New Religious Movements: The Basics

by Joseph P. Laycock

Publisher:

Taylor and Francis

, 2022

Overview

New Religious Movements: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to the field of New Religious Movements (NRMs). Western culture is currently going through a wave of fascination with “cults”, with numerous documentaries and television series dedicated to describing these groups. Meanwhile, scholars have been wrestling with the intricacies of this loaded category for decades.

Introducing the reader to some of the key issues and debates in the field of NRM studies, this book includes discussions on:

• how to define the term “new religious movement”
• critically unpacking the term “cult”
• how to study NRMs
• brainwashing and deprogramming
• prophecy and failed prophecy
• charisma and authority
• NRMs and violence
• gender and sexuality

This book is essential reading for students and scholars of religion who are approaching the study of NRMs for the first time as well as those interested in deepening their understanding of NRMs.

Key Features

• Introduces key issues and debates within the field of NRM studies.
• Unpacks controversial terms like “cult,” “brainwashing,” and “deprogramming”.
• Examines the roles of charisma, authority, and outcomes of various new religious movements.

Contents

1: What Are New Religious Movements?
2: How To Research NRMs
3: Beyond Brainwashing: Affiliation and Disaffiliation
4: Charisma, Leadership, and Authority
5: Millennialism, Prophecy, and Failed Prophecy
6: NRMs and Violence
7: NRMs, Gender, and Sexuality
Postscript: NRMs and Social Media Glossary Index.

Product Details

• Title: New Religious Movements: The Basics
• Author: Joseph P. Laycock
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Print Publication Date: 2022
• Logos Release Date: 2022
• Pages: 152
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subject: Cult
• ISBNs: 9781000601893, 1000601897
• Resource ID: LLS:NWRLGSMVMNTBSCS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2026-01-05T21:59:47Z

About Joseph P. Laycock

Joseph P. Laycock, is an associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University. He writes on a variety of topics related to American religious history, including American Catholicism, moral panics, and new religious movements (NRMs).