The Changing Concept of 'New Religions' from a Religio-typological Context

Abstract

According to the traditional typology of religions, there is quite a sharp difference between sect and cult (new religion): Though both of sect and cult are not well supported by societies, the one intends to follow the idea of predominant church while the other tends to create or introduce new ideas alien to the society. But such a difference between sect and cult is gradually getting weaker and weaker today. In fact, many religious orders which passed for cults have been often turned out to be sectarian groups derived from originally church-oriented sects, By contrast, many sects tends to include various elements of cults in their own framework(especially, in North American millieu) these days. Thus, there seems to get to exist a very vague boundary between sect and cult. In this context, new religions are no longer what they used to be. They denote much wider concepts than before. The term, cults, does not contain any pejorative meaning today but mean even something passionate like enthusiastic worships for youth. In a sense, it can be said that the term, cults may challenge to the stereotyped definition of religion and invite a new meaning of it for the future.