Penn's Sunday School Jane Borden - Cults Like Us
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May 7, 2025 Jane Borden, author of 'Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America', joins to delve into the fascinating dynamics of cults and their political implications. She discusses the historical roots of apocalyptic beliefs and their resurgence in contemporary society. The allure of cult leaders during socio-economic turmoil is examined, alongside the manipulative nature of multi-level marketing. Borden emphasizes the power of storytelling and lifelong learning as tools against ignorance, all while humorously exploring the crossover between showbiz and cult leadership.
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Puritans as America's Original Cult
- The Puritans can be seen as the original American cult, embedding doomsday thinking into culture.
- This radical ideology evolved secularly and still influences American politics and society today.
Roots of American Anti-Intellectualism
- American anti-intellectualism stems from Puritan values of simplicity and distrust of sophistication.
- This has been intertwined with an anti-elite, anti-European sentiment since colonial times.
American Monomyth and Violence
- The American monomyth depicts a lone violent outsider saving a failing community.
- This narrative, rooted in Puritan apocalypticism, saturates American media and political imagery.
