Quirky Neighbors or the Cult Next-Door?

An Analysis of Public Perceptions of the Exclusive Brethren in Australia

Authors

  • Bernard Doherty Baylor University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/ijsnr.v3i2.163

Keywords:

Exclusive Brethren, media, newspapers, controversy, politics, church/state issues, sects, content analysis

Abstract

Beginning in 2005 the tiny Christian sect then known as the Exclusive Brethren suddenly underwent a media transformation from a virtually unknown or ignored group of quirky and old-fashioned Protestant sectarians to being touted as “Australia’s biggest cult” by tabloid television programs. This explosion of controversy came on the heels of media revelations about the involvement of Brethren members in providing financial donations to conservative political causes across the globe and a snowballing effect in response which brought forth a number of ex-members eager to expose their former group. This article looks at how this media transformation has been received by the wider Australian public. By studying the hitherto little utilized data contained in readers’ letters to Australia’s three mainstream broadsheet newspapers this article identifies which events or undertakings had the most impact on public perceptions of the Exclusive Brethren and which specific articles and issues struck the most responsive chord with readers. This content analysis found that Australian public opinion toward the Exclusive Brethren, while on the whole negative, was more indicative of their political involvement than their beliefs. The study also found that prior to what I call “The Brethren Controversy” the Exclusive Brethren had maintained a high degree of “sectarian tension” in Australia for almost four decades with little public outcry or media vilification.

Author Biography

  • Bernard Doherty, Baylor University

    Bernard Doherty is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University.

References

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Published

2012-12-31

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Doherty, B. (2012). Quirky Neighbors or the Cult Next-Door? An Analysis of Public Perceptions of the Exclusive Brethren in Australia. International Journal for the Study of New Religions, 3(2), 163-211. https://doi.org/10.1558/ijsnr.v3i2.163