{"id":11880,"date":"2026-03-02T07:16:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T21:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch.org\/?post_type=resource&p=11880"},"modified":"2026-03-02T07:54:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T21:54:52","slug":"is-the-plymouth-brethren-christian-church-a-cult","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.plymouthbrethrenchristianchurch.org\/es\/resource\/is-the-plymouth-brethren-christian-church-a-cult\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church a cult? This academic says no"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is both a Training and Archive Document resource.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this article, we reference the work of Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne, who argues that the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church is not a cult.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9560,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"resource-type":[429],"class_list":["post-11880","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource-type-pbcc-articles"],"acf":{"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"module_section","row":[{"column_gap":"","column":[{"module":[{"acf_fc_layout":"rich_media_block","image":false,"header":{"":null,"title":"","heading_level":"h2","header_styles":{"":null,"background_colour":"","background_image":false,"text_colour":"black"},"make_separator":false},"content":"

Is the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church a cult? This academic says no<\/h2>\n

Across the past two decades, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has often had to defend itself against accusations of being a cult. While we are a mainstream Christian Church that does not actively recruit new members, the use of the word \u2018cult\u2019 is still used against us by detractors and repeated by some members of government and the media. Sometimes its use is malicious, but often it is based in misunderstanding. As members of our church can tell you, the word and its imputations are not at all aligned with their lived experiences as part of a faith-based community that has strong family values and is guided by Christian scripture.<\/p>\n

\u2018Cult\u2019 is a \u2018click-bait\u2019 word, and therefore often used in sensationalist media articles about the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and its members that are based on inaccuracies, biases, exaggerations and outdated information.<\/p>\n

These articles are easy to find on the internet \u2013 but if you dig a little deeper you can find well-balanced, well-researched and cross-checked information about the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and our Christian fellowship.<\/p>\n

‘They are not a cult’ – Introvigne, 2018<\/h2>\n

One such resource is The Plymouth Brethren<\/em>, written by Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne and published in 2018 through Oxford University Press. Mr Introvigne researched widely for his book, and during this process he interviewed members of the PBCC, and visited with them at church and school.<\/p>\n

In his book, Mr Introvigne explores how anti-cult campaigners have targeted the PBCC, in some cases to \u2018obsessive\u2019 levels. He also cites the work of Margaret Singer, a clinical psychologist and co-author of the book Cults in our Midst who defined a cult as a group that uses coercive persuasion techniques to recruit, train and retain members through \u2018thought reform\u2019, as he poses the question, \u2018are the PBCC\u2019s members part of a cult\u2019?<\/p>\n

In answering that question, Mr Introvigne reasons that trademark feature of cults does not apply to the Plymouth Brethren.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, they have even been described as \u2018a group which does not actively recruit members and relies almost solely on current members having large families to ensure the continuation and growth of the group\u2019. Their marginal growth is mostly due to their remarkable capacity to retain their young men and women in the movement, where they marry and have children. In this sense, they are not a cult…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Religious freedom and discrimination<\/h2>\n

Mr Introvigne also examines the Plymouth Brethren belief in separation<\/a> \u2013 the practice of only sharing a meal with those in fellowship \u2013 describing it as a \u2018bone of contention\u2019, even though it has \u2018a clear religious<\/a> basis\u2019. He refers to the work of other sociologists who have noted that the principle of separation is not unique to the Brethren and is practiced by other Christian and Jewish communities. And he concludes:<\/p>\n

\u2018Whether a society is capable of accepting it becomes precisely a test for its real openness to religious liberty and tolerance.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Work ethic, family values and charity<\/h2>\n

Other noteworthy observations of the Plymouth Brethren, either made by Mr Introvigne or cited from other scholars, include:<\/p>\n