ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses an old problem in the sociology of religion: what accounts for the rise and evolution of religious groups in society? It reviews briefly what sociologists have previously said concerning the conditions which give rise to new religious groups, with particular attention to that part of existing theory which attributes such formations to class differences in society. The chapter proposes a more general theory, based on the concept of deprivation, to help explain the origin of religious groups and suggests how the broader theory can help to account for the directions in which religious groups evolve. The thinking about the origin and development of religious groups in Western society has been largely informed by so-called "sect-church" theory. The concept of deprivation is broadened and generalized beyond its customary usage in sect-church theory. Sect-church theory conceives of deprivation almost entirely in economic terms.
