An Argumentative History of the Term "New Religious Movement"

This paper seeks to identify the origins of the term “new religious movement.” It addresses various previously proposed theories of its origins, like the works of H. Neill McFarland, Harold W. Turner, and Jacob Needleman. It concludes that H. Neill McFarland’s early use of the term in 1967 as a portmanteau of terms “new religion” and “religious movement” is the definitive earliest use of the modern term “new religious movement.” This paper also shows the pitfalls of other theories of the term’s origins. Additionally, it comments on the reinvention of the term as a “neutral” term (compared to “cult”) in order to fight for religious freedom and free expression of religion for religious minorities. More recent uses of the term, like in describing the present religious landscape of Iran and the religious aspects of the QAnon conspiracy, are explored as well.