This study of new religious movements in Quebec focuses on nine groupsâincluding the notoriously violent Solar Temple; the iconoclastic Temple of Priapus; and the various âCatholicâ schisms, such as those led by a mystical pope; the Holy Spirit incarnate; or the reappearance of the Virgin Mary. Eleven contributing authors offer rich ethnographies and sociological insights on new spiritual groups that highlight the quintessential features of Quebec's new religions (âsectesâ in the francophone media). The editors argue that Quebec provides a favorable âecologyâ for alternative spirituality, and explore the influences behind this situation: the rapid decline of the Catholic Church after Vatican Il; the âQuiet Revolution,â a utopian faith in Science; the 1975 Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms; and an open immigration that welcomes diverse faiths. The themes of Quebec nationalism found in prophetic writings that fuel apocalyptic ferment are explored by the editors who find in these sectarian communities echoes of Quebecâs larger Sovereignty movement.Â
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