“New Religious Movement” is one of those tricky, catch-all terms that can refer to lots of different communities, including ones that have very little in common. Broadly, a New Religions Movement (NRM) is a religious group that came into existence more recently (typically somewhere around the 19th century or later). Other terms include alternative spiritualities, […]

Benjamin Zeller is chair of the religion department at Lake Forest College. He focuses on religious currents that are new or alternative, including new religions, the religious engagement with science, and the quasi-religious relationship people have with food.

This edition of ReligionLink explores reporting, analysis and commentary around the term “cult,” helping you better understand the word, its uses, and how to report thoughtfully, carefully and sensitively on the subject.

David G. Bromley is a professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. He specializes in sociology of religion, with a particular emphasis on the study of New Religious Movements and the anti-cult movement. He is co-editor of Cults, Religion, and Violence.    

James Lawrence is an assistant professor of Christian spirituality and historical studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. He studies Protestant spiritual disciplines and practice, especially Swedenborgians, New Religious Movements, and sports and spirituality.