Sacred Suicide

The label 'Suicide Cults' has been applied to a wide variety of different alternative religions, from Jonestown to the Solar Temple to Heaven's Gate. Additionally, observers have asked if such group suicides are in any way comparable to Islamist suicide terrorism, or to historical incidents of mass suicide, such as the mass suicide of the ancient community of Masada. Organizationally and ideologically diverse, it turns out that the primary shared trait of these various groups is a common stereotype of religion as an irrational force that pushes fanatics to undertake acts of suicidal violence. Offering a valuable perspective on New Religious Movements and on religion and violence, Sacred Suicide brings together contributions from a diverse range of international scholars of sociology, religious studies and criminology.

James R Lewis is a leading scholar of New Religious Movements. He has published a number of books including: Cults in America, and the Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements which both won CHOICE book awards. In the area of New Religions and violence, he has edited anthologies on the Branch Davidians, the Solar Temple, and, most recently, a general collection on Violence and New Religious Movements. Carole M. Cusack is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Sydney. She researches contemporary religious trends and her books include Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith (Ashgate, 2010) and The Sacred Tree: Ancient and Medieval Manifestations (Cambridge Scholars Publishing), 2011. She has published widely in edited volumes and journals, and is the editor (with Alex Norman) of Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production (Brill, 2012).