Is the next David Koresh or Jim Jones building a following in your town? Or, are well-meaning people oppressing religious groups where you live, simply because their practices look different? One of the world's leading experts on both traditional and new religions offers a valuable guide through the confusing variety of movements that attract fervent loyalties. Some of the groups have received worldwide notoriety, such as the Branch Davidians of Waco, or Tokyo's nerve-gas-wielding Aura Shinrikyo, or the People's Temple of Guyana. Others are spin-offs of traditional religions, such as the Divine Light Mission, Rajneesh, and Soka Gokkai.