Resources
Tools
VIRTUAL
CLASSROOM
This site is a chat room or "virtual classroom" for real-time, online discussions with the professor, or select class sessions.
SEARCH THE WEB
The Metacrawler search engine that allows you to maximize the number of sites you can find at any time on the web.
MAIL YOUR LINKS
If you find an appropriate link for the course that you wish to share with everyone else, email it here, and we will post it
for the rest of the class. Please give the complete URL, such as:
http://www.nonsense.com/idiocy/moreidiocy/mycult.html
The link you submit should not only be directly relevant to the course as a whole (not just your special interest), but should have a
professional look and be extensive and comprehensive in the information it offers. If you find a good link, first check to see if
there is a better site that accomplishes the same purpose through SEARCH THE WEB. If you find the better one, submit that
instead. Finally, in your email give some brief justification for why the link should be included.
New Links
General Sites on Cults
Cultic Studies Journal and Other Links
The American Family Foundation's CULTIC STUDIES JOURNAL and other links
on cults. AFF is part of what "cult apologists" call the "anti-cult
network".
Trancenet
Aan anti-cult web page. Trancenet profiles itself as "championing
psychological freedom in cults, corporations, and family groups."
Washington Post Report on the Cult Controversy
A comprehensive report undertaken early iln 1996 by THE WASHINGTON POST on the debate over whether cults are a
legitimate "spiritual quest" or "mind control."
Ex-Cult Page
A page of links about cults by ex-cult members. Some of the information on this page may be skewed.
Paganism, Witchcraft, and Satanism
Arachne's Pagan Web
A full selection of internet links to sites concerning paganism and neo-paganism.
Internet Satanist Syndicate
Worldwide web links that involve satanism.
Dark Side of the Web
An excellent collection of hard-to-find documents on "black esotericism," contemporary and historical, including satanism and the
writings of Aleister Crowley.
Theosophy and New Age
Theosophy Library Online
The major collected works of the founders of the theosophical movement.
Theosophy Corner
Books and articles concerning theosophy as well as many New Age and occult subjects.
New Age Webworks
A gateway to many New Age websites, including a search engines.
New Age Directory
A comprehensive guide to New Age resources on the web.
New Age Spirituality
A set of links to more "traditional" New Age resources, including tantric Buddhism and Alexandrian witchcraft.
Eastern Spirituality
Links to traditional documents on Oriental spirituality, including Vedic Hinduism, Sufism, and Sikhism.
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Syllabus
Course Capsule
The course aims to give undergraduate and graduate students an overview of the explosion of cultic and occult phenomena
in today's world with special attention to "millennial fever" as we approach the year 2000. The methodology will be analytical and historical
and will involve substantial use of the internet for both pedagogy and research, mainly
because of the immense and exhaustive resources about cults and the occult on the internet.
Students who are internet illiterate, or who do not want to learn quickly the tools of internet searching and communication,
are discouraged from the course.
There will be no lectures. Class format will be a mixture of intensive seminar and discussion, outside special projects, field inquiry, and
team-based collaborative research. Students will be asked weely to report formally, either in class or in "virtual class" formats, on their
research.
Course outcomes include:
- A general understanding of so-called "postmodern religion", popularly known as "new religions" or "cults"
- Acquaintance with the forms, structures, and ideologies of these religions with particular attention to New Age religion and
dark occultism or "satanism".
- Development of sophisticated research strategies and methods for understanding postmodern religion.
Schedule of Topics
Week 1. Introduction, Definitions, Learning Strategies.
Week 2. The Historical Background of the Occult.
Week 3. The Cult Controversy.
Week 4. The Theosophical Movement
Week 5. Aleister Crowley and The Rise of "Magick".
Week 6. Witchcraft and Wicca.
Week 7. The New Age Movement.
Week 8. Black Magick and Satanism.
Week 9. The Future of Postmodern Religion.
Week 10. Wrap-up.
Readings
READING ASSIGNMENTS will be given weekly and posted at this site.
Requirements
Course requirements include weekly class participation, including internet and online sessions and assignments plus
a final research project and a take-home final. Students who do their final projects in the form of a website will automatically receive
an extra grade of ++. Every student must have a valid on-campus or off-campus email address by the end of the first week of the
course.
Grading
Grade for the course will be calculated as follows:
- Class involvement and participation. 30%.
- Final research project. 40%.
- Take-home final. 30%.
The final research project is due no later than Tuesday, March 10.
The take-home final is due no later than Friday, March 13.
Students are encouraged to submit their projects and finals electronically at
riders99@flash.net. Backup hard copies, or copies on electronic disk, should WITHOUT FAIL be kept by the student.
The excuse that "I submitted by project or paper, but I didn't keep a copy" will not be accepted by the instructor. No paper versions
of the project will be taken in class. Students may mail paper versions to the following address: PO Box 701462/ Dallas TX 75370.
Email the Professor
Students are encouraged to submit quieries and informations they want to share from their research by clicking on the email icon
below. ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE EMAIL ICON.
INSTEAD, THEY SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
riders99@flash.net
OTHER COMMUNICATIONS:
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