The Art of Community

NineDistinguishing Religion and Avoiding Cult

The principles in this book have been used in spiritual and religious traditions for millennia. I’m confident that you’ve recognized how these principles show up in the spiritual organizations you know. I assume that you aspire to build something that’s not a cult and probably not your own religion. While it’s true that both religious traditions and harmful cults use many of the principles I’ve outlined above, you can dip into the wisdom of religious tradition and still build something very different. While almost all dogs have tails, putting a tail on something doesn’t make it a dog.

Common Features of Major Religions

Specifically defining what is and is not a religion is challenging by itself. There ...