Sociologists define cults as loose deviant groups, not violent brainwashing sects

Evidence

In keeping with predominant usage in the sociology of religion, Campbell did not regard the term as inherently pejorative. Thus, his use does not carry the conventional implications of violence, irrationality, or brainwashing currently associated with the term. Rather, he treated cults as loosely structured religious groups that make few demands on their members and that are often based on belief systems that deviate from the dominant culture. Unlike sects, they are not groups that have broken away from existing religious organizations over disputes about leadership, doctrine, or personality. Since they are not breakaway groups, Campbell sought to determine how they came into being, a question made more signifi cant by the fact that cults constantly form and dissolve. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 170

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes the sociological ‘cult’ (loose, non-breakaway, low-demand) from the pejorative popular usage and from ‘sect’ (a breakaway group).
• XREF: The cult-versus-sect distinction echoes the reader’s earlier curated work on how religious categories shift meaning across contexts. — connects to: Cults form only within a supportive social network of deviant beliefs and practices — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 171; Deviance is defined by social response, not the act itself

Broader Connections

• Deviance is defined by social response, not the act itself #expands (0.80)