At all times, religion has played a huge role in human life. She explained the meaning of existence, gave hope, promised freedom and happiness. But different understandings of life lead to the fact that even the most established religious beliefs inevitably harbor the danger of schism. This means that heretics, schismatics and sectarians appear. But freedom of conscience is a great achievement of civilization; the main thing is that a person makes his personal choice meaningfully, understanding the goals and methods of the religious movement he is about to join. The book tells about fifty famous sects. You will learn about the long-gone Pythagoreans, Arians, and Rosicrucians. About Satanists and Wahhabis, whose activities constantly excite public consciousness. About the Baptists, who are currently a large Protestant church recognized throughout the world. The book also found room for rather exotic sects that do not have an obvious and clear religious doctrine and do not immediately evoke associations with religion.