The Czech followers of Reverend Moon from the perspective of rational choice theory

This article analyzes the Czech followers of Reverend Moon using the viewpoint of rational choice theory. It focuses not only on this group as a specific religious organization with the characteristics of a sect, but also on how the institutional environment and its changes before and after 1989 affected this group's character, including its survival strategies. The diachronic dimension of our analysis helps to map (1) the changes in the strategies of the organization towards its own members, and at the same time (2) the changing character of the religious market. The Czech Republic's religious market underwent a transformation from a state-regulated to a partially deregulated environment. In our research, we test whether the members of this religious group fulfill the characteristics of a sect, as described by rational choice theory, which means determining: (1) the degree of tension with the social environment; (2) the degree of exclusion, conservatism, and participation; and (3) the degree of religious and social commitment to this organization. In addition to these descriptive aspects, we also focus on the strategies of this religious organization that are connected with the structure and dynamics of the religious market. All these aspects have their consequences for the level of this social group's social inclusion in Czech society