ABSTRACT
The virtues of a new theory are best displayed not by its treatment of the same evidence as some other theory it seeks to displace, but by its ability, having dealt with existing evidence, to explain new evidence hitherto unconsidered. The notion that major developments in new religious movements can be accounted for in terms of particular problems of precariousness which they face is not restricted to the case of world-affirming salvational movements. As we saw at the beginning of chapter six, even world-rejecting movements may face problems of market decline. However, this focus on problems of precariousness can be extended to enable us to understand common features of movements which exhibit a more world-rejecting pattern.
