ViolenceViolenceRELS 225

Cults and New Religious Movements

RELS 225Cults and New Religious Movements

Slide 2.

NRMs and ViolenceNRMs and Violence

• Marginal religious groups have historically been accused of violence

• Are cults prone to violence?• What factors make a religious movement

prone to violence?

Slide 3.

Why is violence common in cults?Why is violence common in cults?

• New religions tend to be “antinomian”• no longer believe they are bound by the

moral conventions or laws of humanity because they have achieved, through their faith or other spiritual means, a higher state of being and salvation

Slide 4.

Conditions for violenceConditions for violence

• complex conditions lead members violent behaviour

• conditions don’t result in violence for all NRMs

Slide 5.

To keep in mindTo keep in mind

• NRMs are not the only religions with deviant behaviour

• most violent incidents not related specific cult policies

• amount of cult violence is not dispropotionate

Slide 6.

Types of FactorsTypes of Factors

• Violence in new religious movements is perpetuated by the interaction of numerous endogenous and exogenous factors• main endogenous factors

1. apocalyptic beliefs2. charismatic leadership3. social encapsulation.

Slide 7.

Apocalyptic beliefs Apocalyptic beliefs

• prevalent in many cults • usually based on the Bible, • Book of Revelation• Ezekiel• Daniel

• also medieval lore or occult

Slide 8.

Why would apocalyptic views lead to violence?

Why would apocalyptic views lead to violence?

1. reject laws because they soon will not matter2. anticipate violence to come and go looking

for it3. attempt to identify enemies: perceive

opponents as evil, justifying extreme force4. 'exemplary-dualism' leads to making

mountains out of molehills.5. enthusiasm clouds judgement

Slide 9.

Charismatic leadershipCharismatic leadership

• common feature of new religious movements. • Weber: charismatic authority differs from

• traditional authority (by custom) and • rational-legal authority (of a position) • it relies of the display of charismata (divine gifts)

• Charisma:• attributed to someone by other people• depends on relationship with followers• Therefore quite precarious

• charismatic leaders1. lack support outside of their groups

• they break social conventions2. face pressure to conform AND to resist assimilation3. expanding their group AND maintain personal contact with followers4. balance exposure AND secrecy

• exposure demonstrates their humanity, undermining special authority

Slide 10.

Routinization of CharismaRoutinization of Charisma

• To resist the routinization of charisma, leaders may:1. keep their followers off balance and attentive by suddenly altering the

beliefs and practices of the group.2. place escalating demands on their followers to seek reaffirmation 3. exploit their followers fears by inventing new enemies, causing them to

seek unity against threats4. question other potential authorities, both internally and externally5. test loyalty, increase dependence and get rid of other potential

authorities is by separating couples or other close pairs. • (These strategies often damage the stability of the group and may lead to

violence.)• Leaders face questions of their legitimacy and to prove it they must:

• maintain their image,• moderate members' identification with them,• and attain new successes.

Slide 11.

Social encapsulation Social encapsulation • the tendency of new religious movements to form

small, but complete, social systems outside of society in general.

• NRMs maintain social and physical isolation and boundaries.

• these systems lack essential feedback • when this lack is combined with a violation of boundaries, it

may lead to violence• Factors:

• normative dissonance• groupthink • shift-to-risk

Slide 12.

Normative dissonanceNormative dissonance

• people need to negotiate between different opinions, values, etc. in order to make decisions, thus reducing impulsive acting.

• members are unable to consider such differences

• they do not receive feedback from the outside world • people who raise contrary opinions are generally

suppressed or expelled. • Therefore, members tend to act more impulsively

• This increases the odds of violent behaviour.

Slide 13.

GroupthinkGroupthink

• A thought pattern of extremely cohesive groups

• people make decisions based on a desire for conformity, without critical consideration.

• Desire to show a united front

Slide 14.

Shift-to-riskShift-to-risk

• more willing to entertain risky behaviour than individuals • they have the support of others• may result in radicalization if someone

voices a risky idea.

Slide 15.

Surviving failed prophecySurviving failed prophecy

• theory of cognitive dissonance oversimplifies this phenomenon.

• strategies to deal with failed expectations:• Proselytization

• in conjunction with other strategies• Rationalization

• Spiritualization• a test of faith• human error• blaming others.

• Reaffirmation• most frequently used strategy: through group building.

• Don’t usually experience dissonance after such failure• they do not typically recognize the failure.

Slide 16.

ConclusionConclusion

• NRM violent behaviour can be promoted by:• apocalyptic beliefs• charismatic leadership• social encapsulation

• bad idea to make generalizations• NRMs are very diverse.