Return of the “Cult”

Recent years have seen an apparent “return” of normative religious and cultic language in political media discourses, often adopted pejorative confrontational contexts. Arguably driven by contemporary divisions debates surrounding COVID-19 restrictions, terms including “cult,” “brainwashing,” “groupthink” reignited discourses so-called “cultic” behaviour beliefs. We argue, however, that the “cult debate” has not returned, but rather transitioned into new implicit conversations “good” “bad” religion. In this special issue Implicit Religion, we seek to avoid re-treading old ground concerning definitions “cults,” instead adopt a renewed approach academic study language—placing emphasis on ways which these are used, negotiated, understood discourses.