Reading and Writing Scripture in New Religious Movements: New Bibles and New Revelations (Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities)

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.