Cult – Generally considered to be a religious, spiritual, or philosophically fringe belief system developed, perpetuated, espoused, and or enforced by a singular, charismatic leader. The public perception is that people who join cults are “brainwashed” or otherwise forced to stay with the group after being lured in by false promises or the idyllic facade of the group. While this has been true for some cults, it is just as likely that a group considered to be a cult is a small coalition of people with the same uncommon philosophy that choose to live, work, and/or worship together as they have not found acceptance or satisfaction within mainstream religion or society. The exact definition of what constitutes a “cult” is debated in so small part to the word’s negative connotation.
Cults and the Occult-Digital Occult Library. (n.d.) https://digitaloccultlibrary.commons.gc.cuny.edu/cults-and-the-occult/
Cults in the Modern Day
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This engaging text introduces readers to the sociology of cults. Covering the history and current state of cult studies, this book includes topics ranging from doomsday cults and new religious movements through to self-help cults, the cult of celebrity, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs. Case studies as varied as David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, the Manson family, and the cult brands of Elon Musk, Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson are deployed to shed new light on cult formation in the twenty-first century.
This unparalleled introduction to cults and new religious movements has been completely up-dated and expanded to reflect the latest developments; each chapter reviews the origins, leaders, beliefs, rituals and practices of a NRM, highlighting the specific controversies surrounding each group.
Imagine a heart which has been ripped from a man's body, wrapped with thorns, pierced with a knife, and then placed on the man's chest; or a group of people who believe that wearing a small rectangle of wool next to their skin ensures that they will go to heaven
Cults examines the history and current status of cults across the United States, Europe, and East Asia. Focusing on the principal controversial religions and movements that have attracted major media attention, the book also includes profiles of hundreds of minority religions, from Jesus People and Rastafarians to voodoo practitioners and the human-cloning Raelians.
This explores the question of when and why violence by and against new religious cults erupts and whether and how such dramatic conflicts can be foreseen, managed and averted.
Mystery. Manipulation. Murder. Cults are associated with all of these. But what really goes on inside them? More specifically, what goes on inside the minds of cult leaders and the people who join them? Based on the hit podcast Cults, this is essential reading for any true crime fan. C
A true crime author explores what happens when cults cross the line in this anthology of false prophets, true believers, and tragic consequences.Thousands of religious, political and self-improvement cults are active around the world, and an estimated two to five million Americans have been involved in a cult at some point in their lives.
Across the decades, Americans in search of divine truths have turned to unconventional prophets for the answers. Some of these prophets have demanded their faith, fortunes, and even their very lives. In American Cult, over twenty cartoonists explore the history of these groups with clarity and empathy - digging deep to find the human stories within.From its earliest days, America was a home for spiritual seekers.
What do we mean when we call any group a cult? Definingthat term is a slippery proposition – the word cult is provocative and arguably pejorative. Does it necessarily refer to a religious group? A group with a charismatic leader? Or something darker and more sinister?
