Catherine Wessinger on "cults" and Euro-American Nativist Millennial Movements

After Trump, QAnon, and the January 6 insurrection at the nation's capitol, a lot of analysis and commentary has ensued on how to understand them. Some have suggested they are cults and the followers brainwashed. In an article at Religion Dispatches, noted scholar of new religions and millennialism, Catherine Wessinger, took exception to such approaches. In this podcast we unpack her essay and discuss problems with the "cult" term and concept, and how to understand the Trump movement, QAnon, and January 6 as manifestations of Euro-American Nativist Millennialism.

Catherine Wessinger is the Rev. H. James Yamauchi, S.J. Professor of the History of Religions at Loyola University New Orleans. She is co-director of the Loyola Himalaya Adventure: Summer Study in Dharamsala, India program. Her primary research and teaching areas are women in religions, new religious movements, and Tibetan and Indian religions. Her articles in journals and chapters in edited books include history of religions and theoretical treatments of women and religion, millennialism, new religious movements, and religion and violence. Since 2000 Dr. Wessinger has served as co-general editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions published by University of California Press.