Nichols Larry A - Encyclopedic dictionary of cults, sects, and world religions : revised and updated edition

ZONDERVAN

Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions
Copyright 2006 by George A. Mather, Larry A. Nichols, and Alvin J. Schmidt

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ePub Edition August 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-86606-0

Formerly published as Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult

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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mather, George A.
Dictionary of cults, sects, and world religions / George A. Mather, Larry A. Nichols, Alvin J. Schmidt. Rev. and updated ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Dictionary of cults, sects, religions, and the occult. 1993.
Summary: This updated dictionary explores a variety of religious beliefsProvided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-23954-3
1. ReligionsDictionaries. 2. CultsDictionaries. 3. SectsDictionaries. I. Nichols, Larry A. II. Schmidt, Alvin J. III. Mather, George A. Dictionary of cults, sects, religions, and the occult. IV. Title.
BL31.M295 2005
200'.3dc22

2005000820
CIP

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George Mather would like to dedicate this book to those
friends and family who have been a continued source of
encouragement during the writing of this book.

Larry Nichols would like to dedicate this book in loving
memory of his mother, Joyce Nichols, and his father-in-law,
Alfred Medeiros, along with all of the members of
Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Alvin Schmidt would like to dedicate this book to his two sons,
Timothy and Mark, to help them see that religious diversity
does not conform to what Christ said, Not everyone
who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into
the kingdom of heaven.

Table of Contents

The authors would like to acknowledge various individuals for their support and contributions to this project.

George and Larry extend thanks to Alvin Schmidt, who has come aboard as one of the authors. In the first edition he served as consulting editor. It has been good to have him contribute his scholarship.

We thank Kurt van Gorden, our present consulting editor, for his very careful reading of the entire manuscript and his many helpful suggestions, comments, and constructive criticisms along the way. Kurt has done a yeomans work and is a true servant of the cross of Christ.

We wish to thank Arthur Pena for his critical review of the article on The Baha,i Faith. We thank Keith MacGregor and MacGregor Ministries, Kurt van Gorden, Jill Rische, Paul Carden, Arthur Varnick, and Dale Broadhurst for their review and remarks on Mormonism. Concerning the Jehovahs Witnesses, we thank David Reed, Watchman Fellowship, and Christian Research Institute. We thank Verle and Orie Streifling for their contributions to the article on Seventh-day Adventism. We offer thanks to Gary Zeolla for providing helpful information on several parts of the book. The authors acknowledge and thank Robert Pardon, the director of the New England Institute for Religious Research.

Special thanks goes to Lois Smith for her tireless work in xeroxing the entire hard copy used in the editing process. We also thank Melissa Nichols for her work on the appendixes.

Larry Nichols would like to note that during the final months of writing, his mother was afflicted with a terminal illness. The dedication of this book is for her along with his late father-in-law and grandparents. At the same time, Larrys father was diagnosed with cancer. By the grace of God, he has had successful surgery and has recovered. He wants to thank both of his parents (as was done in the first edition) for their love, prayers, and support through the years.

Larry would like to acknowledge and thank professors who have taught him throughout the years:

John Calvin Holsinger, history professor at Evangel University, who has kept in touch and has been a constant source of encouragement for continuing to pursue graduate studies

John Stroup, professor of church history at Yale University Divinity School (now at Rice University), who taught his students to think and write critically and at times skeptically

Paul Holmer, George Lindbeck, (the late) Hans Frei, and Brevard Childs of Yale University Arthur Just, who taught him to understand Luke and the sacraments the late Robert Preus, who manifested a breadth of knowledge of Post-Lutheran systematic theology and a deep understanding of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith

Timothy Quill, who, because of the first edition to this encyclopedic dictionary, invited him to participate in the Russian Projectthat is, to teach at the Siberian Lutheran Seminary in Russia and at the Luther Academy in Latvia

David Scaer (All theology is Christology), for teaching all of his students to never take ourselves too seriously, but to take Christ most seriously

William Weinrich, a great patristics scholar whose writings and personal conversations through the years have proved most enlightening Dean Wenthe, for his outstanding scholarship, exceptional leadership, and deep insights into the ongoing narrative of the Old/New Testament church and the response of the church to todays postmodern world.

Finally, we would together reserve our deepest appreciation for our wives and children, who certainly sacrificed the most. Larry Nichols would acknowledge his wife, Zelia, for her constant love and devotion and patience for putting up with his many hours at the computer. His daughtersMelissa, Charissa, Alicia, and Faytheare the wonderful gifts of God for whom he is deeply thankful.

George Mather would like to thank his wife, Sharon, for her patience during the writing of this work, and acknowledge his daughter, Jennnifer, and his sons, Khristian, Joshua and wife, Shannon, and Andrew and wife, Berenice. He would also like to acknowledge his grandchildren: Grace, Priscilla, Benjamin, Ethan, Emma, and Vasty, along with his sister Charlotte, and her husband, Paul, and his brother Jack, and his wife, Mary, his mother-in-law, Phyllis, and her husband, Bob.

Alvin Schmidt would like to thank and acknowledge his wife, Carol, fort her support and patience.