Article focused on understanding how it is that New Religious Movements (NRMs) have gained so many adherents in the past half-century.
Hubski. :)
Reading this, it occurred to me that most religions have some beliefs that are ridiculed by others for being outlandish, and these beliefs are almost never near the surface of their day to day operations. In fact, daily interactions are mostly mundane, and mostly indistinguishable from any close secular social group.
I've been to social gatherings of a few different faiths, and they are effectively operating on the same dynamics of non-religious gatherings I have been a part of.
In the US, I think you might find that our urban development promoted this loneliness. With the rise of suburbia, porches disappeared, the distance between houses increased, and kitchens faced the back yard. Many Americans live in physical isolation, and mostly encounter other people through planned activities.