The Rosentool Cult Part 1
When talk arises of the convicted child abuser, former Cabramatta Pokrov church priest Alexis Rosentool, inevitably the words “cult” and “cult-like” soon come up as well. How else to explain the seemingly demonic hold that he had, and continues to have on some laity and clergy in ROCOR Australia parishes, particularly at All Saints Croydon and the two Pokrov parishes in Cabramatta (Sydney) and Brunswick (Melbourne). The situation with Fr Boris Ignatievsky at Cabramatta and Fr Simon at Croydon have already been touched upon and an upcoming article will shed light on Pokrov Cathedral in Melbourne and its rector Fr Nicholas Karipoff. In the meantime, let us take a closer look at the psychology of cults. The following article is from The University of Texas and goes into some detail about how cults work and the behaviour of their leaders and followers. How many aspects of the Rosentool cult can you pick from this article? Likely there will be a few.
The Psychology of Cults
Cults are a thorny topic, because exactly what constitutes a cult is highly contentious and subjective. The commonalities they share can sometimes put a fine line between cult and religion. Some cult members may insist they’re involved of their own free will and are living happy lives, further complicating a consensus. Bear these facts in mind as we delve into the psychology of cults and their members.
Cults Defined
Let’s start with a definition of “cult” from the APA Dictionary of Psychology as a baseline:
1. A religious or quasi-religious group characterized by unusual or atypical beliefs, seclusion from the outside world, and an authoritarian structure. Cults tend to be highly cohesive, well organized, secretive, and hostile to nonmembers.”
Most cults share some common traits:
They’re usually led by a charismatic individual whom the members worship without question.
Cult members often live together in their own dedicated community.
The Psychology of Cults: How They Lure People In and Take Control
Cults recruit new members anywhere you might expect to meet new people: social media, discussion groups, community clubs, events, and the like. These are typically nonthreatening, public situations that would not cause anyone to be suspicious. Cult recruiters get to know as much as they can about people and identify individuals who may be receptive to meeting a group of the recruiter’s friends at dinner or another social event. Though the chosen targets are generally unaware, these seemingly innocent gestures are the first steps to being drawn into a cult.
Targeting Vulnerable Prey
Receptive people are those who are looking to escape something—such as an unhappy life situation—and to belong, be accepted, and find meaning. Cults prey upon the vulnerable among us, such as teenage runaways, drug addicts, abuse survivors, those who have lost someone close to them through death or a breakup, those suffering from insecurity or mental health issues, or anyone who feels disconnected from society.
Drawing in Recruits
Once the potential recruit is in the presence of cult members, typically still oblivious to the group’s agenda, they are showered with love and validation. This tactic, referred to as “love bombing,” makes the recruit believe they’ve found what they’re looking for and more likely to return for group activities in the future. This is critical in the early stages of cult indoctrination since the recruit is not yet under their influence and needs to feel secure.
Taking Control
As they indoctrinate new members, many cults separate them from their families, friends, and jobs, slowly remaking their identities to suit the group. They may force recruits to surrender their money, belongings, and bodies to the cult’s leader and other members. Sometimes they compel new members to marry people they just met. They may use punishment, deprivation, and other tactics to wear them down. These efforts, which sometimes include threats, make new members dependent on and afraid to leave the group. Fully indoctrinated members often engage in behavior they never would’ve considered in their former lives.
Notorious Cult Cases
Here are just a few groups that have drawn significant attention to the dangers of cults:
The Manson Family
Charles Manson directed his “family” of runaways and other troubled individuals to start a race war by murdering several people in Los Angeles. There were eight victims in all—including pregnant Hollywood actress Sharon Tate—but the group claimed to have murdered and disposed of the bodies of many more.
The Peoples Temple
Reverend Jim Jones ran the Peoples Temple in several California locations before moving the congregation to Guyana and establishing the “Jonestown” commune. The temple’s methods came under increasing scrutiny, and upon an unwelcome visit from a U.S. Congressman, Jones ordered his congregation to drink Flavor Aid (often misattributed to Kool-Aid) laced with valium and cyanide. Many victims were children, and many adults were forced at gunpoint. More than 900 people died that day.
Khlysty / Хлысты
The Khlysts or Khlysty were an underground were an underground Spiritual Christian sect which emerged in Russia in the 17th century.
The sect is traditionally said to have been founded in 1645 by Danilo Filippovich, although there is no written evidence to support this claim. The beliefs and practices of its members included ecstatic rituals, worship of charismatic leaders, and a rejection of the priesthood and holy books. They believed in direct communication with the Holy Spirit and practiced the ritual of radenie ("rejoicing"), which was characterized by dancing, speaking in tongues, and prophesying.
Branch Davidians
The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, or the Branch Seventh-day Adventists) are a religious sect founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General Association of Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists, established by Victor Houteff in 1935.
The cult was led by David Koresh in the early 1990’s and was ended with a siege in Waco Texas when their compound was stormed by the FBI. The fire and the reaction to the final attack within the group resulted in the deaths of 76 Branch Davidians, including 20–28 children and Koresh.
Source: https://online.utpb.edu/about-us/articles/psychology/the-psychology-of-cults/
Another mediocre attempt at outrage farming by an incel working from his basement.
Another example of a contemporary cult in Russia is Father Sergei Romanov, who legally changed his name to Nikolai Romanov (after the last tsar. He is a defrocked Russian Orthodox priest who led a religious group/ cult known as "tsar worshippers". He gained notoriety for his strong opposition to the Russian Orthodox Church's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including denying the virus's existence and protesting the closure of churches. He also claimed the Antichrist would soon appear in Russia.