The Cultic Phenomena: New and Emerging Religious Movements in America/Addendum I

by Charles H. Whittier

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CRS-44

Addendum I: Cult-Sect Characteristics

While ideal types are neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive, given the infinite diversity of religious, the following characteristics are often present:

Cult	Sect
1. Largely divorced from normative religious tradition in belief and practice and at variance with larger religious community	1. Intimately related to normative religious traditions in belief and practice, but in "separatist" (purified) form (re larger religious community)
2. highly syncretic, mixture of beliefs and practices	2. central beliefs derive from normative religious tradition
3. individual experience and satisfaction is basis for membership and for unity	3. selective membership based on commitment to "revitalization" of religious tradition
4. relatively small and short-lived	4. durability, deriving from withdrawal yet continuity with normative tradition
5. charismatic leadership centered in exemplary figure to be emulated in "parallel spontaneities"	5. charismatic leadership subordinated to ethical and doctrinal teaching

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