Cult Rhetoric in the 21st Century

Examining contemporary understandings of the term cult, this book brings together scholars from multiple disciplines, including sociology, anthropology and religious studies. Focusing on how cult rhetoric affects our perceptions of new religious movements, the contributors explore how these minority groups have developed and deconstruct the language we use to describe them. Ranging from the Cult of Trump and Cult of COVID, to the campaigns of mass media, this book recognises that contemporary cult rhetoric has become hybridised and suggests a more nuanced study of contemporary religion. Topics include online religions, political cults, apostate testimony and the current othered position of the study of minority religions.