L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, supposedly said “If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” We will explore the vibrant history of cults. The course aims to explore questions including what defines a cult? Why do cults exist? How do some of them become accepted by mainstream society? We will not be examining the veracity of their messages; instead we will examine the anthropological and sociological context of selected cults throughout history. At the end, students will have the opportunity to draw upon what they have learned to create a mock cult.

We'll be examining various cultural aspects such as comedy through the lens of audiovisual specimens. We can discuss these specimens in the context of peer-reviewed research papers and other published academic works. We will watch YouTube videos and eat snacks.