REL 103 AMERICAN CULTS

How could throngs of young, free-loving hippies end up poisoning hundreds in a desperate attempt to secure their community?  How could an entire community commit mass suicide? The Rajneesh community (subject of the recent Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country) and Jonestown have made us deeply suspicious of charismatic leaders and utopian projects. The course explores why only some cults end in tragedy.  Students will consider the history of schismatic religious groups, anti-cult hysteria, and controlling religious authority in American history by focusing on groups such as Jonestown and the FLDS.