The Tnevnoc Cult

Abstract

Accompanyingthe rapid growth of in the 1970s has been escalatingcontroversy centering on their methods of socializing new recruits. In this paper we examine the Tnevnoc Cult, a religious movement thatflourished during the nineteenth century and was embroiled in a similar controversy. Many of the Tnevnocs' current socialization practices remain similar to those of the new religions although the Tnevnocs are not now regarded as controversial By presenting a historical comparison between the Tnevnocs and new religions we demonstrate that the allegedly novel, manipulative socialization practices of the new religions actually are remarkably similar to those employed by the Tnevnocs a century earlier. Further, we argue that the reaction of the anti-cult movement to the new religions also has historicalparallels which suggest that it is the legitimacy accorded a group rather than its practices which shape public reactions and definitions.