Cults are Just Small Unrecognized Religions, Right?
By: Daniel Goldman
Tags: Cult, Religion, Sociology, Culture, Anthropology

Cults are Just Small Unrecognized Religions, Right?

“Cult” in a modern sociological context has a very different meaning than the way laypeople use it.

Photo by Luan Cabral on Unsplash

“Cult” is a highly abused term. It’s often used as a quick way to criticize religious groups. In order to understand what these entities are, it’s important to understand the history of the term, as well as some of the anthropological and sociological theory about them. This article is for those who want a better understanding of the nature of cults, and those who are simply interested in the topic.

Etymology and Evolution

Cults are an interesting cultural phenomenon. The term itself has evolved considerably over the years. The origin of cult begins with the same root as culture and cultivate, but obviously these terms have diverged considerably over the years [1]. While originally meaning a small, usually fairly new religious group, the term has taken on a much more negative meaning.

Part of the reason for the divergence of meaning stems from a lack of necessity. Religion was so common in the ancient world, and such an integral part of daily life, that there really wasn’t a term for religion itself, and so there was no other way to refer to a relatively new religious group. Today we can just call it a new or small religious group.

While there are a few instances where anthropologists might use the term “cult” in its earlier meaning, these instances are limited and usually fairly well defined. The term “cargo cult” is a good example. It’s a term that applies to people in undeveloped areas believing that modern goods are brought to them by the gods, rather than by modern peoples.

In most cases however, the term carries a specific meaning in terms of a group with specific socioeconomic impacts, and it is generally considered as a negative. It’s for this reason that some who want to criticize groups will label something a cult, even if they do not have the justification to do so.

Characteristics of Cults

There are numerous characteristics that cults tend to have. Janja Lalich, Ph.D. & Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. have produced a nice checklist of traits that tend to be found in cults. However, there is an admission that a cult may not have many of these characteristics, and that many non-cults can have a lot of them. Therefore, in order to establish an actual definition of a cult, which anthropologists can use to study the phenomena, and public health and social work professionals can use to serve the population, something else is needed. Specifically, there are two features that every cult must express.

Clear Group Identity

The first criterion that every group possesses is a clear delineation of membership. A cult determines who may or may not be a member. The concept of clear group inclusion/exclusion is actually referenced in the way many speak of cults and individuals. It is not uncommon to hear the assertion that a person “is in a cult” or “belongs to a cult.”

It’s important to distinguish between clear inclusion and exclusion criteria and exclusivity. A cult does not have to be highly exclusive, although cults often have a degree of exclusivity, especially as one rises through the ranks and becomes closer to the inner circle of core members.

Maladaptivity

“Maladaptivity” is a term that’s commonly used in anthropology. Unlike an adaptive trait, which is beneficial to a group, a maladaptive trait is harmful to a group. The second criterion is that a cult is inherently maladaptive. While a cult may have started as a group that provided benefits to its members, every cult is harmful to the majority of its members and often to society, in general.

Many of the properties that are often attributed to cults, such as exclusivity, revealed truth, the expression of strong loyalty towards a leader, and so on, easily become maladaptive, which is why it’s common to see groups with these traits become cults. In moderation, these traits aren’t bad, but in their extreme, they become quite harmful.

Wrap Up

All cults have two elements in common. They are ultimately harmful to their members or those around them, and they are organizations. While many social groups have some degree of negatives, the net effect of a cult is always harmful. Moreover, a loose association of people, those who simply have certain traits in common, and so on, are not necessarily cults. Many organizations start off as beneficial to their members and their surroundings, but through various changes in leadership and structure, become negative. Finally, these organizations may be religious, but not even close to all religious groups are cults, and not every cult is religious in nature.

Further Reading

Understanding why religious entities aren’t necessarily cults requires an understanding of what religion itself is. Unfortunately, discussions about religion often rely on poor definitions of the cultural phenomenon.