Turlupins
A medieval French sect infamous for their radical poverty and controversial practices, excommunicated by Pope Gregory XI.
Reyna Chicas
A charismatic leader at the heart of apocalyptic beliefs and a mass suicide scare in California.
Sovereign Grace Churches
Reformed, neocharismatic churches caught up in serious abuse scandals
Buddhafield
A spiritual community led by a charismatic leader that gained notoriety for its secretive practices and allegations of abuse.
Wolves of Vinland
A controversial Norse neopagan group embracing a blend of mythology and identity politics.
Church of Euthanasia
A radical art project advocating for population control with a stark message: "Save the Planet, Kill Yourself."
Carbon Nation (Nature Boy)
A self-proclaimed messiah leading a movement centered on polygamy, nudity, and liberation.
Mansions of Rastafari
Diverse branches of the Rastafari movement, each with unique beliefs and practices.
Holy Hubert Lindsey
A fiery Southern Baptist preacher who ignited Berkeley's counterculture with his unconventional ministry.
Alleluia Community
A charismatic ecumenical Christian community emphasizing unity and spiritual renewal.
Gathering of Christ Church
A Hebrew Israelite group known for its controversial teachings and strict adherence to Old Testament laws.
Ravidassia
A distinct faith that emerged from the teachings of Guru Ravidas, emphasizing equality and social justice.
Fourth International Posadist
An unconventional Marxist movement known for its belief in UFOs and the potential for extraterrestrial socialism.
Reform Mormonism
A progressive branch of the Latter Day Saint movement that emphasizes inclusivity and modern reinterpretations of traditional doctrines.
Church of Christ (Temple Lot)
A distinct Latter Day Saint movement denomination known for its rejection of traditional LDS doctrines and claims to hold the future site of a prophesied temple in Independence, Missouri.
Novat Kovot
A unique blend of Islamic and Christian beliefs founded by a visionary African king.
The Seventh-day Remnant Church
A small offshoot of the Seventh-day Adventist Church emphasizing strict adherence to the commandments and end-time prophecy.
Alawism
A mystic sect of Shi'a Islam with esoteric beliefs and a political legacy in Syria.
Neo-Tech
A controversial philosophy promising personal and societal transformation through radical free-market principles.
Presents Of God Ministry
A controversial Christian group with an emphasis on end-time prophecy and a rejection of mainstream religious and societal norms.
Bábism
A precursor to the Bahá'í Faith, emphasizing a new prophetic cycle with its unique teachings and laws.
Church of the Guanche People
Reviving ancient Canarian spirituality in the heart of the Canary Islands.
Magnificat Meal Movement
A movement shrouded in controversy, mixing religious devotion with allegations of fraud and a leader's lavish exile.
New Jerusalem Church of the Celestial Messenger
A controversial religious movement led by an Italian immigrant claiming divine powers and extraterrestrial origins.
Marian Worker’s Movement
A prayer group suspended for non-compliance with Catholic Church directives in Uganda.
Bohemian Grove
An elite, secretive gathering known for its extravagant rituals and influential membership.
Yiguandao
A syncretic salvationist Chinese faith blending elements from major world religions with a focus on universal salvation.
New Thought
A spiritual movement emphasizing the power of positive thinking and the belief that thoughts can directly influence one's reality.
Peter Knight (Anti-Abortion Activist)
An anti-abortion activist, whose fatal attack spurred legal and social change.
Water of Life Ministries (Doyle Davidson)
A controversial church led by a self-proclaimed apostle, accused of cult-like behavior.
Homestead Heritage
A self-sustaining intentional Christian community known for its agrarian lifestyle, craftsmanship, and rich educational culture.
Discordianism
A religion of chaos and whimsy centered around the worship of Eris, the Greek goddess of discord.
New Acropolis
A philosophical and cultural organization with a controversial reputation due to its alleged connections to esotericism and far-right ideologies.
Terry Bennett Ministries
A prophetic ministry that emphasizes divine revelations and end-times prophecies.
King James Video Ministries (Bryan Denlinger)
A ministry focused on promoting the King James Version of the Bible and critiquing mainstream Christian denominations.
Universal White Brotherhood
A spiritual movement founded in Bulgaria that combines esoteric Christianity with new age philosophy.
Leo Gura
A self-help guru whose teachings and methods have sparked controversy and allegations of cult-like behavior.
Billy Meier (Free Community of Interests for the Border and Spiritual Sciences and Ufological Studies)
A controversial figure claiming extraterrestrial contact, surrounded by debunked prophecies and disputed UFO evidence.
Harun Yahya
A controversial Islamic televangelist and creationist leader known for his unorthodox methods and criminal convictions.
Word of Life Christian Church (Chadwicks, NY)
A church in upstate New York that transformed into a cult, culminating in a tragic and fatal incident.
The Society for the New Message from God
A spiritual movement centered on the revelations received by Marshall Vian Summers, aiming to prepare humanity for future challenges and interstellar life.
Cargo Cults
A fascinating intersection of indigenous belief systems and the impact of colonialism in the Pacific.
Apostolic Christian Church (Nazarene)
A global fellowship grounded in Anabaptist and Holiness traditions, emphasizing sanctification and a devout lifestyle.
General Alliance Against Racism and for Respect of the French and Christian Identity (Saint-Michel Cinema Attack)
A right-wing extremist group responsible for a deadly 1988 attack on a Paris cinema.
Kuzma Alekseyev (Kuzya-the-God)
A historical figure who led the Teryukhan unrest and claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
Tolstoyan Movement
A pacifist Christian anarchist movement inspired by the ideas and writings of Leo Tolstoy.
Hutterites
An Anabaptist community known for their communal living and agrarian lifestyle.
Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists
A unique Baptist group known for its hyper-Calvinistic theology and dual seed doctrine, which teaches that humanity is divided into two spiritual seeds: one of God and one of Satan.
The Satanic Temple
A nontheistic religious organization that uses Satanic imagery to promote secularism and social justice.
Local Churches (Watchman Nee)
An international Evangelical Christian group advocating for the unity of believers in each city through one local church.
United House of Prayer for All People
A unique Christian movement known for its dynamic worship services and distinctive brass bands.
Elan Vital
A spiritual organization focused on inner peace and enlightenment, evolving from the teachings of Prem Rawat.
Divine Light Mission
A controversial movement focused on the teachings of a young Indian guru, attracting a global following in the 1970s.
Church of Cognizance
A religious organization promoting cannabis as a sacrament and integrating neo-Zoroastrian beliefs.
Temple of Set
An esoteric evolution of Satanism advocating self-deification and the exploration of dark magic.
Creativity (Religious Movement)
An atheistic white supremacist religion advocating racial separation and naturalistic pantheism.
Antoinism
A Belgian movement that combines elements of Christianity, spiritualism, and theosophy.
African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem
A spiritual community of African-American in Israel, claiming that they are the true decedents of the ancient Israelites
Esoteric Nazism
A blend of Nazi ideology with occultism, mysticism, and esoteric beliefs.
Celestial Church of Christ
An African Instituted Church with a focus on prophetic-charismatic movements and divine healing.
Bible Student Movement
A Millennialist Restorationist Christian movement emerging from the teachings of Charles Taze Russell, focusing on biblical prophecy and the Second Coming of Christ.
Scum of the Earth Church
A non-traditional Christian church founded by a punk rocker, known for its outreach to society's outcasts.
Omieri
A revered python in Kenya, considered a cultural and religious icon by the Luo people, bringing good fortune and harvests.
Nation of Islam
An African American movement known for its teachings combining traditional Islam with Black nationalist ideas.
Love Has Won
A UFO cult that preserved the leader's lifeless boy in hope of a resurrection
Dahn Yoga
A controversial practice blending physical exercises and spirituality, with allegations of cult-like behavior.
First Church of Satan (John Dewey Allee)
A modern Satanic organization emphasizing individualism, hedonism, and rational self-interest.
Unarius Academy of Science
A UFO religion focused on past lives, interplanetary teachings, and future peace.
Philippine Crucifixions
A controversial annual practice where devotees are voluntarily nailed to crosses to commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ.
Heathenry
A modern spiritual path rooted in the ancient traditions of Germanic peoples, embracing polytheism and nature reverence.
Dove World Outreach Center
A small Florida congregation known for its vehement anti-Islamic and anti-gay positions
Apostolic Gospel Church of Jesus Christ
A church within the Oneness Pentecostalism movement, founded by Donald Abernathy in 1963, known for its faith healing practices and strict dress code.
Red Letter Ministries
A controversial movement known for its "drunken glory" rituals and unconventional approaches to Christian worship.
North Korean Cult of Personality
A pervasive system of idolization centered around the Kim family, deeply ingrained in North Korean society and politics.
Soldiers of Heaven
An enigmatic Iraqi Shi'a messianic sect known for its armed insurrection in Najaf and mysterious connections.
Fuju-fuse
A Nichiren Buddhist sect known for its strict adherence to the principle of "neither receiving nor giving.
The Battle-Axes of Free Love Valley
A controversial 19th-century religious sect in Pennsylvania, known for its radical views on free love, nudity, and communal living.
Tinker Tailor (Christian sect)
A fringe Christian group in Sydney known for sinless perfectionism and controversial practices.
Hanafi Movement (Hamaas Abdul Khaalis)
A Black Muslim group in Washington D.C., known for its involvement in a dramatic siege.
Puritans
A religious reform movement in the 16th and 17th centuries that aimed to "purify" the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices.
Jesus Family (Chinese Sect)
A Chinese Pentecostal communal church that challenged traditional norms and faced severe persecution post-1949.
Spirit Church (China)
A controversial Chinese religious movement led by a self-proclaimed second incarnation of Christ.
Mission of the Holy Spirit (Mission de l’Esprit Saint)
A Quebec-based religious movement with a controversial history, founded in 1913 and claiming the incarnation of the Holy Spirit in its leader.
Christian World Liberation Front
A radical evangelical movement born in the heat of the 1960s counterculture at UC Berkeley.
Friedrichshof Commune
A far-left Austrian commune known for its radical social experiment and authoritarian practices, leading to the leader's conviction for child abuse.
Temple of Rats
A unique Hindu temple where thousands of rats are revered and considered sacred.
Berkeley Psychic Institute
A controversial organization offering training in psychic abilities and spiritual healing.
Church of the Firstborn (Morrisite)
An apocalyptic, Latter Day Saint sect that adheres to the Hebrew law.
Arnold Potter
A self-declared Messiah and leader of a schismatic Latter Day Saint sect, known for his extraordinary claims and tragic demise.
Rainbow Family
A counter-culture collective known for its free-spirited gatherings in remote forests to promote peace, love, and harmony.
Kashi Ashram (Ma Jaya)
An interfaith community known for its controversial leader and allegations of cult-like practices.
Falun Gong
A spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition, combining meditation and exercises with a philosophy of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
Federico Padres Mejia
A ritualistic tragedy in Tijuana that left 12 people dead under mysterious circumstances.
Community of Christ
A progressive Christian denomination that evolved from the Latter Day Saint movement, with a strong focus on peace, justice, and community.
God Kuzya
A notorious cult leader known for extreme abuse and extravagant displays of wealth.
Bentinho Massaro
A controversial New Age leader whose teachings and community practices have sparked allegations of abuse and manipulation.
Lord RayEl
A self-proclaimed messiah leading a virtual congregation through online platforms.
Marcus Wesson
An incestuous patriarch who formed his own cult, intertwining bizarre religious beliefs with extreme abuse and control.
Church of the Hammer
A satirical anti-goth group that fooled the FBI into a two-year investigation.
Atlas Vampire
A chilling unsolved mystery from 1930s Stockholm, involving an unsolved murder linked to vampiric lore.