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Cults & New Religious Movements

Cults & New Religious Movements. 2012-09-10. 2012-09-10 Agenda. Attendance 8:15 Administrativa : Moodle quiz? Moodle photos Magic School Bus 8:20 What is a “cult”: What are we studying, and what do we call them? 8:35 “Children of Jehovah” (46 minutes) 9:21 Debriefing 9:29 Homework.

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Cults & New Religious Movements

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  1. Cults & New Religious Movements • 2012-09-10

  2. 2012-09-10 Agenda • Attendance • 8:15 Administrativa: • Moodle quiz? • Moodle photos • Magic School Bus • 8:20 What is a “cult”: • What are we studying, and what do we call them? • 8:35 “Children of Jehovah” (46 minutes) • 9:21 Debriefing • 9:29 Homework

  3. Preview: Studying NRMs • “Describe what a “cult” is in terms of its necessary and typical characteristics. • How are the terms “Sect”, “New Religious Movement,” “High Demand New Religion” “Alternative Religion” “Controversial Religious Movement” different? • What is a “cult”? • What components does a “cult” have? • What do “cults” have in common? • Are all “cults” the same?

  4. In this class…

  5. What would you call a “cult”? • What qualifies a group to be called a cult? • Name some. • Necessary characteristics: • What must a movement have in order to qualify as a “cult”? • Typical characteristics: • What do cults typically but not necessarily have?

  6. Necessary characteristics • Fringe (not mainstream in numbers or area) • Religious beliefs? • Recently begun? • High-demands placed on members

  7. (Stereo-)Typical characteristics • High-demand • Self-sacrifice for the cause • Encapsulation (us & them attitudes) • Charismatic leader • Peculiar scriptures or teachings • Difficult to leave? • Unreasonable? • Aggressive recruiting? • Apocalyptic? • Violent? • Sexually deviant?

  8. Differences between “cult” and: • “Sect” • More established than “cult”, a branch within a larger religion. • “New Religious Movement” • Carries no negative connotations • Not everything considered a “cult” (especially by the ACM) is new. (e.g. gnosticism, Freemasonry) • “High Demand New Religion” • Not everything considered a “cult” puts high demands on its members (e.g., New Age Movement, Wicca). • “Alternative Religion” • Who decides what is mainstream and what is not? • Does it vary from place to place (Mormonism in Utah; Judaism in Antigonish)?

  9. Biased portrayals of cults • Media portrayals • Dangerous Devotion video (0:00-5:48) • What are proposed as cult characteristics? • Counter-Cult Movement: • Walter Martin on Christian Cults • According to Martin, what makes something a cult?

  10. Jehovah’s Witnesses • “Children of Jehovah” video • We have guest speakers coming for next class. Be respectful and try to understand where they are coming from. • To prepare, read the chapter on Jehovah’s Witnesses by Ashcraft and Daschke, on the Moodle site.

  11. For Next Class (Thursday) • Read the “Reading on Jehovah’s Witnesses” (on Moodle) • Make notes on what you notice about what they believe about • God • The world • Humanity • The problem • The good life • Death • Come prepared to ask questions of our guests

  12. For Next Week (Monday) • Read Chapter 1 in Comprehending Cults • Write a summary and response, and paste it into Moodle at http://moodle.stfx.ca/mod/assignment/view.php?id=4546

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