Reading and Writing Scripture in New Religious Movements: New Bibles and New Revelations

Providing the real reasons for Adam and Eve's expulsion from the garden of Eden, devising new sets of commandments for the contemporary world, filling in the 'lost years' of the life of Jesus, and identifying when and how the end of the world will transpire are just some of the creative readings of the Bible that have been developed by new religious movements. In addition to crafting creative interpretations of familiar texts, new religions have also produced their own texts that aspire to scriptural status. From the book of Mormon and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures in the 19th century, to The Holy Piby, The Satanic Bible, and the Divine Principle of the Unificationists in the 20th century, new religions have offered the world an array of new Bibles. Through reading and writing scripture new religions attempt to secure the attention, approval, and even allegiance of people in the societies in which they originate.

"Eugene V. Gallagher, as a scholar of New Testament, early Christianity, as well as new religions, has written an accessible and clear treatment of scripture interpretations, composition of new scriptures, and canon formation in new religious movements. He highlights the 'prophetic paradigm,' which often produces new scriptures or new interpretations of old scriptures. New religions scholars will find the chapters on a variety of new scriptures relevant for use in their courses and research. All students of the development, history, and interpretation of scriptures will benefit from reading Dr. Gallagher's elegant analysis."

- Catherine Wessinger, Rev. H. James Yamauchi, S.J. Professor of the History of Religions, Loyola University New Orleans, USA.
"It is often assumed that cults, or new religious movements, are by definition radically different in every way from mainstream religions and society. By dwelling at the underexamined intersection of the study of new religious movements and scriptures, Eugene Gallagher opens a space for defamiliarizing such entrenched assumptions about both "new" and "old" religions. Reading and Writing Scripture in New Religious Movements explores a host of critical questions—such as how, and on what terms, humans decide what texts are to be marked out as sacred, as well as what the utility and consequences of doing so might be for identity and community formation. This book is rare in that it is at once a model of scholarly engagement and deep pedagogical sensibility, and I welcome the challenges and contributions it promises to make to the study of religion."

- Davina C. Lopez, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Eckerd College, USA.

New religious movements both read the Bible in creative ways and produce their own texts that aspire to scriptural status. From the creation stories in Genesis and the Ten Commandments to the life of Jesus and the apocalypse, they develop their self-understandings through reading and writing scripture.

Eugene V. Gallagher is the Rosemary Park Professor of Religious Studies at Connecticut College, USA. He is the co-author of Why Waco? Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in America and other books and articles on new religions. He serves as co-general editor of Nova Religio and associate editor of Teaching Theology and Religion.

Introduction

PART I: NEW VISIONS

1. A Teenaged Prophet, A Golden Bible, and Continuing Revelation

2. The Lamb of God and The Chosen Vessel: a Prophetic Lineage in the Adventist Tradition

3. Straight from the Devil: Holy Books in Contemporary Satanism

PART II: NEW READINGS

4. Aliens and Adams: Reimagining Creation

5. Black and White and Read All Over: Re-Reading the Ten Commandments

6. Beyond the Gospels: New Visions of the Life of Jesus

7. The End of the World as They Know It: Revelations about Revelation

PART III: NEW WRITINGS

8. Books of Guidance for a New Age and a New Paganism

9. A Moorish Koran and a New Age Bible

10. It's All in the Mind: Christian Science and A Course in Miracles

Conclusion