Doomsday cult

== Etymology ==
The term "doomsday cult" was first used in the title of a 1966 scholarly study of a group of [[Unification Church]] members by [[John Lofland (sociologist)|John Lofland]], entitled: ''[[Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith]]''.<ref name="jenkins" /><ref name="lofland">{{cite book | last =Lofland | first =John |   title =Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith | publisher =[[Prentice-Hall]] | year =1966  | isbn = 978-0829000955}}</ref> Lofland published his findings in 1964 as a doctoral thesis entitled: "The World Savers: A Field Study of Cult Processes," and in 1966 in book form by [[Prentice-Hall]].<ref>[http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/conversion.htm Conversion], [http://hirr.hartsem.edu/ency/Unification.htm Unification Church], ''Encyclopedia of Religion and Society'', Hartford Institute for Religion Research, [[Hartford Seminary]]</ref> It is considered to be one of the most important and widely-cited studies of the process of [[religious conversion]], and one of the first modern sociological studies of a [[new religious movement]].<ref>''Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America: African diaspora traditions and other American innovations'', Volume 5 of Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, W. Michael Ashcraft, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 {{ISBN|978-0275987176}}, p. 180</ref><ref>''Exploring New Religions'',
Issues in contemporary religion, George D. Chryssides, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2001 {{ISBN|978-0826459596}}  p. 1</ref> [[James Richardson (sociologist)|James Richardson]] writes in the ''Encyclopedia of Religion and Society'' that after the publication of Lofland's work, "The term ''doomsday cult'' has become a part of everyday parlance, used by the media to refer to apocalyptic religious groups."<ref>{{cite book | last =Swatos | first =William H. |  author2 =[[James Richardson (sociologist)|James Richardson]] |chapter=Doomsday Cult | title =Encyclopedia of Religion and Society  | publisher =Rowman Altamira | year =1998 | isbn = 0761989560 |  page =142}}</ref><ref>[http://kingsvillerecord.our-hometown.com/news/2009-12-16/Editorial/Exploring_the_climate_of_doom.html Exploring the climate of doom] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423123818/http://kingsvillerecord.our-hometown.com/news/2009-12-16/Editorial/Exploring_the_climate_of_doom.html |date=April 23, 2012 }}, Rich Lowry, 2009-12-19 'The phrase “doomsday cult” entered our collective vocabulary after John Lofland published his 1966 study, “Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith.” Lofland wrote about the Unification Church.'</ref>