RELS 147 "Cults" and "Sects": New Religious Movements in America

What is a cult or a sect? And why are some communities--such as the People's Temple at Jonestown Branch Davidians at Waco Heaven's Gate Scientology and the Latter-Day Saints--sometimes portrayed as "cults" rather than as "religions"? Using a range of communities as our case studies we will investigate how and why certain communities are categorized as normative and "mainstream" while other communities are perceived as dangerous and illegitimate outsiders. We will also discuss what these category constructions tell us about religion and identity in America.