Twenty-First Century Cults

Jordan B. Peterson has developed a cult following as a provocative, globally influential public intellectual. In this episode, we investigate the cult of the public intellectual. We discuss the spectacular rise of Peterson, a psychologist turned culture warrior, who has become a disciplinarian guru for wayward young men.


Written and presented by Stephanie Alice Baker, Eugene McLaughlin and Chris Rojek
Recording Engineer: Maria Martinez-Ugartechea
Editor: Al Booth
Original music: ‘Evil’ composed by BLACKBOX from Pixabay
Artwork: Yaman Mohammed
Funded by the School of Politics and Global Affairs at City, University of London

This is original research derived from our book, Cults (2024). Available from Routledge.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk has cultivated a cult following as a tech entrepreneur. In this episode, we explore the idolatry of tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. We analyse how Musk has established and maintained a cult following online and the political implications of his cult-like status.

Written and presented by Stephanie Alice Baker, Eugene McLaughlin and Chris Rojek
Recording Engineer: Maria Martinez-Ugartechea
Editor: Al Booth
Original music: ‘Evil’ composed by BLACKBOX from Pixabay
Artwork: Yaman Mohammed
Funded by the School of Politics and Global Affairs at City, University of London

This is original research derived from our book, Cults (2024). Available from Routledge.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has built a cult following as a celebrity rapper, producer and designer. In this episode, we explore the history of celebrity, its relationship to fame, and the cultural appeal of Ye as a postmodern celebrity icon.

Written and presented by Stephanie Alice Baker, Eugene McLaughlin and Chris Rojek
Recording Engineer: Maria Martinez-Ugartechea
Editor: Al Booth
Original music: ‘Evil’ composed by BLACKBOX from Pixabay
Artwork: Yaman Mohammed
Funded by the School of Politics and Global Affairs at City, University of London

This is original research derived from our book, Cults (2024). Available from Routledge.

This is original research derived from our book, Cults (2024). Available from Routledge.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Tate has built a cult following online by establishing himself as a self-help guru. In this episode, we explore the history of self-help as a genre and an industry. We examine how Tate has established and maintained what could be described as a self-help cult by tapping into the aspirations and anxieties of young men in the twenty-first century.

Written and presented by Stephanie Alice Baker, Eugene McLaughlin and Chris Rojek
Recording Engineer: Maria Martinez-Ugartechea
Editor: Al Booth
Original music: ‘Evil’ composed by BLACKBOX from Pixabay
Artwork: Yaman Mohammed
Funded by the School of Politics and Global Affairs at City, University of London

This is original research derived from our book, Cults (2024). Available from Routledge.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.