From “Cult” to “Spirituality”: Tracing Three Paradigm Shifts in the Study of Non-Institutional Religiosity

Document Type : Scientific-research

Author

Department of Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Theology and Religions, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Over the past century, non-institutional and informal forms of religiosity have undergone rapid, complex, and multilayered transformations. In response to this phenomenon, the social sciences and religious studies have employed a range of terms to classify and analyze it—ranging from "cult" and "sect" to "new religious movements," "New Age," and "contemporary spirituality." This conceptual diversity not only reflects internal changes within the phenomenon itself but also stems from theoretical turns, epistemological shifts, and conceptual transformations within academic traditions. The present study, drawing on the methodology of conceptual history (with emphasis on Reinhart Koselleck’s approach) and framed by Nuri Tınaz’s theoretical model, seeks to reconstruct the evolution of key concepts and terminologies used to name and study this phenomenon between 1930-2010. Findings suggest that this conceptual development can be categorized into three main periods and three transitional phases, each marking a shift in analytical approaches, disciplinary engagements, and socio-historical contexts. This periodization not only enhances our understanding of the phenomenon but also clarifies its relation to the body of knowledge produced around it. Ultimately, this study offers an interdisciplinary framework for historically understanding transformations in religiosity beyond institutional religion, by focusing on the dynamic interplay between language, theoretical discourse, and social change.

Keywords

References

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The Mirror of Knowledge
Volume 25, Issue 4 - Serial Number 85
January 2026
Pages 133-154

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