Disaffiliation and New Religious Movements

Abstract

In this chapter, I examine the academic literature on disaffiliation from an interdisciplinary perspective, most notably scholarship in sociology, psychology, and religious studies. I begin briefly with deconversion, due to its close—and often conflated—association with disaffiliation, followed by an overview of key disaffiliation literature, including the development of causal and role theory approaches. I then discuss the “cult controversy” phenomenon and post-involvement attitudes of former members that featured prominently in early NRM scholarship. I conclude with a discussion on methodological prospects for future research on disaffiliation and NRMs.

Taking leave of Damanhur. Deconversion from a magico-esoteric community

“…In such a setting, and given the doctrinal content of the spiritual teachings purveyed by this magico-esoteric community, proselytes to this NRM must necessarily undergo a radical change of identity. The hostility, as it were, of the religious field ( sensu Bourdieu, 1971) surrounding Damanhur contributes to making this organization – which in this respect is not unlike the majority of NRMs – a ‘greedy’ institution ( sensu Coser, 1974), or, with Skonovd ‘totalist’ (Skonovd, 1981, cited in Currie, 2016: 53), which demands that prospective members make a commitment that often extends past the spiritual level to encompass the social plane. This accounts for the radical character of the second turning point, the deconversion, which calls for yet another and perhaps an even more radical redefinition of self.…”