What are audience cults?
“Audience cults” offer vague, weak compensators and they are diffuse, only very loosely organized. Stark and Bainbridge write, “sometimes members of this audience may actually gather to hear a lecture [or attend a convention].
What are cults examples?
Here, five examples of American cults that have exerted undue influence on members – sometimes with fatal results.
- The Peoples Temple (1955 – 1978) Photo : File/AP.
- The Branch Davidians (1955 – 1993)
- Sullivanians (1957 – 1991)
- Children of God – Family International (1968 – Present)
- Heaven’s Gate (1972 – 1997)
What is holistic milieu?
A holistic milieu was a term designated by Heelas (2000) to describe the environment of a new age movement. The new age movement grows because individuals are encouraged within this environment to focus on their spirituality.
What do cults do?
A cult is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader or ideology. It has a belief system that has the answers to all of life’s questions and offers a special solution to be gained only by following the leader’s rules.
What is the congregational domain?
Congregational domain. worship in conventional churches e.g. Anglican church. Hollistic Milieu. Informal networks used by people to take part in the New Age.
What is the Kendal project?
Known as the Kendal Project, the study looked at the prevalence of regular congregational church attendance compared with the popularity of spirituality in the holistic domain. It showed that church attendance trending steadily downwards and uptake of spirituality in the holistic domain, increasing.
What do all cults have in common?
Which is an example of an audience cult?
An audience cult is one where the participant (or client) is a passive consumer. People might attend lectures, read books or buy DVDs to hear a particular message or consume a particular set of ideas. There is no necessary ongoing relationship (other than to buy the next book) or expectations.
What is the definition of a client cult?
Client cult. A client cult is one where the cult has a relationship with its adherents akin to a doctor/patient relationship. The cult is a service provider and the clients enter into a prolonged relationship as they might do with a therapist.
What do Stark and Bainbridge mean by audience cult?
Stark and Bainbridge look at religions and spiritual movements as if they were business organisations, referring to participants/adherents/congregants as customers or clients. An audience cult is one where the participant (or client) is a passive consumer.
What are the characteristics of a cult group?
A cult is described as a system or group of people who practice excessive devotion to a figure, object or belief system. Its characteristics include having a leader that preaches an explicit belief system or ideology and who is followed by unquestioning believers.