Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid…

Scenario You and your partner have come to the recent conclusion that the world is about to end. You are certain of it, and you want to convince the people of Skyline that you are right, so as to save them from this catastrophe. How will you do this?

New Religious Movements (NRMs) What is a cult? A religious or social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices The word often carries derogatory connotations The word has always been controversial because it is considered a somewhat subjective term and lacks a clear of consistent definition Cults are protected under the 1st amendment in the United States New Religious Movements (NRMs) A religious community or spiritual group of modern origins, which has a peripheral place within society’s dominant religious culture

Brief History of Cults Cults became the object of sociological and religious study in the 1930s Though they certainly existed before this “Doomsday cults” Used to describe groups who believe in Apocalypticism These groups prophesy catastrophe and destruction Often these folks have repeatedly failed to find meaning in mainstream movements “Destructive cults” Groups whose members have, through deliberate action, physically injured or killed other members of their own group or other people

NRMs and the 1970s NRMs came under opposition by something called the anti-cult movement Began receiving extensive media coverage, which garnered even greater public opposition to cults

Why? Why do people join cults? How do they use tools of rhetoric to gain and keep public support? Why did the particular conditions of the 1960s and 1970s in America foster such an abundance of cults and NRMs in the country? How in the world can we put so much trust in such people?? Are they monstrous?

Cults Presentation Groups of 3-4 Select a cult from the Google doc on my website Requirements Tell us about your cult, brief history, leader(s) How did it end? (Or is it still around?) How did the leaders of these cults use rhetoric to recruit and maintain membership? PRIMARY SOURCES Video, transcript, photos, etc. What fears do these leaders invoke in order to attract followers? (How does this relate to previous monsters we’ve discussed?) Works Cited Slide (does not need to be MLA), must include at least 3 different sources