Sect and Cult in Western Canada

Abstract

One of the clues to the success of the sect in frontier areas is that it tended to become a close-knit community. (Certain sects are, of course, absolute communities.) The social advantage of such a feature is obvious in a loosely-integrated frontier society: it met the pressing human need for fellowship and solidarity “in depth”. Thus a typical Christadel-phian interviewed by a field-worker confessed that the fellowship and brotherly love in his group were as necessary to him as bread and butter. While it is true that agreement on fundamental doctrines and attitudes contributed to such close fellowship, the weekday activities of the sect were at least of equal importance. In point of fact, certain social procedures common to most fundamentalist sects facilitated the development of a close-knit community. These practices were largely embodied in an accepted programme or routine calendar of events.