ABSTRACT
Quasi-religions or, as they are sometimes called, 'implicit religions' appear to be another growth area of the religious fringe. The most obvious range of quasi-religions are the emerging therapeutic and healing cults. Greil and Robbins, exploring what do the quasi-religions have in common with more traditional forms, identify two principal characteristics. Firstly, quasi-religions display organizational dynamics similar to those of religious institutions, narrowly defined, whether expressed by way of cults, sects or churches. Secondly, quasi-religions focus on expressions of what might be termed the 'ultimate concerns' of human existence, but possibly without the belief in the supernatural. This chapter explains that while some social phenomena have one or both of these qualities, there are, however, a number of problems involved with definitions of implicit or quasi-religions. Implied forms of religiosity have always existed, but that sociologists of religion are willing to identify more and more forms in order to keep the sub-discipline alive in an increasingly secular world.
