Cults and New Religious Movements Cults and New Religious Movements Comprehending Religious Violence

Introduction Remember our definition of religion: – “Any socially organized pattern of beliefs and practices concerning ultimate meaning that assumes the existence of the supernatural.” Religion is an expression of an “ultimate concern” – The ultimate concern is the most important thing in the universe for an individual or group Identifying a groups’ ultimate concern helps us understand how they might be motivated to commit violent acts

Religious Violence Researchers have linked three features of NRMs to outbreaks of violence – Apocalyptic beliefs or at least world rejecting beliefs – Charismatic Leadership – Processes of social encapsulation that may lead to problems of symbolic boundary maintenance

Apocalyptic Beliefs Apocalyptic beliefs are prophecies about the ultimate end of history A number of behavioral consequences logically follow from the belief that one is living in the end times – Conventional rules, norms and even laws become relative – Preparation to deal with violent times and the persecution of the group by others – Opponents are demonized – The world is viewed in dichotomous terms (good vs. evil) – Instills a level of enthusiasm for the cause

Charismatic leadership is rooted in the perception that others have of the leader – Leader is viewed as having exceptional powers or qualities It is non-institutional or anti-institutional Charismatic leadership is difficult to maintain – Must maintain a balance between exposure and secrecy – Charismatic leaders often practice segregation to maintain this secrecy Charismatic Leadership

Leaders use at least 6 strategies to maintain their charismatic authority – Doctrines and policies might be changed suddenly – The leader may seek constant reaffirmation of loyalty – Opposition is demonized – Leaders often attack the teachings of competitors for authority – May test the loyalty of their followers, heighten the emotional dependence of followers, and separating couples or other close pairings to maintain control over members – Change the location of their group by moving it

Social Encapsulation All social systems must: – Receive and respond to feedback – Maintain system boundaries These can be both symbolic and real Interference with these can lead to dysfunction and perhaps violence Isolation often prevents NRMs from receiving feedback and heightens the threat they feel from incursions on their boundaries

Wessinger and Religious Violence W suggests that a NRM is most likely to commit religious violence when: – Members perceive that they are being persecuted by outside forces – They perceive they are failing to achieve their ultimate concern W suggests that it is helpful to distinguish between three types of groups – Fragile millennial groups that initiate violence due to internal weaknesses and cultural opposition – Assaulted millennial groups that are attacked by law enforcement agents because they are perceived as dangerous – Revolutionary millennial groups possessing theologies of violence