STRANGE SECTS AND CURIOUS CULTS

This is an anthology of what the author calls ""off-beat"" religions and his point of view is that one man's heresy is another man's faith. He deals with both ancient and modern religions of an obviously dramatic nature, dividing his book into three parts: Sex and Search for He discusses the derivations and ritual drama of the cult of Osiris, Voodooism, Shivism and the various representations of Baal in the Middle East. Among the he places flagellants and apocalyptic groups of one kind or another, with special emphasis on Los Hermanos Penitentes -- found in the American south west. In this section he also includes such spiritualistic phenomena as the ""mail-order"" religions, Father Divine and the Oxford Group. Most of the Utopians are American, Christian and communal: the Shakers, Canadian Donkhobors, Mormons' and Amanas. In a final section called Faith is a Feeling he extolls the contributions and usefulness of religions of all kinds. One wonders to whom this book is addressed and whether or not the information contained in it might just as readily be found in an encyclopedia.