Is the Fellowship of the Divine real? Unchosen cult explained after Netflix series claims 'over 2,000 cults' exist in UK
'It's not anti-religious or anti-faith'
Unchosen revolves around the Fellowship of the Divine, a religious cult in England with strict rules. However, is it actually real?
There is no shortage of material about the occult. Trust Me: The False Prophet, one of April’s new documentaries, chronicled the rise of FLDS ‘successor’ Samuel Bateman.
Some of the greatest horror movies of all time also feature cults, whether it’s The Wicker Man or Kill List.
Unchosen follows a contemporary, patriarchal cult rooted in Christianity. As unsettling as many moments are, it doesn’t feel like a sensationalised portrayal of life in a closed community. So, you may be curious about how accurate it is, and if the Fellowship of the Divine is real.
Is Unchosen’s Fellowship of the Divine a real cult?
No, the Fellowship of the Divine isn’t a real cult based in the UK. However, according to writer-creator Julie Gearey, it is based on true experiences.
“I always want a level of immersion so I read a lot, but the main source was talking directly to people who’d been involved,” she told Netflix.
“That was quite tricky because obviously you couldn’t reach those that were still inside, so you have to find people who’d managed to escape. We reached some through online forums and social media. What we found was that quite a lot of them were traumatised.
“So it was important to reassure them as much as we could that firstly nobody watching the show will ever recognise them and secondly that whatever they had to say about the emotional experience.”
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Is Unchosen based on a true story?
While it isn’t based on any one person’s story, Unchosen is inspired by the testimony of former cult members.
For example, repressed sexuality is a theme of the show, “which was taken directly from people we talked to who had walked that path,” Gearey said.
Alcoholism, which is a “real problem” in closed communities, also becomes part of the series.
“I think it’s because people are miserable. They’re drinking to suppress that misery. So we talked a lot about that, how it would be interesting to see people drinking whiskey socially, but then to also use that as an instrument of coercion, manipulation and control,” Gearey added.
How many cults are in the UK?
According to the opening scene of Unchosen, there are over 2,000 cults in the UK right now.
“Some are closed communities. But many, like this fictional one, live in plain sight,” it says.
Is that true? It was reported by BBC News in 2021 that there are as many as 2,000 cults operating in the UK. This figure was also corroborated by a 2022 Independent report on a survey of cult victims (via the Family Survival Trust).
Dr Alexandra Stein, a trustee of the charity, said: “There is a hidden epidemic of cultic abuse in the UK. The trust’s research highlights merely the tip of the iceberg of this abuse, thanks to the bravery of survivors willing and able to speak up.”
As for the specific names of these cults – or “high-control religious groups” – that’s where it gets trickier.
Many of these communities are highly secretive. For example, Humanists has a helpline for former members of these groups, whether they’re ex-Muslim, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, or other evangelicals.
The Plymouth Brethren denies being a cult (it’s a “global Christian fellowship”), but former members have said otherwise.
However, if you look into its members’ clothes and their atriums, they appear to have been a substantial inspiration for Unchosen.
Scientology, widely described and criticised as a cult, also has a presence in the UK.
Unchosen creator says it isn’t “anti-religious”
In Gearey’s eyes, Unchosen may illustrate the damaging effects of living in an uncompromising religious community, but it’s not opposed to faith.
“I have great respect for people that have faith and this drama isn’t anti-religion, it’s about a cult and not about anything mainstream. I’m always very careful to make that delineation,” she explained.
“By the very nature of how we tell the story, it’s clear that it’s not anti-religious or anti-faith.”
Siobhan Finneran, who plays the wife of the cult’s leader in Unchosen, was also asked if she was concerned about the prospect of any backlash.
“Whatever happens, happens. I think if we were making a show about a real community and real people there is a lot of responsibility that comes with that, but when it’s a drama and it’s fictional then it’s very different. I’m certainly not concerned,” she said.
Finneran also joked: “They don’t have tellies anyway so we’ll be ok. Ha!”
Read more: The 10 best Siobhan Finneran movies & TV shows to watch before Unchosen
