American Religious Cults

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Oklahoma City, where at least a hundred confirmed lives were lost in the bombing of a federal office building, Americans are asking questions about what kind of "cult" is behind the terrorist action. The prime suspect in the popular imagination, despite repeated denials by investigators, is the Branch Davidian sect of Christian belief: the bombing occurred two years later to the day when federal officials stormed the Davidians' compound in Waco, Texas, with the resulting death of cult leader David Koresh and 85 followers (Wall, 1993, p. 1291). The word "cult" then, and now, is used to demonize small groups whose ethical values seem outside, or at least estranged from, the mainstream understanding of such things.

The term "cult" is virtually meaningless. It

. . .
system did not fit in well with monarchies. His emphasis upon individual grace and personal interpretation of the Bible led to questioning of Authority. The many Calvinist-inspired Protestant sects that developed in the 1500s and 1600s found themselves in a situation reminiscent of the early Christians, who were persecuted for undermining Roman imperial authority. These "cults" were frowned upon by the church-state partnerships of the hierarchical Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican (aka Church of England) national authorities. It is well-documented that the English-speaking North American colonies were originally settled by religious "dissidents," religious groups that were - if not openly persecuted - excluded from the hallways of power and opportunity in England. These were rebels in both the social and religious sense. Oliver Cromwell's twenty years of Puritan government provided a brief reprieve of religious tolerance - except for Catholics, who then found it prudent to set up some colonies in America - but the return of Charles II and the monarchy returned England to the old patterns of hierarchic rule in church and state. Thereafter, Congregationalists and Anabaptists (forerunners of the present-day Baptists) found
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Roman Catholic, University Press, Jonestown Waco, Separation Church, Jonestown Guyana, Tree Knowledge, Michael Barkun, Quakers Pilgrims, Jerry Falwell, Based Judeo-Christian, roman catholic, barkun 1993, christian century, electronic publishing 1992, york grolier electronic, york grolier, publishing 1992, electronic publishing, grolier electronic, 15 york grolier, version 15, reference library version, grolier multimedia, library version 15, 1993 599,
Approximate Word count = 4035
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)

More Essays on American Religious Cults