A two-tier protestant evaluative framework for cults applied to KwaSizabantu Mission

The vague use of the term ‘cult’ in popular media to describe religious groups has in the past unjustly exposed various committed Christian communities to libel and dehumanisation. However, celebrity-based cults masquerading as Christians are damaging the trust in Christ. The objective of this resea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	In die skriflig : tydskrif van die Gereformeerde Teologiese Vereniging 2021, Vol.55 (1), p.1-9
Main Authors:	Fleischmann, Elfrieda, Ferreira, Ignatius W., Muller, Francois
Format:	Article
Language:	eng ; por ; afr
Subjects:	2tpef Case studies Christianity Christians church cult evaluation Families & family life kwasizabantu mission protestant Protestant churches Protestant Reformation Protestantism Religion Religious aspects Religious cults Religious movements Religious orthodoxy Secularism two-tier protestant evaluational framework
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Summary:	The vague use of the term ‘cult’ in popular media to describe religious groups has in the past unjustly exposed various committed Christian communities to libel and dehumanisation. However, celebrity-based cults masquerading as Christians are damaging the trust in Christ. The objective of this research study was to provide a viable two-tier Protestant evaluative framework (2TPEF) in order to identify cultic characteristics in a religious group. The proposed framework was applied to South Africa’s KwaSizabantu Mission as a case study. A theoretical framework was synthesised from a variety of sources. For the case study, information was collected from multiple sources, including interviews, documents, sermons, newsletters, observations and research reports. Applying the 2TPEF in the case study demonstrates how it operates as a workable tool. In this case, it explains why the KwaSizabantu Mission cannot be viewed as a cult. In addition, the 2TPEF may serve for comparative purposes or be used by religious groups themselves to demonstrate their position relative to Protestant Christianity.Contribution: This study not only focuses on Reformed Theology exclusively but provides insights in critically applying the 2TPEF within Protestant religious circles using a current case study within an African context.
ISSN:	1018-6441 2305-0853 2305-0853