‘Cult’ Rhetoric in the 21st Century: Deconstructing the Study of New Religious Movements

Examining contemporary understandings of the term 'cult', this book brings together scholars from multiple disciplines, including sociology, anthropology and religious studies. Focusing on how 'cult rhetoric' affects our perceptions of new religious movements, the contributors explore how these minority groups have developed and deconstruct the language we use to describe them. Ranging from the 'Cult of Trump' and 'Cult of COVID', to the campaigns of mass media, this book recognises that contemporary 'cult rhetoric' has become hybridised and suggests a more nuanced study of contemporary religion. Topics include online religions, political 'cults', 'apostate' testimony and the current 'othered' position of the study of minority religions. Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Contributors Foreword: Introduction to the Religion at the Boundaries series Acknowledgements Part I: Approaches to ‘cult’ rhetoric Chapter 1: ‘Cult’ rhetoric in the twenty-first century: The disconnect between popular discourse and the ivory tower Chapter 2: Balancing pragmatism and precision: Inform’s approach to cult rhetoric Chapter 3: A history of anticult rhetoric Chapter 4: The paradigm shift from sacred to profane Chapter 5: The dangerous cult exercise: Popular culture and the ongoing construction of the new religious threat Chapter 6: The recognition of cults Part II: Contemporary ‘cultic’ studies Chapter 7: The light of the world: La Luz del Mundo, liminality and NRM studies Chapter 8: Cults of conspiracy and the (ongoing) Satanic Panic Chapter 9: ‘There is no QAnon’: Cult accusations in contemporary American political and online discourse Chapter 10: Playing at religion: Understanding contemporary spiritual experiences in popular culture Chapter 11: Attempting to educate journalists about the role of cult essentialism in the Branch Davidians–federal agents conflict Afterword: Responses and conclusions Index