Cultist

About

Social groups characterized by unusual and often extreme religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals define what scholars study as cults. Extreme devotion to particular persons, objects, or goals characterizes these movements. Since the 1930s, sociologists have examined new religious movements, while the Christian countercult movement has opposed certain sects since the 1940s. The secular anti-cult movement emerged in the 1970s with concerns about brainwashing practices. Groups labeled cults exist worldwide, ranging from small localized communities to international organizations with millions of members.