In academia, the term "cult" has no prevailing consistent definition or practical usage, and has a long and revered history in the sociology of religion. Some reject the term entirely, since most people, mistaken about cults, use the term to dehumanize the members of groups. The sociological concept of a cult may be that of a sharply or diffusely bounded social group whose members are almost entirely controlled by, dominated by, or held together through shared commitment to a single individual (the charismatic leader) or organization; the movement promotes a transcendental ideology, which may be expressed through effective, socially established and ordered forms or in concrete external actions performed within the congregation or community. The irrationality or absurdity of the beliefs of a cult are less important than the nature of its defining operational methods for persuading and motivating people; as such the present-day cult may be defined as a small movement that demonstrates a large dedication to an object of faith, manipulatively uses thought control methods to gain and keep members, causes them to become psychologically dependent, uses them for the cult leaders' goals, and inflicts psychological damage upon them.

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