Cults and New Religious Movements in America (Osher Online)
Osher Online - Fall | Registration closed 9/13/2026
America has provided fertile ground for new and alternative religions to sprout and grow. Some prosper and eventually become accepted as part of the normal religious landscape, some wither away and are forgotten, and some detonate, creating public scandal and in the worst cases, national tragedy. This course will examine New Religious Movements, popularly known as "cults", within the US context. We will examine these religious movements both from insider perspectives and outsider perceptions. We will analyze the history, practices, and beliefs of these organizations to better understand them and deconstruct misconceptions. This course covers the 18th and 19th centuries.
Course Trailer: Cults and New Religious Movements in America (Vimeo)
Instructor change as of September 1: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the originally scheduled instructor is no longer available to teach this course. The new instructor will be Kathryn Phillips.
Note: Registration for the Summer Osher National Online courses will close on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Osher Online™ courses are not recorded.
Kathryn Phillips
Kathryn Phillips is the Schauffler Chair and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Defiance College. She received her PhD in Religious Studies from the University of California, Riverside. Her research is primarily focused on the use of Gender Studies in the historical approach to Christian Late Antiquity. She teaches a wide range of classes and loves teaching students about traditions they might be less familiar with. She is also a Fellow in the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity at Defiance College, leading annual
student research surrounding refugees to Rome, Italy.