COMMENT:Excellent collection of articles on the New Age as a religious development. While both skepticism and acceptance is apparent in the contributors' attitudes towards the factual claims associated with the New Age, this is not the concern of the book. The historical roots of the movement are traced to New Thought, occult and alternative healing traditions, and supposed implications of modern physics. Aspects of the New Age in baby boomer characteristics, Findhorn as a sample community, Channeling as a new form of revealed scripture, New Age in business training seminars, Neopagan Witchcraft as a parallel, and the Evangelical response are discussed. Comparisons are made to Feminist Spirituality and the ongoing Pentecostal/Charismatic revivals. The descriptions of New Age influences in Nigeria, Japan, South Africa and Italy are particularly interesting. A valuable book in understanding the New Age, and seeing it as more than a haphazard collection of bizarre cosmologies and magical flights of fancy.
