin Campbell, University of York, Chapter 3. Prosperity and the New Age Movement: The Efficacy of Spiritual Economics, Paul Heelas, University of Lancaster, Chapter 4. New Religious Movements: the Legal Dimension, Anthony Bradney, University of Leicester, Chapter 5. The Mass Media and New Religious Movements, James Beckford, University of Warwick, Chapter 6. New Religious Movements and Mental Health, Lawrence Lilliston & Gary Shepherd, Oakland University, Michigan, USA, Chapter 7. Women in New Religious Movements, Elizabeth Puttick, British-American College, London, Chapter 8. New Religious Movements and the Churches, Very Rev. Colin Slee, Provost of Southwark, Chapter 9. Damanhur: A Magical Community in Italy, Massimo Introvigne, CESNUR, Turin, Chapter 10. Japanese New Religious Movements in Brazil: From Ethnic to 'Universal' Religions, Peter Clarke, King's College, London, Chapter 11. Anti-Cultists in the United States: An Historical Perspective, J. Gordon Melton, University of California Santa Barbara, Chapter 12. The Response to New Religious Movements in Eastern Germany after Re-unification, Frank Usarski, Efurt Pedagogische Hochschule, Chapter 13. Britain's Anti-Cult Movement, George Chryssides, University of Wolverhampton.

'Almost without exception, the contribution are informative, interesting and well written. The book is also logically organized' - Peter Beyer, Journal of Contemporary Religion'... helpfully wide in scope while providing up-to-date detail ... [it achieves] achieves a sensitivity and listening ear towards adherents of the new religions of the last 200 years ... useful and up-to-date, interesting social analysis, and contribution[] towards a more comprehensive understanding of religious dialogue in a pluralistic context' - Chris Maunder, World Faiths Encounter'Together these essays offer a valuable comprehensive overview of the engagement of new religious movements with contemporary society.' - John Pridmore, The Way'While the entire book will be an indispensible resource on New Religious Movements and will appeal to sociologists of religion, individual chapters in this impressive collection will appeal to a wide range of other readers.' - Richard O'Leary, Sociology