What Makes a Cult?

The Common Threads Beneath the Crazy Sweaters

Every few years, a new documentary hits streaming services and we all gather 'round to gawk: matching outfits, end-times charts, bizarre rituals, charismatic leaders with Messiah complexes, and group photos that look like stills from a Wes Anderson film.

We watch, shake our heads, and say, “That’s wild. Couldn’t be me.”

But underneath the fringe and flair, most cults didn’t start out looking like cults. They began with spiritual hunger. They offered answers. They created a sense of family, purpose, and mission. They used the vocabulary of faith—but quietly rewrote the dictionary.

So how do you know when something’s crossed the line? When does a “tight-knit church” become something more sinister? When does a “bold new teaching” become heresy dressed in innovation’s clothes?

Let’s define some terms and walk through some marks.

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1. A Different Jesus

The most foundational mark of a cult is theological: they distort the person and work of Christ.