ABSTRACT
This chapter is primarily concerned with setting an agenda by which a discussion of alternative religions can proceed and with establishing some simple theoretical and conceptual frameworks by which they might be approached. It discusses a number of principal themes. Firstly, there is the matter of definition. Secondly, the chapter seeks to explain the apparent rise of alternative religions in what is often designated as the post-Christian society. Thirdly, there is the related issue as to whether such religion is, for the most part, responding to a demand that appears to have been generated for an earnest spirituality outside traditional Christianity. Fourthly, there is the discussion of the possibility that a number of the alternatives have become popular because of observable social and cultural changes and that this includes developments within an increasingly secular and pluralistic society. Finally, the chapter presents an imperative overview of several of the pitfalls associated with studying the 'alternatives'.
