Beyond Brainwashing

A thorough examination of cultic violence discussing religious violence all the way to the post-9/11 era.

Reviews the current theories of cultic violence by examining historical examples of religious violence. It covers the 1960s all the way to the post-9/11 era and explores the current state of religious persecution and discrimination.This Element reviews the state of the question regarding theories of cultic violence. It introduces definitions and vocabulary and presents relevant historical examples of religious violence. It then discusses the 1960s and 1970s, the period immediately before the Jonestown tragedy. Considerations of the post-Jonestown (1978), and then post-Waco (1993) literature follow. After 9/11 (2001), some of the themes identified in previous decades reappear. The Element concludes by examining the current problem of repression and harassment directed at religious believers. Legal discrimination by governments, as well as persecution of religious minorities by non-state actors, has challenged earlier fears about cultic violence.