Cults and Online Extremism. By Inform.

Reviews Copyright © 2024 Association for the Academic Study of New Religions, Inc. 139 examinations of specific groups, as in "Religious Minorities in Ethiopia" (Terje Østebø). In addition, a helpful "Introduction" by the editors serves to define terminology and set the stage by problematizing the identification of minorities. It notes the "relational, contextual, and situational" nature of the concept "minority, " pointing out its fluid and dynamic nature. It also explains why the study of religious minorities matters, both in terms of social and political policy-­ making but also in terms of understanding religious formation and innovation. Fifty articles are projected to be published over a four-­ year period, with a minimum of twelve articles coming out each year. The next update was planned for January 2024, with another due in July 2024. Two printed volumes of the collected articles are scheduled at the conclusion of the project. And though the editors do not have a plan for open submissions, they appear willing to entertain proposals if they fit with the aims and scope of the series. Submission guidelines appear on the homepage. Cults and Online Extremism. By Inform. The Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET), 2023. 28 pages. Open Access at https: //​ gnet​-research​. org​/wp​-content​/uploads​/2023​/07​/GNET​-39​-Cults​ -Online​-Violent​-Extremism​web​. pdf. The co-­ authors of Cults and Online Extremism—all staff members of the Information Network Focus on Religious Movements—state at the outset that "this report embraces the popular usage of 'cult' in online spaces to provide a more refined understanding of new online religious phenomena that are of social concern and have some association with violent extremism" (5). Toward that end they present a typology of three groups that may "glorify and inspire violent extremisms" (5). These are "Cultic" Religious Groups (quotation marks in original), Online Cultic Milieus, and Cultic Fandoms—categories intended as "heuristic tools or terms that allow greater nuance in analysis and discussion " (7). Each class is discussed with a corresponding example. The discussion of "Cultic" Religious Groups examines the Order of the Nine Angles. The explanation of Online Cultic Milieus looks at QAnon and anti-­ vaccination conspiracy movements, noting that "there is no single, organised movement with clear boundaries" (16) when considering this category. Finally, the description of Cultic Fandoms focuses on the deification of perpetrators of violence, such as Theodore Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber. The report concludes with a list of questions to consider regarding an individual's online activity and the potential for radicalization, for example: "Are individuals primarily interested in adopting 'edgy' symbolism"? (23). A policy section authored by Nicola Mathieson, Director of GNET, wraps up the discussion with advice for "action" to technology companies and policymakers. NR-27-4Text. indd 139 NR-27-4Text. indd 139 5/9/24 3: 33 PM 5/9/24 3: 33 PM Nova Religio 140 Copyright © 2024 Association for the Academic Study of New Religions, Inc. There are numerous troubling elements in the GNET report, not least of which is the use of the words cult and cultic to describe potentially violent groups. The authors themselves note this problem. Equally problematic is the essentializing nature of the analysis, which attributes violence chiefly to individuals immersed in "the online landscape of cults and violent extremism" (8), rather than considering the interactive nature of violent encounters in real life (e. g. , Hall, Schuyler and Trinh 2000; Bromley and Melton 2002). The fundamental rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion are never mentioned as considerations for tech companies or policymakers—the latter term probably meaning state actors like law enforcement officials, legislators, and judicial entities, although this is not specified. And yet these entities are the target audience for this booklet, which raises as many questions as it attempts to answer. American Religious Sounds Project. (2014–2022). Michigan State University and Ohio State University. https: //​ religioussounds​. osu​. edu/. The American Religious Sounds Project is a large audio archive produced in diverse religious settings—everything from chanting to praying to singing to sermonizing to debating, and much more. Produced by Michigan State University and Ohio State University between 2014 and 2022, the archive "invites us to imagine. . .