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Series:   Elements in New Religious Movements

Communal Societies and New Religious Movements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2023

Cheryl Coulthard

Summary

Popular understanding of communal societies tends to focus on the 1960s hippie colonies and ignores the rich and long history of communalism in the United States. This Element corrects that misperception by exploring the synergy between new religious movements and communal living, including the benefits and challenges that grow out of this connection. It introduces definitions of key terms and vocabulary in the fields of new religious movements and communal studies. Discussion of major theories of communal success and the role of religion follows. The Element includes historical examples to demonstrate the ways in which new religious movements used communalism as a safe space to grow and develop their religion. The Element also analyzes why these groups have tended to experience conflicts with mainstream society.
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Keywords

communal societiesnew religious movementsalternative religionsintentional communitiescults
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements in New Religious Movements
Online ISBN: 9781009357357
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 01 February 2024

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