New Religious Movements

New Religious Movements (NRMs) is the term sociologists use for the diverse range of religious and spiritual groups that have emerged since the 1950s, particularly from the 1960s onwards. These groups differ significantly from traditional churches and denominations in their beliefs, organisation, and relationship with wider society. This lesson examines the classification of NRMs, explanations for their growth, and key case studies.

Key Definition: A New Religious Movement (NRM) is a religious or spiritual group of relatively recent origin that differs from established mainstream religions in its beliefs, practices, or organisational structure. The term is sociologically neutral — it avoids the loaded connotations of terms like "cult" or "sect."

---

Troeltsch: Church and Sect

Before examining NRMs, it is helpful to understand the classic church-sect typology developed by Ernst Troeltsch (1912). Troeltsch distinguished between two ideal types of religious organisation: