<p>Celibate sister or devoted Hindu wife; domineering, sexually expressive lover or veiled Nubian bride in polygamy; or perhaps an asexual shaman. Such are the various roles available to women in today&#39;s new religious movements.</p><p><em>Moon Sisters</em> is one of the first books to delve into feminine conversion or opportunities for leadership that women have in these contemporary communal or millenarian groups.</p><p>Working almost exclusively from interviews and first-hand data, Susan Palmer focuses on the following seven groups:<br />
Institute for the Development of the Harmonious Human Being<br />
International Society for Krishna Consciousness<br />
Rajneesh Movement<br />
Unification Church<br />
Institute of Applied Metaphysics<br />
Northeast Kingdom Community Church<br />
Raelian Movement</p><p>She questions why women join such groups, shows what innovative roles are afforded those women who choose to become members, and explains the groups&#39; high rate of defection.</p>