What is a cult?

“Cult” is a word that is used a lot these days. It’s not always a derogative term, to be fair. But, it does often hold negative connotations. So this week, we’re diving into “what is a cult?” (after diving into spirituality and religion over the last couple of weeks)

A cult is typically a group or organization that is devoted to a particular person, ideology, or set of beliefs. It is often under the control of a charismatic leader. Cults often exhibit patterns of manipulation, exploitation, and psychological control over their members. These groups may isolate members from mainstream society, employ mind control techniques, and demand unquestioning loyalty. A group given the label “cult” is not necessarily harmful, of course. However, many exhibit characteristics that can be detrimental to the well-being and autonomy of their members.

Is there a legal or generally accepted definition?

I found a working paper from the European parliament, from back in 1997. I’m honestly not sure what the outcome was to be honest, and I’ve read it a few times. Essentially, there are two sides to the argument:

• First side wants a legal definition of cult for the European parliament to be able to tackle ostensibly religious organisations who are engaging in illegal or violent activities
• Second side want to avoid the use of the word “cult” because of the negative connotations in most countries in the EU.

The group decided that cults could not be made illegal. Mainly because, within the EU, there are stringent laws regarding freedom of religion and freedom of association in many countries. (If not all countries!)

This committee’s objectives could be summed up under five headings:

1. an in-depth study in Belgium on the basis of interviews with the competent authorities, experts, victims’ defence associations, victims’ families and any other relevant people;
2. a more specialized study of methods of recruitment and practices within cults, to discover possible abuses and gain more information on their organizations, the resources at their disposal and in particular practices which violated social and fiscal legislation;
3. a report on the legal remedies available, including jurisprudence enabling sanctions to be imposed for illegal acts committed by cults;
4. proposals for changes to federal law with a view to restraining illegal action by cults against both adults and minors;
5. any useful recommendations, at both federal and national level, with regard to measures to draw the attention of those involved to the extent of the phenomenon, the forms it took, its dangers, the means to combat it and the care to be given to victims and their families.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/workingpapers/cito/w10/page1_en.htm#:~:text=Legally%2C%20there%20was%20no%20such,and%20should%20be%20adhered%20to.

Can I find a follow up paper? Can I buggery!! Essentially though, within Europe, there is no legal definition for “cult”. Well not that I could find!

Now, while I was searching for papers on cults, I found this interesting one on on cults in businesses. To me, it seems pretty clear on what a cult is. Some elements they identify are:

• tight control by management over how their employees think and behave
• requirement for alignment and tightness of fit, with a clear mandate for consistency
• Preservation at all costs of a fervently held self-image and self-identity includes fanatical attention to tiny details, including minutia regarding personal grooming and dress code
• an uncanny concern with secrecy
• incentives, decision-making, evaluations, and termination decisions favor insiders
• organizations will create unique rituals, pep talks, slogans, motivational team-building activities
• Having their own special language, terminology, and internal jargon

Once employees buy-in, they proceed with pride to work hard to perpetuate the instilled perspective of being special, unique, superior, and elite. The instilled intense sense of loyalty to the company and its values become a mechanism to influence and enforce the desired behavior

Journal, I. (2022). Is your workplace a “Cult?” International Journal of Business Marketing and Management (IJBMM).

Let’s move on to religious cults

I’m going to be honest. Pretty much any religion will have started off as a cult, in the sense of characterized by its devotion to a particular person, ideology, or set of beliefs. Or possibly being organised around a single charismatic leader. I mean, how did Christianity or Islam start? A religious movement organised around Jesus and Mohammed, respectively.

However, this paper highlights the internal regard of cults within religious movements:

Most religions, or subdivisions of religions, will regard themselves as good, legitimate and mainstream. Other religions, or even sects within the same religion, will be regarded as extreme, false and bad. They may be considered unorthodox or “way out”; their followers may act with excessive zeal. They may brainwash their members. They may even live in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian charismatic leader.

Allan, L, (1996) Religious Cults

So, even within religion, there comes a stage when a “cult” becomes so mainstream it, it becomes a religion.

The Cult of St. Brigid

Oh yes. I found a few papers on the cult of St. Brigid. And it brings us to another interesting facet of cults. Now, this is the point at which I have to say, the Irish have never been backward in venerating one of their own. We’ll tear them to shreds as well, but one of the best sentences I read in this paper is:

devotion to her was carried over to, and propagated throughout, Europe by the Scots peregrini wherever they settled, and their propaganda in her favour attained dizzy heights. In the Book of Leinster Brigid was compared to Our Lady and acclaimed as ‘ the Prophetess of Christ, the queen of the South, the Mary of the Gael [i.e. the Irish]

O’Riordan, S. (1951). The Cult of Saint Brigid. The Furrow, 2(2), 88–93. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27655719

Now, in terms of the breadth of the cult of St. Brigid, O’Riordan uses the evidence of the following:

• the number of Irish girls and women called Brigid
• the number of places called after her – far more than St. Patrick
• the great number of St. Brigid’s Mantles, St. Brigid’s Girdle and of course, St Brigid’s crosses
• pilgramages to her places
• the great number of hymns and prayers to her
• He also mentioned a great liturgical history that has been stripped from the Irish church during, as he describes “the period of oppression and of persecution”

He quotes some of this in Latin, which didn’t help me. So, in traditional modern fashion, I tried Google Translate.

The sixth lesson: once a certain holy man in a synod he saw a vision, and rising, he said: This is the other Mary which dwells among us

Response:

he virgin is carried away, and honor is heaped upon her
there: the synod was pressing, the ninth Brigida Star was flashing. Rites the band applauds, because it hears the heavenly signal.

Verse: The priest announces that this is another Mary.

O’Riordan, S. (1951). The Cult of Saint Brigid. The Furrow, 2(2), 88–93. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27655719

Now, obviously, I have an interest in this paper because it’s about Brigid. But I also wanted to explore this other meaning for “cult”.

Religious cults

Many times throughout my studies in Brigid, I see the term “cult” used to describe the worship or relationship with a particular saint. (This is, of course within Catholicism. Not every Christian sect has saints; and those that do, don’t always define them the same way Catholics do!)

So, here’s another way to think of a cult. It is still linked to that idea of devotion to a particular person. It’s not a negative term in this context. It simply describes the group of people devoted to that particular saint. Within Catholicism anyway, it’s a relatively neutral term.

So, am I member of a cult? Maybe. I definitely am involved in the worship of a particular person/saint/ deity.

I’m not necessarily saying to ignore the warnings about cults though.

The warning signs

This post has a really handy list of warning signs for cults

1. Absolute authoritarianism without accountability
2. Zero tolerance for criticism or questions
3. Lack of meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget
4. Unreasonable fears about the outside world that often involve evil conspiracies and persecutions
5. A belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave
6. Abuse of members
7. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group
8. Followers feeling they are never able to be “good enough”
9. A belief that the leader is right at all times
10. A belief that the leader is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or giving validation

I like this list for a few reasons. It doesn’t really include any of the religious cults as described in O’Riordan’s paper above. The list above is a list of control and restriction. St. Brigid’s cult is not restricted or controlled at all – not even by the Catholic Church really.

In the end

Honestly? Probably any new religious movement goes through a cult like phase. It’s rare a new religion doesn’t form around a charismatic leader.

But there’s the restricted, brainwashing type. And then there’s the more organic, less controlled kind. And both types exist within religious organisations. For example, the Opus Dei organisation within the Catholic Church could be considered to show cult-like tendencies. Certainly, it’s a fairly secretive organisation, although it was sanctioned by Pope John Paul II. (He’s not my favourite pope by any means and was extremely conservative!! Pope Francis is better. Not brilliant, but better.)

So, if the organisation you’re looking at asks you to abandon everyone you know outside the cult, uproot your life, donate all financial assets to the intitution… probably a cult on the dodgy side.

Otherwise – proceed. Definitely, proceed with caution, but proceed…