Wearing Their Faith
New Religious Movements, Dress, and Fashion in America

This Element shows how clothing shapes new religious movements from charismatic leaders to faithful followers and influences fashion trends.

Lynn S. Neal (Author)

9781009304658, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2025

92 pages
23 x 15.1 x 0.6 cm, 0.156 kg

New Religious Movements (NRMs) have a long, interconnected history with distinct forms of dress and clothing. However, research on NRMs has not focused sufficiently on the clothing and material culture of these groups. In response, this Element examines the central role that dress plays in the creation of charismatic leaders and the formation of faithful followers. Through a variety of case studies – ranging from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to Father Divine, from the Children of God to the Nation of Islam – we see how dress and fashion practices provide people with a powerful way to live and wear their faith. In addition, the fashion industry takes note and incorporates ideas about cults and clothing into their trends and styles. In doing so, it fuels the cult stereotype and fosters normative understandings of what constitutes good religion.

Introduction
1. Clothing and the creation of the cult leader
2. Dress and the devotion of NRM followers
3. Fashion and the maintenance of the cult stereotype
4. Concluding thoughts
References.

Subject Areas: History of religion [HRAX]