Cultism, Insurgency and Vigilantism in the Philippines
Author(s)
Kowalewski, David
Abstract
Early studies of church, state, and cult assumed that the church usually supports the state and, together with the state, opposes the cult. The cult, in turn, is alienated from both. The case of the present-day Philippines indicates that, in the context of Third World revolutionary turmoil, the roles are far more complex. This article examines the use of cultist vigilantes against communist insurgents. Media data suggest that cultist counterinsurgents have a destabilizing effect, furthering the alienation of cults from society and of church members from religious and political establishments .
