An explosion of new spiritual movements in the 1970s led to the creation of an entirely novel academic field. But right from the beginning, the discipline was riven asunder.

The Cult Wars have been raging for decades. They’re fought not only in academic journals and conference seminars, but in the press, the courts and in legislative assemblies. And their battles continue to have enormous consequences.

Featured in this episode: Michael Kropveld, Stephen A. Kent, Susan J. Palmer

To learn more:

“Caught Up in the Cult Wars: Confessions of a New Religious Movement Researcher” by Susan J. Palmer in University of Toronto Press

“Life after Doomsday: Tracking cult activity from a Montreal storage locker” by Simon Lewson in The Walrus

Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field edited by Benjamin Zablocki & Thomas Robbins

Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music from Audio Network

Sponsors: Oxio

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