Cults and new religious movements and its leaders have been used as a theme or subject in literature, and popular culture. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... A new religious movement or NRM is a religious, ethical, or spiritual grouping of fairly recent origin which is not part of an established religion and has not yet become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or religious body. ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, (literally: the culture of the people) consists of the cultural elements that prevail (at least numerically) in any given society, mainly using the more popular media, in that societys vernacular language and/or an established lingua franca. ...

Ancient

One of the earliest mentions of a cult-like organization was in a satire by Lucian of Samosata, a second century AD writer. Lucian unmasks "Alexander the false prophet" who is playing tricks on his followers to obtain their money. Alexander plots Lucian's death but Lucian is forewarned and avoids the attack. Some scholars believe that Lucian's satires were cribbed from works written by other writers hundreds of years earlier. Lucian of Samosata (c. ...

19th century

Among American writers, Mark Twain and Willa Cather both published what today would be called "exposes" of Christian Science. In spite of their eloquence, they failed to prevent Mary Baker Eddy's church from eventually obtaining a large measure of respectability. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Willa Cather photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1936 Wilella Sibert Cather (December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) is among the most eminent American authors. ... Christian Science is a teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (First published in 1875). ... Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (born Mary Morse Baker July 16, 1821 - December 3, 1910) founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879 and was the author of its fundamental doctrinal textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. ...

Grey's story betrays the influence of Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet (1887), in which the Mormons and their leader Brigham Young are portrayed as unremittingly villainous. Two Mormons who had forced a young woman into a polygamous marriage in Utah are the targets of a revenge murder in England. However, Doyle has the murderer brought to justice by Sherlock Holmes, while Grey's gunslinger gets the girl (and the gold). ... Sherlock Holmes as imagined by the seminal Holmesian artist, Sidney Paget, in The Strand magazine. ...

20th century

Zane Grey, in his Riders of the Purple Sage (1912), a Western novel that would have a major influence on Hollywood, lambasts the Mormons and has his gunslinger hero rescue a wealthy young woman in the early 1870s from the clutches of elderly polygamists via exceedingly bloody gunfights. In spite of the melodrama, the novel contains an acute portrayal of the psychological conflicts of the young woman, raised a Mormon but gradually coming to the realization that she wants a supposedly freer life. It should be noted that the Mormon misdeeds depicted in the story take place on the southern frontier of Utah and there is no suggestion that Mormon leaders in Salt Lake City are involved. Indeed, the harassment of the young woman reflects a popular literary theme in Victoria's England rather than Brigham Young's Utah — the orphaned young heiress besieged by unscrupulous suitors who often profess the Anglican or Catholic faith. Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 - October 23, 1939), born Pearl Zane Gray (he later dropped Pearl and changed the a to an e in Grey) was an American author of popular adventure novels and pulp fiction that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. ... The Western is an American genre in literature and film. ... The term Mormon is a colloquial name, most-often used to refer to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ... // Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 January 1877, until her death in 1901. ... For other uses, see Brigham Young University Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was the second prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ...

Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein had an abiding interest in cults. A leading figure in his early "Future History" series (see If This Goes On--, a short novel published in Revolt in 2100 (1953)) is Nehemiah Scudder, a religious "prophet" who becomes dictator of the United States. Heinlein pours into this book his distrust of Mormonism, Protestant fundamentalism and other religious movements that he regards as authoritarian. It apparently influenced Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (1985). This article is becoming very long. ... A future history is a postulated history of the future that some science fiction authors construct as a common background for fiction. ... If This Goes On— is a science fiction short novel by Robert A. Heinlein. ... Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood, OC (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian writer. ... Cover of The Handmaids Tale The Handmaids Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. ...

Dashiell Hammett's The Dain Curse (1929) revolves around a California circle of the type that today would be called a New Age cult. A.E.W. Mason, in The Prisoner in the Opal (1928), one of his popular Inspector Hanaud mysteries, describes the unmasking of a Satanist cult. Since the advent of the anti-cult movement in the 1970s, numerous thrillers have been written in which the hero, often a private detective, rescues a young person from a cult and/or uncovers nefarious murders plotted by a cult. Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. ... The Dain Curse is a novel written by Dashiell Hammett and published in 1929. ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 - 22 November 1948) was a British author. ... Satanism is a religious or philosophical movement centered around Satan or another entity identified with Satan, or centered around the forces of nature, particularly human nature, represented by Satan as an archetype. ... A private investigator, or PI, is a person who undertakes investigations. ...

In his novel That Hideous Strength (1945), C.S. Lewis describes the National Institute for Co-ordinated Experiments, or "NICE", a quasi-governmental front concealing a kind of doomsday cult that worships a disembodied head kept alive by scientific means. This head, who/which is plotting to turn the Earth into a dead world like the Moon, has been interpreted as a symbol of modernism, materialistic science, and/or irreligion. Lewis' novel is most notable for its elaboration of his essay on the "inner ring"--a seduction/recruitment lure that he believed was key to understanding how people get roped into totalitarian and other spiritually twisted organizations. The novel breaks from the convention of previous cult thrillers in that its plot does not hinge on a strong man rescuing a weak woman but rather on the opposite--a shallow and weak-minded husband is rescued from the inner ring by his strong, courageous and deeply religious wife, who becomes an agent of a godly resistance movement. ^{[citation needed]} This article is about the C.S. Lewis novel. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ...

Persons widely regarded (rightly or wrongly) as cult leaders played an interesting if minor role in 20th century literature. Aleister Crowley, the New Age guru, was a poet and novelist who wrote an autobiography that became a widely praised bestseller after his death. Nicholas Roerich, the founder of Agni Yoga, was a travel writer and poet as well as being a major painter who captured the stark features of the mountains of Central Asia. L. Ron Hubbard was an important figure in the golden age of science fiction and also wrote Fear (1940), a ground-breaking psychological thriller that influenced later writers such as Stephen King. G.I. Gurdjieff, the guru who taught methods of "double consciousness" in Paris, authored Meetings with Remarkable Men, a minor classic of Russian literature, and Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson, a curious melange of philosophy, humor and science-fiction that some regard as a masterpiece. Ayn Rand, founder of Objectivism, was the author of two major best sellers, The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957). Eli Siegel, the founder of Aesthetic Realism, was a highly regarded poet (Kenneth Rexroth even compared with to Heinrich Heine); his best known poem is "Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana" (1925) [1]. Numerous other purported cult leaders or founders of New Age tendencies or new religious movements have written works that have influenced the thinking of broad circles. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced with the first syllable sounding like the bird) was an English occultist, prolific writer, mystic, hedonist, and sexual revolutionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Fear is a basic emotional sensation and response system (feeling) initiated by an aversion to some perceived risk or threat. ... For other people named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff (January 13, 1872 - October 29, 1949), the Greek-Armenian mystic and teacher of dancing born in Alexandropol, Armenia (then of the Russian Empire, now Gyumri, Armenia), traveled to many parts of the world (i. ... Meetings with Remarkable Men is G. I. Gurdjieffs autobiography. ... It has been suggested that The Ayn Rand Collective be merged into this article or section. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. ... Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Russian-born writer and philosopher Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the USA. It was Rands last work of fiction before concentrating her writings exclusively on philosophy, politics and cultural criticism. ... Eli Siegel (August 16, 1902–November 8, 1978), poet and critic, founded the philosophy Aesthetic Realism in 1941. ... Aesthetic Realism is the philosophy founded by the American poet and critic Eli Siegel in 1941. ... Kenneth Rexroth (December 22, 1905 – June 6, 1982) was an American poet, translator and critical essayist. ... Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (born as Harry [Hebrew: Chaim] Heine December 13, 1797 – February 17, 1856) was one of the most significant German poets. ...

Influential founders of spiritual movements have included Helena Blavatsky, the Russian adventuress who founded Theosophy, penned The Secret Doctrine and Isis Unveiled, and had an immense cultural and intellectual influence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, indirectly helping to stimulate the Indian nationalist movement, the interfaith ecumenical movement, parapsychology, the genre of the occult thriller, and what today is called the New Age movement. Rudolf Steiner (d. 1925), founder of Anthroposophy, was an important writer in a variety of fields (his collected works total 350 volumes) and an influence on such figures as novelist Herman Hesse and philosopher Owen Barfield. Through his writings and lectures, Steiner stimulated the development of the cooperative movement, alternative medicine, organic farming, the Waldorf schools, and "eurythmy" in modern dance. Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Hahn (also Hélène) (July 31, 1831 (O.S.) (August 12, 1831 (N.S.)) - May 8, 1891 London, England), better known as Helena Blavatsky or Madame Blavatsky was the founder of Theosophy. ... Possible emblem of some Theosophical Society Theosophy, literally knowledge of the divine, designates several bodies of ideas. ... The Secret Doctrine, the Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy, a book originally published as two volumes in 1888, is Helena P. Blavatskys magnum opus. ... Isis Unveiled, a master-key to the mysteries of ancient and modern science and theology, published in 1877, was Helena Petrovna Blavatskys first major book. ... The word ecumenical comes from a Greek word that means pertaining to the whole world. ... Parapsychology is the study of certain types of paranormal phenomena (parapsychology comes from the Greek para, “beside, beyond,” + psychology, derived from the Greek psyche, “soul, mind,” + logos “rational discussion”). The term was coined by Max Dessoir (1889). ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... Anthroposophy is a spiritual science founded by Rudolf Steiner. ... Hermann Hesse Hermann Hesse (July 2, 1877 – August 9, 1962) was a German author, and the winner of the 1946 Nobel Prize in literature. ... Owen Barfield (November 9, 1898–December 14, 1997) was a British philosopher, author, poet, and critic. ... Eurythmy is a movement art originated by Rudolf Steiner in the early 20th century. ...

In Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), the hero from Mars, Valentine Michael Smith, goes through a period of functioning as a cult leader, and his control techniques are described in great detail. Stranger in a Strange Land is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1961. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Stranger in a Strange Land is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1961. ...

Psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich, who in his later years founded a psychotherapy cult around the idea of orgone energy, is widely regarded as a major inspirer of the sexual revolution, a forerunner of the interdisciplinary field of psychohistory, and an influential theorist and clinician of early psychoanalysis. Several alleged cult leaders have been prolific tract writers and although their writings have not influenced contemporary culture to the degree of a Reich or Blavatsky they have stimulated many to join their churches or movements and have expressed ideas that have been adopted and adapted by writers and spiritual "entrepreneurs" outside of their own circles. Examples include JZ Knight, founder of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, whose popular Ramtha books have done much to spread the practice of spirit channelling among New Agers; and Elizabeth Clare Prophet of the Church Universal and Triumphant who, with her late husband Mark Prophet, wrote over 75 books on the "Ascended Masters" and similar topics. Other examples include the late Herbert W. Armstrong of the Worldwide Church of God, whose books on Biblical prophecy and British Israelism were widely read for over a half century; and rightwing ideologue and conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche — the author of over 500 books, articles and published speeches which have had a significant if often subterranean influence on various movements of the left and right as well as on the media in some countries. Dr. Wilhelm Reich Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897–November 3, 1957) was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and a member of Sigmund Freuds inner circle. ... Dr. Wilhelm Reich Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897–November 3, 1957) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who was trained in Vienna by Sigmund Freud. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Psychohistory is the study of the psychological motivations of historical events. ... Psychoanalysis is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud. ... poop ... Judy Z. Knight (born Judith Darlene Hampton, March 16, 1946 Roswell, New Mexico) is the CEO of JZK, Inc of which Ramthas School of Enlightenment [[1]] is one part. ... The organization known as Ramthas School of Enlightenment [[1]] is based in a small rural town called Yelm, in Washington state in the United States. ... Ramtha is the name of an entity that JZ Knight claims to channel. ... According to Websters Dictionary: the practice of professedly entering a meditative or trancelike state in order to convey messages from a spiritual guide. ... Elizabeth Clare Prophet (born April 8, 1939) is an American who became the leader of the New Age new religious movement The Summit Lighthouse, an organization encompassing the branches of Church Universal and Triumphant, Summit University, Summit University Press, and Montessori International, after her husband, Mark L. Prophet, died on... The Church Universal and Triumphant is a New Age new religious movement and organization founded by Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. ... Herbert W. Armstrong (July 31, 1892 – January 16, 1986) was the founder of the Worldwide Church of God, Ambassador College (a private university), a broadcaster, a publisher, a self-styled Ambassador for Peace, and (through the Church and the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation) a promoter of the arts, humanities and... The Worldwide Church of God was founded in 1933 by Herbert W. Armstrong as the Radio Church of God. ... British Israelism (sometimes called Anglo-Israelism) is a complex set of theories, not necessarily compatible with each other, that have in common the idea that the British are the direct lineal descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. ... Lyndon LaRouche at a news conference in Paris in February 2006. ...

21st century

Popular French author Michel Houellebecq’s 2005 science-fiction novel, The Possibility of an Island, describes a cloning group that resembles the Raëlians.^[1] Michel Houellebecq (pronounced ) (real name Michel Thomas), born 26 February 1958, on the French island of Réunion is a controversial, award-winning French novelist. ... The Possibility of an Island is a recent (2005) novel by controversial French novelist Michel Houellebecq, set within the ambience of a cloning cult that resembles the real-world Raelians. ... Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of an original organism or thing. ... Raëls first published book, the basis of the Raëlian movement Raëlism is the belief system promoted by the Raëlian Movement, a religious group which believes that scientifically advanced extraterrestrials known as the Elohim (as found in the Hebrew texts of the Christian Bible and the...

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