The Illuminated

Why do people believe or want to believe? What is religion and what is organised religion? Are all new religious movements dangerous? These questions are discussed in this brief introduction to the series.

Israelvisie, Israel Vision, does not refer to a specific church, but rather a religious movement spreading through Afrikaans communities. Through social media and informal gatherings, the movement gains momentum.

Scientologists are well known throughout the world for their unconventional beliefs, continuous allegations of abuse and secrecy. We peak behind the curtain to see what Scientology is.

The Christ in Me Collective has drawn a lot of attention in recent years. The purportedly Christian church has been accused of cult-like behaviour, high control of its members and financial misconduct.

Are some institutionalised practices across a myriad of corporate companies, cult-like? We investigate network marketing, integrated medicine and leadership workshops as potential culprits.

KwaSizabantu is a mission station in KwaZulu-Natal with considerable commercial activities. But the mission station is widely criticised after numerous allegations of abuse and fraud were published.