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CJUS230 One Page Assignment 2
Criminal Justice Research and Writing (Liberty
University)
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CULTS AND NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS 1
Cults and New Religious Movements
Zachary A. Cushman
Liberty University
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CULTS AND NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS 2
Abstract
Cults have been defined many times in many ways. One of which, that this article focuses on, is
a religious movement that drastically separates from the religious traditions of their culture and
is filled with individuals that are seeking transcendental experiences or that have already had
them. Most accounts will identify the social background of cult members as a mid-class to an
upper- mid-class level. Potential recruitments are typically converted to the cult by the current
members flooding them with love and care. These newly recruited members will believe the cult
is some sort of coping mechanism from the abandonment, isolation, self-esteem issues, and the
feeling of worthlessness in their lives. The cults then provide them with communities filled with
kindness, guidance, and life experience interpretations. Short-term members who leave the cult
usually do not return while, most of the time, long-term members who leave will return. This is
largely due to the factor of comfortability within the cult. The longtime members usually have a
difficult time adjusting to society without the group support of the cult. Members of cults
typically claim they have a more positive mental state because of their membership. However,
psychological impact studies from the Divine Light Mission and Unification Church indicate
long-term cult memberships caused the members to score much lower on the General Well-
Being Schedule than others of their same age group and gender.
Keywords: Cult, coping, support
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CULTS AND NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS 3
Cults have been defined many times in many ways. One of which, that this article
focuses on, is a religious movement that drastically separates from the religious traditions of
their culture and is filled with individuals that are seeking transcendental experiences or that
have already had them. Most accounts will identify the social background of cult members as a
mid-class to an upper-mid-class level. Potential recruitments are typically converted to the cult
by the current members flooding them with love and care. These newly recruited members will
believe the cult is some sort of coping mechanism from the abandonment, isolation, self-esteem
issues, and the feeling of worthlessness in their lives (Galanter, 1989). The cults then provide
them with communities filled with kindness, guidance, and life experience interpretations. Short-
term members who leave the cult usually do not return while, most of the time, long-term
members who leave will return. This is largely due to the factor of comfortability within the cult.
The longtime members usually have a difficult time adjusting to society without the group
support of the cult. Members of cults typically claim they have a more positive mental state
because of their membership. However, psychological impact studies from the Divine Light
Mission and Unification Church indicate long-term cult memberships caused the members to
“score lower on the General Well-Being Schedule than those of an age-matched and sex-
matched sample from the general population” (Galanter, 1989, p.315).
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CULTS AND NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS 4
References
Galanter, R. (1989). Cults and New Religious Movements. (NCJ Number 115037). U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-
library/abstracts/cults-and-new-religious-movements-modern-perspectives-psychosocial
