1. Conversion and Commitment
Cults and New
Religious Movements
Conversion and Commitment

2. The Difficulty With Common Sense & Conventional Wisdom
Sometimes common sense and conventional wisdom are unreliable
Examples:
Those who live together before marriage have a better chance of a successful marriage than those who did not live together
Couples with children are happier than those who do not have children
The majority of those on welfare are lazy and really don’t want to work
Thus, we need to rely on systematic studies as opposed to anecdotal evidence to better understand the social world

3. Who Joins NRMs? The Stereotypes The young The idealistic
The impressionable
The gullible
The uneducated
The lonely
The shy
The poor

4. Why Do People Belong To Groups?
Born into a group
Compelled by authority to belong
Elect to join
Have a transformational experience

5. Why Join Religious Groups?
The most important reason people belong to a religious tradition is not that they convert but that they were BORN into the tradition
Throughout much of history, one’s religion was the religion of the ruler
The Roman Empire became Christian when the emperor Constantine embraced Christianity
Spain and Portugal conquered Latin America with the sword and the cross in the 15th century
Would you identify with your current religious tradition if you were born in India or Saudi Arabia?
Nevertheless, conversions do occur
But most faith affiliations have nothing to do with the classic conception of conversion (like Paul on the road to Damascus)

6. Three Social-Scientific Models
The Multidimensional Model
The Relative-Deprivation Model (Glock)
The Process Model (Lofland & Stark)

7. The Multidimensional Model
Instrumental Commitment
Sacrifice
Investment
Affective Commitment
Renunciation
Communion
Moral Commitment
Mortification
Transcendence

8. The Relative Deprivation Model
Until the 1960’s several social-psychological models prevailed
These models suggested that people suffer some type of deprivation that motivated them to join a NRM
Deprivation could be economic, social, or psychological
Members were assumed to be recruited from marginal segments of society
Members were often assumed to have some sort of pathology
Yet members of social movements and NRMs in the 1960s were well adjusted, came from middle and upper class families, were highly educated, etc.

9. Thus, Glock argued that perhaps deprivation was relative rather than absolute
Members only had to *believe* that they were deprived
Argues that relative deprivation in some form is a necessary condition for the rise of an NRM

10. The J-Curve Theory of Social Crisis
Hopes
for
Change
Actual Rate of
Crisis
Occurs

11. Critiques of The Relative Deprivation Model
Often assumes that members have joined a NRM because they feel deprivation without testing to see if this is the case
Does not cover the full range of factors that may contribute to joining a group
E.g. pursuit of ultimate truth, join because their friends join, etc.

12. The Process Model (Lofland & Stark)
Predisposing Conditions
Tension
Religious problem solving perspective
Religious seekership

13. Situational Contingencies
Turning point in life
Development of emotional bonds to NRM members
Weakening of extracult bonds
Intensive interaction

14. Critiques of the Process Model
Testing of the theory has produced mixed results
Snow & Phillips (1980) study on Nichiren Shoshu
Greil & Rudy (1984) & 10 NRM case studies

15. So What Do We Know Based on the Research?
Empirical research suggests the following generalizations
Recruitment and conversion to NRMs happens primarily through pre-existing social networks with family and friends
Strong ties to others in the NRM are important for recruitment and retention
Sustained intensive interaction is also important for retention
Members who are heavily involved have fewer and weaker ties to non-members

16. Seekership precedes many conversions
Members have fewer and weaker ideological alignments outside of the NRM
The unchurched are more likely to join
Seekership precedes many conversions

17. The Social Attributes of Members
Typically in their 20s and 30s
Generally well educated
Generally from middle and upper middle social classes