Cults Flashcards
Intro
eg. Spiritualism, Scientology, UFO’s, Astrology, Paganism, Feng shui,
Cults share many of the characteristics of sects. However, cults are different in that people normally join to achieve some practical end. Cults do not usually challenge social norms and Wallis argued that a cult is more about helping individuals cope with life whereas a sect is characterised by having authority over the lifestyle and beliefs of members.
Small, informal organisations
Membership tends to be small and cults often lack a formal structure in their organisation.
Stark and Bainbridge claim cults have clients and customers rather than members. For example, client cults provide a service to satisfy the needs of members e.g. Spiritualism, which has the basic aim of allowing people to contact the dead.
Audience cults are the most individualistic and unorganised type of cult e.g. astrology, or belief in UFOs, with much of the cult’s practice sustained through the media. These are said to often provide no more than social entertainment.
As participation in cults can often be expensive, they often appeal to people who are affluent as they can pay for services. Cults also appeal to the educated middle classes who are looking for success in society eg. through joining a personal improvement course in Scientology or those with concern for the environment who may be attracted to the cult of Paganism.
Cults lack a clear doctrine (set of beliefs) and demand only a low level of commitment from members:
Cults do not challenge the values of society and do not make strict demands on members; they are relatively tolerant of their member’s involvement with other groups. Cults do not claim to have a monopoly of the truth and usually make no demands on individuals to accept teachings on offer and indeed their own beliefs are often vague; they simply ask people to be open to new experiences.
According to Bruce a cult is “a loosely knit group organised around some common themes and interests but lacking any sharply defined and exclusive belief system.” Whereas in churches and sects God is primarily seen as ‘outside’ of human beings, cults often emphasise the ‘inner power’ of individuals.
They ask followers to look inside themselves and to unlock the spiritual forces trapped inside. The release of these forces expands the potential of individuals so that they can realise their true self. For example, Transcendental Meditation (TM) it is a method for relaxation, stress reduction, and self-development to bring about a higher state of inner consciousness. In this way cults are often described as being mystical in their beliefs.
