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Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America
For fans of Fantasyland, The Road to Jonestown, and Howard Zinn, a colorful and enlightening pop history of American doomsday belief that proposes that the United States is the largest cult of all.
Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology—whether among the Mormons and Oneidans of old or LuLaRoe and NXIVM today—has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, Jane Borden argues that we got this way because we always were.
Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it just went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our undying love for capitalism and violence, and our obsessions with advertising, hard work, and self-help, the United States remains a breeding ground for cult-like thinking. With compelling insight, Borden uncovers the American history you didn’t get in school, including how these ideas still brainwash us today and make us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she highlights some of the most infamous cults in this country—including, the Branch Davidians and Love Has Won—as integral parts of our psyche and reflections of their times.
Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology—whether among the Mormons and Oneidans of old or LuLaRoe and NXIVM today—has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, Jane Borden argues that we got this way because we always were.
Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it just went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our undying love for capitalism and violence, and our obsessions with advertising, hard work, and self-help, the United States remains a breeding ground for cult-like thinking. With compelling insight, Borden uncovers the American history you didn’t get in school, including how these ideas still brainwash us today and make us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she highlights some of the most infamous cults in this country—including, the Branch Davidians and Love Has Won—as integral parts of our psyche and reflections of their times.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2025
274 people are currently reading
9823 people want to read
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December 26, 2024
If you've ever found yourself asking how we've gotten where we are in America, "Cults Like Us" author Jane Borden may very well be suggesting that we've really always been here.
Oy.
"Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America" is a ballsy, somewhat controversial, surprisingly engaging, and incredibly well-researched capturing of the doomsday thinking upon which America is founded and where it's gone since the earliest days of the Puritans.
What Borden refers to as cult ideology may surprise some and will certainly anger others, however, Borden backs her assertions up remarkably well (even when I'm in some disagreement with her) and appears to conclude that the United States is the largest cult of all.
Fans of Fantasyland, The Road to Jonestown, and Howard Zinn will appreciate Borden's journey from Plymouth Rock to Mormons, Oneidans, LulaRoe, NXIVM, Scientology, and much, much more.
I still remember the day when I was serving as an interim pastor and a congregant walked up to me dismayed at the flexibility with which I held my theology. "It's your job to tell us what to believe," he said.
I just shook my head and said "Um, no. It's not."
According to Borden, the United States was and is a prime breeding ground for cult-like thinking. The history presented here isn't a history you're ever going to be taught in school and, if you're doing your homework, you won't just take it at face value. Part of the wonder of "Cults Like Us" is it encourages more thought and research than blind obedience and surrender. Borden isn't out to become that which she's writing against here.
I will admit that I struggled, at times, to get into Borden's rhythm. This is especially true in the earliest portions of the book as Borden deep dives into the early history of cult ideology. However, as she entered more contemporary cults, I realized I'd become immersed in her ability to both reveal history and connect the dots. Having been raised in what many consider to be a cult myself (Jehovah's Witnesses), I found that Borden does a stellar job of connecting history, cult ideologies, and even the common ground that connects seemingly disparate cults. My days in a New Thought church make more sense now and Borden even goes after MLM (multi-level marketing) unmercifully.
"Cults Like Us" is exhaustively researched, engagingly written, and even on occasion quite funny. The end result, however, is that we gain a better insight into why doomsday thinking drives America and how we got where we are and why, sadly, it may not even be possible to turn away from it.
While many books on cults often try to serve as not much more than entertainment, Borden's work here is enlightening and cautionary and more than a little frightening. There's no doubt "Cults Like Us" is a book I'll be referring back to again and again.
Oy.
"Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America" is a ballsy, somewhat controversial, surprisingly engaging, and incredibly well-researched capturing of the doomsday thinking upon which America is founded and where it's gone since the earliest days of the Puritans.
What Borden refers to as cult ideology may surprise some and will certainly anger others, however, Borden backs her assertions up remarkably well (even when I'm in some disagreement with her) and appears to conclude that the United States is the largest cult of all.
Fans of Fantasyland, The Road to Jonestown, and Howard Zinn will appreciate Borden's journey from Plymouth Rock to Mormons, Oneidans, LulaRoe, NXIVM, Scientology, and much, much more.
I still remember the day when I was serving as an interim pastor and a congregant walked up to me dismayed at the flexibility with which I held my theology. "It's your job to tell us what to believe," he said.
I just shook my head and said "Um, no. It's not."
According to Borden, the United States was and is a prime breeding ground for cult-like thinking. The history presented here isn't a history you're ever going to be taught in school and, if you're doing your homework, you won't just take it at face value. Part of the wonder of "Cults Like Us" is it encourages more thought and research than blind obedience and surrender. Borden isn't out to become that which she's writing against here.
I will admit that I struggled, at times, to get into Borden's rhythm. This is especially true in the earliest portions of the book as Borden deep dives into the early history of cult ideology. However, as she entered more contemporary cults, I realized I'd become immersed in her ability to both reveal history and connect the dots. Having been raised in what many consider to be a cult myself (Jehovah's Witnesses), I found that Borden does a stellar job of connecting history, cult ideologies, and even the common ground that connects seemingly disparate cults. My days in a New Thought church make more sense now and Borden even goes after MLM (multi-level marketing) unmercifully.
"Cults Like Us" is exhaustively researched, engagingly written, and even on occasion quite funny. The end result, however, is that we gain a better insight into why doomsday thinking drives America and how we got where we are and why, sadly, it may not even be possible to turn away from it.
While many books on cults often try to serve as not much more than entertainment, Borden's work here is enlightening and cautionary and more than a little frightening. There's no doubt "Cults Like Us" is a book I'll be referring back to again and again.
Read
March 25, 2025Firstly, thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for inviting me to read this! Having enjoyed Amanda Montell's "Cultish" previously, I thought this would be an interesting and informative read that I could really like, but after weeks of trying to get through this, I have decided to call it quits 37% of the way through.
This is not the books fault as it is well researched, and well written. Unfortunately, this just ended up not being the type of non-fiction I am interested in. At times, this was hard for me to get through because it felt too much like a history textbook. Though the author does break the info up with some humor and engaging stories, it wasn't enough to keep me motivated through the end. I struggled to find the enthusiasm I needed to pick this book up and keep reading, leading to my ultimate decision to DNF.
Many readers so far have been enjoying this, and I believe many more will come to enjoy it in the future! If you are interested in US history with an emphasis on cults, mild discussion of current politics, and a focus on doomsday groups, I would recommend checking this out.
This is not the books fault as it is well researched, and well written. Unfortunately, this just ended up not being the type of non-fiction I am interested in. At times, this was hard for me to get through because it felt too much like a history textbook. Though the author does break the info up with some humor and engaging stories, it wasn't enough to keep me motivated through the end. I struggled to find the enthusiasm I needed to pick this book up and keep reading, leading to my ultimate decision to DNF.
Many readers so far have been enjoying this, and I believe many more will come to enjoy it in the future! If you are interested in US history with an emphasis on cults, mild discussion of current politics, and a focus on doomsday groups, I would recommend checking this out.
January 14, 2025
4.25⭐️
Wait, am I in a cult?!
I love reading about cults, whether it is specific to an individual's experience, deep dives into a particular cult, or how cults function in general. Cults Like Us takes an even higher approach on how we are so easily manipulated into joining cults. From the first pilgrims to the most recent presidential election, everything has ties to a cult-like mentality.
If you are interested in big-name cults and how this mentality drives America, as well as some history about cults in general, this book is for you.
I rated this book 4.25 because the book sometimes veered away from cults for a little too long for my taste, but Jane Borden always brought it back eventually.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the ARC of this book!
Wait, am I in a cult?!
I love reading about cults, whether it is specific to an individual's experience, deep dives into a particular cult, or how cults function in general. Cults Like Us takes an even higher approach on how we are so easily manipulated into joining cults. From the first pilgrims to the most recent presidential election, everything has ties to a cult-like mentality.
If you are interested in big-name cults and how this mentality drives America, as well as some history about cults in general, this book is for you.
I rated this book 4.25 because the book sometimes veered away from cults for a little too long for my taste, but Jane Borden always brought it back eventually.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the ARC of this book!
January 25, 2025
Cults Like Us is a USA centered take on the things that make a cult a cult. I enjoyed that this book drew on historical details from the Puritans to the present day in order to explore this topic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, I liked this book, found it to be unique from others that I have read, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.
March 26, 2025
Is America the ultimate cult? A fascinating and irreverent deep dive into the doomsday theologies underpinning many of the founding colonies and that continue to pervade American culture in different iterations. From discussions of the Puritans to the Great Awakening(s) to the modern evangelical obsession with Revelation and every weird over-the-top cult in between, I was hooked. The author’s prose is irreverent and made me chuckle many times (I mean - Llama llama childhood trauma? Come on, hilarious).
If you enjoyed Cultish by Amanda Montell and follow pop culture but also read Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter every day, drop everything and pick this up. If you’re troubled by current events and wondering how the hell half our country has seemingly gone off the deep end, this book provides a clear and cogent hypothesis rooted in historical research. Apologies in advance to my friends because I will be talking about this book incessantly for the foreseeable future. 5/5 stars - highly recommend.
Pub Date: 3/25/25
Review Published: 3/25/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoyed Cultish by Amanda Montell and follow pop culture but also read Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter every day, drop everything and pick this up. If you’re troubled by current events and wondering how the hell half our country has seemingly gone off the deep end, this book provides a clear and cogent hypothesis rooted in historical research. Apologies in advance to my friends because I will be talking about this book incessantly for the foreseeable future. 5/5 stars - highly recommend.
Pub Date: 3/25/25
Review Published: 3/25/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2025
In her 2025 book Cults Like Us, culture writer Jane Borden argues that the United States has always had a culty undercurrent, from early Puritan settlers to current day mainstream political movements, and that this is perhaps a natural response to the opposing sociological forces on modern humans of seeking social connectedness/belonging vs. autonomy. Borden takes detours into a handful of Made-in-America multilevel marketing (MLM) schemes and bonafide cults, though the larger narrative is broader than that. There were several times I almost abandoned this book due to Borden's frequent editorializing remarks, which have a strong political flavor, as I felt this veered the book toward being an editorial piece despite the thorough research that went into it.
Borden references writing and researching this book for around five years; she's not the only one interested in this topic, as evidenced by the plethora of Youtube docuseries and other nonfiction works on these very topics (I'm linking several of the latter below that I've already read).
Further reading:
The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness by William von Hippel (2025) | my review - a very similar hypothesis on autonomy vs. connection from a social psychologist
Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read (2025) | my review
Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations―and Take Over Our Lives by J.W. Ocker (2024) | my review
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (2021)
Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler and Kevin Conley (2022)
QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults by Van Badham (2021)
My statistics:
Book 181 for 2025
Book 2107 cumulatively
Borden references writing and researching this book for around five years; she's not the only one interested in this topic, as evidenced by the plethora of Youtube docuseries and other nonfiction works on these very topics (I'm linking several of the latter below that I've already read).
Further reading:
The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness by William von Hippel (2025) | my review - a very similar hypothesis on autonomy vs. connection from a social psychologist
Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read (2025) | my review
Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations―and Take Over Our Lives by J.W. Ocker (2024) | my review
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (2021)
Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler and Kevin Conley (2022)
QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults by Van Badham (2021)
My statistics:
Book 181 for 2025
Book 2107 cumulatively
April 2, 2025
A well-researched, engaging look at how the defining characteristics of cults (or, as some academics prefer, 'destructive groups') - a worshipped leader, thought reform and exploitation, an apocalyptic, good vs. evil mentality - were present in American life since the Pilgrims, and are baked in to the American monomyth. Borden looks at various groups, both modern and historical (Scientology and MAGA are mentioned, of course, but she spends more ink on the less familiar ones), and does a fine job exploring and explaining what the members get out of these groups, the dangers they pose, and why the whole thing is so tied to American identity. She's a smart, friendly writer, but I wish she'd tone down all the tired jokes and asides (and my Lord there's a lot of them, of the SNL catchphrase/ game show riff/#PunchLine variety. They're usually in italics with exclamation points, in case we miss the comedy) - all these dated, straining gags kind of got in the way of an awfully interesting, readable book.
I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
June 30, 2025
“What if we looked at that sky of stars, and instead of experiencing the terror of utter insignificance, felt wonder and gratitude for utter insignificance? What a relief not to be chosen, which honestly sounds like a lot of work. What cheer that luck exists, meaning everything isn’t up to us, an impossible burden. What reprieve to no longer fear death, an inevitability no bunker or spaceship could escape….
We could be our own superheroes.”
-Jane Borden
We could be our own superheroes.”
-Jane Borden
June 13, 2025
Recently, my book club read Cultish by Amanda Montell. It was my pick and I happily dove back in, having read it and enjoyed it previously. During our discussion, it was voiced over and over again that the United States in itself had a lot of the same characteristics of cult-adjacent organizations. Our group is made up of a diverse set of people with very different ages, backgrounds, upbringings, religious beliefs, and relationships with the US; which made the conversations even more interesting as we dove into that idea. I really wanted to see if there was a book on that very topic, and in a very unrelated conversation, another friend of mine brought up Cults Like Us.
Built on the premise that Puritan ideologies basically led to the US being very cultish and cult-heavy, the author takes us on a historical journey from the Pilgrims to today as seen through a cultish lens. The book was definitely heavily researched and was eye opening in a lot of ways, even if you’ve already read (or watched documentaries) about cults and cultish belief systems.
I enjoyed that there was a bit of wit and snark thrown in throughout the book to keep it from being too dryly academic, and I liked that the author walked us through specific cults and their beliefs before showing us how those same traits and ideologies can be found in the US’s systemic thought processes. If you enjoy history, cults, or want to know how the heck the US got to where it is right now… this might be a book you’ll find interesting!
Built on the premise that Puritan ideologies basically led to the US being very cultish and cult-heavy, the author takes us on a historical journey from the Pilgrims to today as seen through a cultish lens. The book was definitely heavily researched and was eye opening in a lot of ways, even if you’ve already read (or watched documentaries) about cults and cultish belief systems.
I enjoyed that there was a bit of wit and snark thrown in throughout the book to keep it from being too dryly academic, and I liked that the author walked us through specific cults and their beliefs before showing us how those same traits and ideologies can be found in the US’s systemic thought processes. If you enjoy history, cults, or want to know how the heck the US got to where it is right now… this might be a book you’ll find interesting!
February 26, 2025
Thank you Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! :)
Cult Like Us by Jane Borden was honestly a fun time. I'm always down to learn a little bit about cults, and I thought this book had a really insightful take that added something to the ongoing "conversation." If you liked Cultish by Amanda Montell, you'll probably like this one as well- it has a similar witty, conversational writing style and the general topic of cults in modern America is similar between the two. I will say that I thought Cults Like Us was much more insightful because it had more substantial socio-political commentary on how we got here. This one made me think a lot about the thought patterns & belief systems that are very "normal" to us (e.g. our strong need for control in an unpredictable world) and the ways in which they can become destructive. If you're looking for a funny, fast, insightful nonfiction read with a lighthearted yet earnest perspective, I think Cults Like Us is a great choice.
Cult Like Us by Jane Borden was honestly a fun time. I'm always down to learn a little bit about cults, and I thought this book had a really insightful take that added something to the ongoing "conversation." If you liked Cultish by Amanda Montell, you'll probably like this one as well- it has a similar witty, conversational writing style and the general topic of cults in modern America is similar between the two. I will say that I thought Cults Like Us was much more insightful because it had more substantial socio-political commentary on how we got here. This one made me think a lot about the thought patterns & belief systems that are very "normal" to us (e.g. our strong need for control in an unpredictable world) and the ways in which they can become destructive. If you're looking for a funny, fast, insightful nonfiction read with a lighthearted yet earnest perspective, I think Cults Like Us is a great choice.
April 2, 2025
This book is utterly captivating. A true labor of love from Borden, who expertly weaves history and sociology into a hilarious insight of the human experience.
Look, I love reading about cults. I have no idea why. Maybe because I love the idea that I could spot a cult a mile away and could neverrrrr be caught in one. But I was snared by an MLM for a hot minute ten years ago. And sometimes the leaders have some interesting ideas worth exploring. And sometimes it doesn't sound like a cult at all - it's the bedrock of our foundation as a nation.
I loved that the hypothesis for this was "The Pilgrims are the reason we have cults in America." By the end of this book, Borden proved her case 100 times over. The reason so many things about cults make sense - the reason they're so appealing by nature - is because it IS our nature. Mind absolutely blown.
Also Borden is hilarious and I want to get coffee with her and pick her brain about cults.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jane Borden, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Look, I love reading about cults. I have no idea why. Maybe because I love the idea that I could spot a cult a mile away and could neverrrrr be caught in one. But I was snared by an MLM for a hot minute ten years ago. And sometimes the leaders have some interesting ideas worth exploring. And sometimes it doesn't sound like a cult at all - it's the bedrock of our foundation as a nation.
I loved that the hypothesis for this was "The Pilgrims are the reason we have cults in America." By the end of this book, Borden proved her case 100 times over. The reason so many things about cults make sense - the reason they're so appealing by nature - is because it IS our nature. Mind absolutely blown.
Also Borden is hilarious and I want to get coffee with her and pick her brain about cults.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jane Borden, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2025
This book has given me such a better understanding of how people end up stuck in cults, but also! of how people can end up believing politicians' obvious lies, and how quickly people can be radicalized online, and much more. Really interesting, and all the concepts are explained so that reading this book doesn't require any prior knowledge of psychology or sociology or anything.
I personally didn't really like the more humoristic tone the author took (I prefer when non-fiction books are serious), but that is just a personal preference, I can see why others would find it more approachable!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book comes out on April 8th, 2025.
I personally didn't really like the more humoristic tone the author took (I prefer when non-fiction books are serious), but that is just a personal preference, I can see why others would find it more approachable!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book comes out on April 8th, 2025.
May 6, 2025
I really wanted to love this book. Really and truly I did. I love a good cult. Although I did learn a few new tidbits about some cults and learned about some that I didn't even know about, this came across as biased and pushy. This took me forever to get through and I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to DNF it. While it definitely had its moments, I wouldn't recommend it. The writing style was easy to read but other than that, it was just not my cup of tea.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 20, 2025
I'm not denying this was very interesting but it did get off the topic of cults quite often and just kinda get political. And to my prior point, that is interesting, and def didn't put some connections together until reading this book, but I def wanted more cult information, less why our political system is awful. I already know that and it's depressing enough.
April 15, 2025
Watch me reread this soon so I can highlight the shit out of this amazing book.
August 1, 2025
A book everyone should read, but I'm afraid the people who need to read it the most....won't.
January 19, 2026
There is a LOT of information to unpack in this book. It’s informative and timely, both entertaining and alarming. I highly recommend it, especially if you were - like me - raised under the “Puritans were the good guys” ideology.
September 1, 2025
An American history of cult ideology: legitimate cults, fringe groups, and general things that make you go “hmmmm.” An oddly fun, and truly riveting read. If you know me well, you’re familiar with my fascination with human behavior. Definitely recommend!
May 19, 2025
The writing in this is all over the place. Ideas seem to come and go so the author can repurpose their snarky tweets. The author isn’t funny in the way anyone that has done improv comedy isn’t funny. Usually enjoy books by guests on The Dana Gould Hour but this is trash.
June 23, 2025
Very fascinating and, at times, terrifying read. Kind of lost me in the last third.
August 1, 2025
Extremely insightful, and written by a comedian. Highly recommended
Read
May 17, 2025I read this after hearing an interview with Borden on a podcast.
It traces apocalyptic thinking in American cults and society and how some base level assumptions have driven American susceptibility to cults, conspiraacists, and con men. It's a compelling lens to look through. do I buy every jot and tittle of her arguments? No, especially her argument about evil at the end of the book. But it it is a hueristic that provides some good insight.
And it made me want to study con men and cults in more depth than I previously have. It feels like the country is being run by conmen and conspiracists, so it would be a good idea to study that mode of control.
It traces apocalyptic thinking in American cults and society and how some base level assumptions have driven American susceptibility to cults, conspiraacists, and con men. It's a compelling lens to look through. do I buy every jot and tittle of her arguments? No, especially her argument about evil at the end of the book. But it it is a hueristic that provides some good insight.
And it made me want to study con men and cults in more depth than I previously have. It feels like the country is being run by conmen and conspiracists, so it would be a good idea to study that mode of control.
Read
November 19, 2025This is one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:
Is America a cult? Borden explores this question by diving into the morals and beliefs that shaped Puritanical colonization. The book surveys a cult's characteristics, tracing how groups, laws, and policies throughout American history have led to conspiratorial thinking among its people. This includes why Americans are so susceptible to pyramid schemes; why most American cults have been white and politically right-leaning; and when such thinking has surged in this country's timeline. Engaging and enraging, this is the history and contemporary exploration of America we need right now.
- Kelly Jensen
Is America a cult? Borden explores this question by diving into the morals and beliefs that shaped Puritanical colonization. The book surveys a cult's characteristics, tracing how groups, laws, and policies throughout American history have led to conspiratorial thinking among its people. This includes why Americans are so susceptible to pyramid schemes; why most American cults have been white and politically right-leaning; and when such thinking has surged in this country's timeline. Engaging and enraging, this is the history and contemporary exploration of America we need right now.
- Kelly Jensen
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Jane Borden’s Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America is a bracing and richly researched exploration of the ways in which cult-like thinking has seeped not only into the fringes of American life but, Borden argues, into the very fabric of the nation’s identity. At once historical, psychological, and cultural, the book pushes readers to reconsider popular assumptions about what a “cult” truly is — and why they proliferate in the United States more than almost anywhere else in the world.
Borden does not limit her lens to entertainment-style curiosity about fringe movements. Instead, she places cults within a much broader cultural and intellectual context, drawing a line from the earliest moments of American history — like the Puritan settlers with their millenarian anxieties — up through the present day’s misinformation superstructures. In doing so, she makes the case that cults aren’t just bizarre outliers; they are, in many respects, a reflection of enduring strains in American thought and society.
Defining Cults in a Global Context
At its core, Cults Like Us is about cults as a universal human phenomenon, but one that takes on particularly vivid and distinctive forms in the United States. Cults and high-control religious movements have existed across cultures and across centuries — from ancient mystery religions and shamanic orders to New Age communes and extremist sects in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. The concept of cults predates modern America by millennia.
Borden, however, zeroes in on the American specificity of so many such movements — not because cults are unique to the U.S. but because American cultural conditions have been particularly fertile soil for them. This argument resonates with scholars who note that while cult phenomena emerge worldwide, the combination of religious freedom, strong individualism, and consumerist culture in the U.S. creates conditions conducive to charismatic leaders gaining followings and blending spiritual ideas with personal authority.
This sets up Cults Like Us not merely as a catalogue of oddball groups, but as a lens for viewing American history and psychology — a theme Borden returns to again and again.
The American Cult Tradition: From Puritans to Modern Extremes
A major strength of Borden’s book is the historical sweep with which she examines cult-like impulses. Rather than begin with Jonestown or Manson — the stereotypical cult case studies — she reaches back much further. Borden suggests that the doomsday thinking of the early Puritans, with their belief in being a chosen people and a society on the brink of apocalypse, did not vanish but rather evolved into currents of American thought that still circulate today.
From there, she moves through a variety of movements that illustrate varying degrees of cult-like structure:
Mankind United and Arthur Bell — An almost forgotten figure from the 1930s who convinced thousands that only his organization could save the world from cabals of hidden rulers.
Christian Scientists and Jehovah’s Witnesses — Examples of groups that once appeared exotic or fringe but became institutionalized and protected by American religious freedoms, blurring the line between “cult” and “religion” under the First Amendment.
NXIVM and other self-improvement conglomerates — Organizations that overlay commercial or self-help branding atop structures that nonetheless display hallmarks of cult psychology.
Modern conspiracy ecosystems (including QAnon) — Not strictly religions, but movements that share cult-like features such as charismatic figures, apocalyptic narratives, and rigid in-group norms.
Borden’s treatment underscores an important point: cults aren’t just isolated religious oddities — they are symptomatic expressions of broader cultural logics, and those logics are especially potent in American society.
What Makes America Different?
Central to Borden’s thesis is an argument about the uniqueness of American cultural psychology, which she ties to what scholars call “WEIRD” societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). According to Borden, Americans’ psychological profile — marked by rugged individualism, skepticism of authority, and a deep well of cultural narratives about manifest destiny and exceptionalism — predisposes them to both embrace and create high-control communities.
In other words, the same cultural forces that fuel innovation and personal freedom can also fuel conspiratorial thinking, charismatic spiritual authority, and doomsday paranoia.
This line of analysis is one of the book’s most compelling contributions. It helps explain why there may be tens of thousands of cult-like groups in the United States today, far out of proportion to the rest of the world — and why many of these movements persist with remarkable resilience, even in the face of ridicule or tragedy.
Profiles and Case Studies: A Breakdown of Notable Movements
Cult Like Us judiciously balances broad thematic insight with specific examples, showing how cult dynamics play out in real life.
Historic and Notorious Examples
Branch Davidians (Waco) — An infamous American religious sect whose tragic end highlighted how cultic belief and firearms extremism can have explosive results.
Manson Family — A movement grounded in violent charisma and apocalyptic fantasy.
These groups often occupy a well-worn niche in popular imagination, but Borden’s strength lies in contextualizing them within larger themes of fear, belonging, and charismatic authority rather than treating them as isolated aberrations.
Modern Phenomena
Multilevel marketing and corporate cultism — Borden draws provocative parallels between cult dynamics and structures like pyramid schemes, where loyalty, recruitment, and charismatic leaders mirror classic cult models.
Political and digital tribes — She traces how some conspiracy networks and online ideologies approximate cult structures without necessarily being religious.
This broadening of the definition helps readers see how cult-like thinking can show up in surprising places.
Amy Carlson and the Cult of “Mother God” — A Personal Lens
While Cults Like Us doesn’t focus on every cult that has arisen in America, the story of Amy Carlson and the cult known as “Love Has Won” — and her self-styled identity as “Mother God” — exemplifies many of the dynamics Borden discusses, and it clearly resonates personally for you.
Carlson was an American leader of the New Age-inflected movement Love Has Won, which blended spiritual claims, conspiracy elements, and futuristic mythology. She proclaimed herself Mother God, a divine being with a 19-billion-year cosmic history, and attracted followers through online media and a mix of spiritual and apocalyptic rhetoric.
Her group’s beliefs included ideas about ascension, extraterrestrial contact, and personal salvation through attachment to her teachings — themes that echo the charismatic, “special knowledge” aspect of many cult structures Borden analyzes. Carlson’s death — and the bizarre circumstances surrounding how her body was handled by some followers — was the subject of documentaries like Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God and garnered widespread media attention precisely because it underscores how cult-like dynamics can spiral into tragic and perplexing outcomes.
My personal connection — having visited Ashland, Oregon, seen the hotel room where she died, and knowing the place where her final days unfolded — adds a poignant, almost haunting dimension to reading Borden’s work. While Cults Like Us primarily uses different case studies, the psychological and cultural phenomena Borden describes apply directly to groups like Love Has Won: the search for transcendence, the role of charismatic leadership, and the vulnerability of people seeking connection in a fragmented world.
Conclusion — A Timely, Provocative Exploration
Cult Like Us is more than a catalogue of cults. It is a book about the very mechanisms of belief, the human yearning for meaning, and the ways societies can inadvertently nurture movements that exploit these impulses.
Borden’s writing is engaging, sharp, and often witty — making complex cultural theory accessible without diluting its seriousness. Whether you come to this book as a scholar of religion, a curious reader, or someone with personal resonance in the subject, you’ll find insights that stick with you.
The United States may not be the only place in the world where cults form, but through deep historical roots, unique cultural conditions, and the constant churn of media and misinformation, it has become an especially vibrant ecosystem for them. Cults Like Us does more than explain why — it helps us see ourselves in the story, warts and all.
Borden does not limit her lens to entertainment-style curiosity about fringe movements. Instead, she places cults within a much broader cultural and intellectual context, drawing a line from the earliest moments of American history — like the Puritan settlers with their millenarian anxieties — up through the present day’s misinformation superstructures. In doing so, she makes the case that cults aren’t just bizarre outliers; they are, in many respects, a reflection of enduring strains in American thought and society.
Defining Cults in a Global Context
At its core, Cults Like Us is about cults as a universal human phenomenon, but one that takes on particularly vivid and distinctive forms in the United States. Cults and high-control religious movements have existed across cultures and across centuries — from ancient mystery religions and shamanic orders to New Age communes and extremist sects in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. The concept of cults predates modern America by millennia.
Borden, however, zeroes in on the American specificity of so many such movements — not because cults are unique to the U.S. but because American cultural conditions have been particularly fertile soil for them. This argument resonates with scholars who note that while cult phenomena emerge worldwide, the combination of religious freedom, strong individualism, and consumerist culture in the U.S. creates conditions conducive to charismatic leaders gaining followings and blending spiritual ideas with personal authority.
This sets up Cults Like Us not merely as a catalogue of oddball groups, but as a lens for viewing American history and psychology — a theme Borden returns to again and again.
The American Cult Tradition: From Puritans to Modern Extremes
A major strength of Borden’s book is the historical sweep with which she examines cult-like impulses. Rather than begin with Jonestown or Manson — the stereotypical cult case studies — she reaches back much further. Borden suggests that the doomsday thinking of the early Puritans, with their belief in being a chosen people and a society on the brink of apocalypse, did not vanish but rather evolved into currents of American thought that still circulate today.
From there, she moves through a variety of movements that illustrate varying degrees of cult-like structure:
Mankind United and Arthur Bell — An almost forgotten figure from the 1930s who convinced thousands that only his organization could save the world from cabals of hidden rulers.
Christian Scientists and Jehovah’s Witnesses — Examples of groups that once appeared exotic or fringe but became institutionalized and protected by American religious freedoms, blurring the line between “cult” and “religion” under the First Amendment.
NXIVM and other self-improvement conglomerates — Organizations that overlay commercial or self-help branding atop structures that nonetheless display hallmarks of cult psychology.
Modern conspiracy ecosystems (including QAnon) — Not strictly religions, but movements that share cult-like features such as charismatic figures, apocalyptic narratives, and rigid in-group norms.
Borden’s treatment underscores an important point: cults aren’t just isolated religious oddities — they are symptomatic expressions of broader cultural logics, and those logics are especially potent in American society.
What Makes America Different?
Central to Borden’s thesis is an argument about the uniqueness of American cultural psychology, which she ties to what scholars call “WEIRD” societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). According to Borden, Americans’ psychological profile — marked by rugged individualism, skepticism of authority, and a deep well of cultural narratives about manifest destiny and exceptionalism — predisposes them to both embrace and create high-control communities.
In other words, the same cultural forces that fuel innovation and personal freedom can also fuel conspiratorial thinking, charismatic spiritual authority, and doomsday paranoia.
This line of analysis is one of the book’s most compelling contributions. It helps explain why there may be tens of thousands of cult-like groups in the United States today, far out of proportion to the rest of the world — and why many of these movements persist with remarkable resilience, even in the face of ridicule or tragedy.
Profiles and Case Studies: A Breakdown of Notable Movements
Cult Like Us judiciously balances broad thematic insight with specific examples, showing how cult dynamics play out in real life.
Historic and Notorious Examples
Branch Davidians (Waco) — An infamous American religious sect whose tragic end highlighted how cultic belief and firearms extremism can have explosive results.
Manson Family — A movement grounded in violent charisma and apocalyptic fantasy.
These groups often occupy a well-worn niche in popular imagination, but Borden’s strength lies in contextualizing them within larger themes of fear, belonging, and charismatic authority rather than treating them as isolated aberrations.
Modern Phenomena
Multilevel marketing and corporate cultism — Borden draws provocative parallels between cult dynamics and structures like pyramid schemes, where loyalty, recruitment, and charismatic leaders mirror classic cult models.
Political and digital tribes — She traces how some conspiracy networks and online ideologies approximate cult structures without necessarily being religious.
This broadening of the definition helps readers see how cult-like thinking can show up in surprising places.
Amy Carlson and the Cult of “Mother God” — A Personal Lens
While Cults Like Us doesn’t focus on every cult that has arisen in America, the story of Amy Carlson and the cult known as “Love Has Won” — and her self-styled identity as “Mother God” — exemplifies many of the dynamics Borden discusses, and it clearly resonates personally for you.
Carlson was an American leader of the New Age-inflected movement Love Has Won, which blended spiritual claims, conspiracy elements, and futuristic mythology. She proclaimed herself Mother God, a divine being with a 19-billion-year cosmic history, and attracted followers through online media and a mix of spiritual and apocalyptic rhetoric.
Her group’s beliefs included ideas about ascension, extraterrestrial contact, and personal salvation through attachment to her teachings — themes that echo the charismatic, “special knowledge” aspect of many cult structures Borden analyzes. Carlson’s death — and the bizarre circumstances surrounding how her body was handled by some followers — was the subject of documentaries like Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God and garnered widespread media attention precisely because it underscores how cult-like dynamics can spiral into tragic and perplexing outcomes.
My personal connection — having visited Ashland, Oregon, seen the hotel room where she died, and knowing the place where her final days unfolded — adds a poignant, almost haunting dimension to reading Borden’s work. While Cults Like Us primarily uses different case studies, the psychological and cultural phenomena Borden describes apply directly to groups like Love Has Won: the search for transcendence, the role of charismatic leadership, and the vulnerability of people seeking connection in a fragmented world.
Conclusion — A Timely, Provocative Exploration
Cult Like Us is more than a catalogue of cults. It is a book about the very mechanisms of belief, the human yearning for meaning, and the ways societies can inadvertently nurture movements that exploit these impulses.
Borden’s writing is engaging, sharp, and often witty — making complex cultural theory accessible without diluting its seriousness. Whether you come to this book as a scholar of religion, a curious reader, or someone with personal resonance in the subject, you’ll find insights that stick with you.
The United States may not be the only place in the world where cults form, but through deep historical roots, unique cultural conditions, and the constant churn of media and misinformation, it has become an especially vibrant ecosystem for them. Cults Like Us does more than explain why — it helps us see ourselves in the story, warts and all.
April 5, 2025
I thought this book was very enlightening. Cult culture in America has always fascinated me, and Borden delivered the perfect book. Her years of research shows in these chapters. She starts with Puritan doomsday thinking and concludes with the influencer mindset today in social media. Cult behavior is all around us in America. I enjoyed the glimpses at several prominent cults in America throughout the years, and how they gained popularity keeping a strong following.
Whenever I pick up a non-fiction book, I am looking to educate myself more on a topic I am somewhat familiar with, but I find myself wanting more information. Borden deep dives into the mindset of these cult leaders and their followers explaining why people start to look up to these persuasive leaders. She also brings up how cult thinking is prevalent in our everyday lives now from politics to capitalism.
I felt very satisfied upon finishing the book, reflecting on my own behavior. My emotional and physical state are compromised when I fall victim to the next "quick fix" online or isolating myself further from social interactions.
If you are looking to learn more about cult history in America and how it is still present today, I would recommend you pick this book up! I has great talking points, especially in a book club setting.
Thank you to Atria Books for a finished copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Whenever I pick up a non-fiction book, I am looking to educate myself more on a topic I am somewhat familiar with, but I find myself wanting more information. Borden deep dives into the mindset of these cult leaders and their followers explaining why people start to look up to these persuasive leaders. She also brings up how cult thinking is prevalent in our everyday lives now from politics to capitalism.
I felt very satisfied upon finishing the book, reflecting on my own behavior. My emotional and physical state are compromised when I fall victim to the next "quick fix" online or isolating myself further from social interactions.
If you are looking to learn more about cult history in America and how it is still present today, I would recommend you pick this book up! I has great talking points, especially in a book club setting.
Thank you to Atria Books for a finished copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 13, 2025
idk about this one. There's some interesting ideas in here but there's also a bunch of claims and analysis that just felt really dubious to me. The explanation of the protestant reformation felt shallow and distorted, the pop culture "american monomyth" supporting strong man authoritarianism cited tons of examples that very clearly don't actually fit, there's weird stuff about evolutionary psychology and the social history of laws and contracts and urbanism that just seems kind of off to me? Makes me wonder how many other strange distortions I didn't catch because I'm not knowledgeable enough. I was gonna give this three stars but then the conclusion gave some really bizarre policy suggestions like testing public officials for "malignant narcissism"? bad vibe, lost a star for that. The whole thing is also shot through with this tone of unfunny snark that I might have been more forgiving of if the core arguments of the book were more solid, but in this book they just came off as weirdly snide and off-putting
March 30, 2025
Thanks to the publisher, via Edelweiss, for an advance e-galley for honest review.
This is a well researched and informed look at the background of cults and their current and historical impact in the US. It is decently balanced between some more academic information and accessible humor and snark.
This is a well researched and informed look at the background of cults and their current and historical impact in the US. It is decently balanced between some more academic information and accessible humor and snark.
April 30, 2025
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.
Overall, I think this book had a fascinating premise and made some interesting connections between the current political space, religion and cults. This book is definitely not for those who are already overwhelmed by politics.
Overall, I think this book had a fascinating premise and made some interesting connections between the current political space, religion and cults. This book is definitely not for those who are already overwhelmed by politics.
February 25, 2025
The book got me when it referred the Puritans as a death-cult. Most of the material was familiar to me but the book went into great depth with the various scams and cults. I learned a lot of behind the scene and felt the book was well researched.
May 6, 2025
Uneven book yet has interesting ideas.
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