Christian and quasi-Christian cults and sects Books

Book Synopsis'A rare, highly detailed insider account of a "family" designed to be shut off from the world. And of Morgan, a ferocious young girl who railed hard against it.' Sunday Times'This is an unflinching and courageous memoir, exposing one of the world's most infamous cults. It's an inspiring, if at times upsetting, read.' Daily ExpressMy name is Faith Morgan and I was born into the infamous Children of God cult, or 'The Family' as it came to be known. At age 19 I managed to escape and entered a world in which I had to learn how to live again. Rebel is my story.My teenage diary helps piece the story of my travels in Costa Rica, India, Greece, Mexico, and London together. Of the communes, the 'missions', the friendships and the relationships. And of course, my enduring faith: in Jesus, in the Prophet (cult leader David Berg), and in the inevitability of the coming end times, which I fully believed would arrive.But beyond the brainwashing and mistreatment is the extraordinary story of my family and the adventures of my early life which help me understand what happened and why, so it doesn't happen to others. The spirit of that defiant girl who escaped is still in there somewhere, and through telling my story I wish to look into the eyes of 'evil', with its many faces so I can send it on its way.

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Book SynopsisCults are bigger than ever, with broad ramifications for national and international terrorism. This edition reveals what cults are and how they work, focusing on the coercive persuasion techniques of charismatic leaders seeking money and power.Table of ContentsForeword xi Acknowledgments xv Introduction to the Revised Edition xvii Introduction to the First Edition xxi Part 1 What Are Cults? 1 1. Defining Cults 3 Definitions and Characteristics Cult Types Who Joins Cults? Why Do They Join? 2. A Brief History of Cults 29 Cults in the 1800s The 1960s: Fertile Ground for Cults The 1970s: Cults to Expand Awareness The 1980s: Psychological, Occult, and Prosperity Cults Examples of New Cults Cause for Concern 3. The Process of Brainwashing, Psychological Coercion, and Thought Reform 52 Historical Examples of Brainwashing Packaged Persuasion Attacking the Self How Thought Reform Works Producing a New Identity Impermissible Experiments 4. What's Wrong with Cults? 83 Cults Threaten Legitimate Institutions Cults Harm Our Children and Tear Apart Our Families Cults Are Violent Cults Engage in Conspiracy and Fraud Small Cults Can Be Just as Harmful as Large Cults Take Away Our Freedom Cults Take Away Our Possessions Cults Escape Scrutiny What Is to Be Done? Part 2 How Do They Work? 103 5. Recruiting New Members 105 First Approach Invitation First Cult Contact Follow-Up: Gaining Greater Commitment Young and Old Alike Are Vulnerable The Double Agenda 6. Physiological Persuasion Techniques 125 Mass Marketing of Experiential Exercises Techniques Producing Predictable Physiological Responses Meditation May Not Always Be Good for You 7. Psychological Persuasion Techniques 150 Trance and Hypnosis Trickery Revision of Personal History Peer Pressure and Modeling Emotional Manipulation Psychotherapy Cults 8. Intruding into the Workplace 182 Clarification of New Age A Clash in the Workplace Violation of Civil Rights What Goes On in an LGAT? Development of a New Age Training Program: A Case Example Problems with Being "Transformed" at Work Psychological Casualties Buyer Beware: Thought-Reform Processes at Work 9. The Threat of Intimidation 209 Co-opted Professionals Intimidation and Harassment of Critics Part 3 How Can We Help Survivors to Escape and Recover? 241 10. Rescuing the Children 243 Children of Jonestown Children of Waco Children of Other Cults Role of the Cult Leader Role of Cult Parents What Children Learn in Cults After the Cult Children Are Survivors 11. Leaving the Cult 266 Why It's Hard to Leave Ways of Leaving the Cult Deprogramming and Exit Counseling 12. Recovery: Coming Out of the Pseudopersonality 295 Recovering from Cult Aftereffects Practical Issues Psychological and Emotional Difficulties Cognitive Inefficiencies Social and Personal Relations Philosophical and Attitudinal Issues Helpful Tasks for Individuals Leaving Cults There Is Life After the Cult Postscript to the First Edition: The Millennium, Cults, and the End of the Century 335 Postscript to the Revised Edition 339 Chapter Notes 357 Resources and Organizations 379 Further Reading 383 The Author 385 Index 387

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Book SynopsisBeautifully written, intense.'' LISA BALLANTYNE''A thrilling, emotive and heartfelt mystery.'' CHRIS WHITAKERFROM THE AUTHOR OF BESTSELLING DEBUT THE GIRL IN THE RED COATLost, she narrowly escaped disaster.Beth is desperate to return to normality. After a years-long ordeal, her daughter is finally home and safe. But Carmel has questions she can't ignore about the cult that kidnapped her, and about the preacher who gave her another girl's name.Found, she must survive a miracle.Digging into her past, Carmel uncovers secrets which suggest that she wasn't the only lost girl and which puts her in danger all over again. While her mother struggles to salvage the safety they've only just found, Carmel tries to come to terms with who she has become. One question, a mystery at the heart of her disappearance as a child, haunts her:What happened to the other lost girls?''As affirming as it

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Book Synopsis'For anyone who enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy or Educated, Unfollow is an essential text' - Louis Theroux'A moving, redemptive, clear-eyed account of religious indoctrination' - Pandora Sykes'A nuanced portrait of the lure and pain of zealotry' New York TimesAs featured on the BBC documentaries, 'The Most Hated Family in America' and 'Surviving America's Most Hated Family'It was an upbringing in many ways normal. A loving home, shared with squabbling siblings, overseen by devoted parents. Yet in other ways it was the precise opposite: a revolving door of TV camera crews and documentary makers, a world of extreme discipline, of siblings vanishing in the night.Megan Phelps-Roper was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church - the fire-and-brimstone religious sect at once aggressively homophobic and anti-Semitic, rejoiceful for AIDS and natural disasters, and notorious for its picketing the funerals of American soldiers. From her first public protest, aged five, to her instrumental role in spreading the church's invective via social media, her formative years brought their difficulties. But being reviled was not one of them. She was preaching God's truth. She was, in her words, 'all in'.In November 2012, at the age of twenty-six, she left the church, her family, and her life behind.---More praise for Unfollow'A beautiful, gripping book about a singular soul, and an unexpected redemption' - Nick Hornby'A modern-day parable for how we should speak and listen to each other' - Dolly Alderton'Her journey - from Westboro to becoming one of the most empathetic, thoughtful, humanistic writers around - is exceptional and inspiring' - Jon Ronson'A gripping story, beautifully told . . . It takes real talent to produce a book like this. Its message could not be more urgent' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewMegan Phelps-Roper is a beautiful writer, and her journey - from Westboro to becoming one of the most empathetic, thoughtful, humanistic writers around - is exceptional and inspiring. I met Megan shortly after she left her church. She said, 'I want to do good, but I don't know how.' With Unfollow she's figured out how.Megan Phelps-Roper has guts - maybe more guts than can comfortably be contained within one adult human. First, as a member of the scary Westboro Baptist Church, she had the guts to get into the faces of people she disapproved of, gays and Jews and less fiery Christians, and tell them why God hated them. Then - and this is where you and I come in - she had the guts to listen and to think, and to decide that everything she had built her life upon was wrong. This is a beautiful, gripping book about a singular soul, and an unexpected redemption.Unfollow is a book that speaks eloquently to our divided times: the tale of a young girl born into a family whose name is a byword for bigotry and how she grew into a compassionate young woman, leaving her family behind and forging an entirely new understanding of the world and her place in it. Full of insight, thoughtfulness and vivid detail, it is also the debut of a gifted new writer. For anyone who enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy or Educated, Unfollow is an essential text, a testament to the fact that there is no-one immune to childhood indoctrination, but also to the ever-present possibility of profound change.Megan Phelps-Roper is one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. If you want to see how a girl raised on religious fanaticism and sectarian hatred can be cured by the power of honest reasoning, read this book.Megan Phelps-Roper finds a way to tell the story of the girl she was raised to be from the perspective of the woman she became, without rewriting history or losing touch with the earnestness that made everything in her world seem ok, if not downright righteous. Despite a fundamental transformation of epic proportions, Megan's core, her soul, remains the same throughout: kind, passionate, and open. Her process is wildly brave and incredibly thoughtful and this book gives us the incomparable insight into a world we all, and yet, none of us, know. This book will leave you holding your heart.Rarely do you come across someone with the courage and clarity of Megan Phelps-Roper. From her story, we can learn things sorely needed in our age: empathy, openness, and how we can best build bridges across divided lines.

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Book SynopsisFalse religions are rapidly growing worldwide, and Christians need information they can trust. This comprehensive new edition of the leading book on cults will equip you--no matter your background--to understand and use biblical truth to counter false religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, Scientology, and many more.

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Book SynopsisMormonism is frequently described as the most successful indigenous American religion. Mormon beliefs arouse curiosity because they depart from normal Christian doctrine, leading to the question: Are Mormons Christian? This introduction will include the history of the contemporary Mormonism, and an analysis and emphasis of Mormon beliefs, beginning with Joseph Smith, the founding prophet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Review"Written by the dean of Mormon studies, Richard Bushman...this book -- a Berlitz guide of sorts to the complex world of modern Mormonism -- is probably the most efficient way to grasp what it means to be a Mormon today."--Samuel Morris Brown, The Wall St. Journal "An elegant, even-handed introduction."--Catholic Herald "Engaging...Bushman s latest work may indeed be very short, but it simultaneously provides eloquent and sophisticated answers...deftly makes many aspects of Mormonism comprehensible." --BYU Studies

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Book Synopsis'Hough's conversational prose reads like the voice of a blues singer, taking breaks between songs to narrate her heartbreak in verse, cajoling her audience to laugh to keep from crying' - The New York Times'Hough's writing will break your heart' - Roxane Gay, author of Difficult Women'Each one told with the wit of David Sedaris, and the insight of Joan Didion' - Telegraph 'This moving account of resilience and hard-earned agency brims with a fresh originality' - Publishers WeeklySearing and extremely personal essays from the heart of working-class America, shot through with the darkest elements the country can manifest - cults, homelessness, and hunger - while discovering light and humor in unexpected corners.As an adult, Lauren Hough has had many identities: an airman in the U.S. Air Force, a cable guy, a bouncer at a gay club. As a child, however, she had none. Growing up as a member of the infamous cult The Children of God, Hough had her own self robbed from her. The cult took her all over the globe but it wasn't until she finally left for good that Lauren understood she could have a life beyond "The Family."Along the way, she's loaded up her car and started over, trading one life for the next. Here, as she sweeps through the underbelly of America--relying on friends, family, and strangers alike--she begins to excavate a new identity even as her past continues to trail her and color her world, relationships, and perceptions of self.At once razor-sharp, profoundly brave, and often very, very funny, the essays in Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing interrogate our notions of ecstasy, queerness, and what it means to live freely. Each piece is a reckoning: of survival, identity, and how to reclaim one's past when carving out a future.Trade ReviewLauren Hough's extraordinary essay collection Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing is as powerful as it is poignant. So many moments in this exceptionally crafted essays brought me to tears and before long I would find myself laughing as Hough wielded her razor sharp wit. This is one of those rare books that will instantly become part of the literary canon and the world of letters will be better for it. * Roxane Gay, author of Difficult Women *Lauren Hough's Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing is so brilliant, so humane and pissed off and hysterically funny and thought-provoking, and so beautifully written it's hard to describe except to say that it's a book that is going to mean a lot to a lot of people, and it might cause some fights, and you better read it so you can have the pleasure of reading it and the pleasure of talking about it with everyone. * Elizabeth McCracken, author of Bowlaway *Lauren Hough is the best new voice I've read in years: fiercely honest, funny, brazen, and unrepentant. * Heather Havrilesky, Ask Polly columnist and author of What If This Were Enough? *Hough's direct, no bullshit manner will have you laughing and nodding your head in agreement. If you are a fan of memoir and books about moving through life overcoming any obstacle in your way or, if, like me, you love reading about strong queer people - then this book is for you! * Christina Pascucci-Ciampa, Boston Magazine *[Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing] is a killer debut, as riveting for its content as it is for its captivating style. * BookPage, '2021 preview: Most anticipated nonfiction' *These essays mine [Hough's] eclectic, fascinating life and her efforts to create her own identity. Plus, she's a fabulous writer. * Deborah Dundas, The Toronto Star *An edgy and unapologetic memoir in essays. * Kirkus Reviews *This moving account of resilience and hard-earned agency brims with a fresh originality. * Publishers Weekly *Each one told with the wit of David Sedaris, and the insight of Joan Didion * Telegraph *Hough's conversational prose reads like the voice of a blues singer, taking breaks between songs to narrate her heartbreak in verse, cajoling her audience to laugh to keep from crying * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisAt a new age festival in Byron Bay, Australia, German journalist Anke Richter is finding her spiritual awakening when she meets a woman – a survivor of the Centrepoint cult – who will change the course of her life and career. Over the next ten years, Anke pursued a labyrinthine investigation into how and why cults attract, entrap and destroy otherwise ordinary people, asking what the line is between tribe and cult, participant and perpetrator, seduction and sexual abuse. From the emotional and criminal carnage of Centrepoint in Auckland, New Zealand, to an anti-cult conference in Manchester, the infamous Osho’s ashram in India, the tantric Agama Yoga school in remote Thailand and culminating in a visit to Gloriavale on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Anke uncovers a disturbing pattern of violence and suffering. Cult Trip is a powerful exploration of what really goes on inside the groups we call cults, and how to reckon with their aftermath.Trade Review‘Bringing together information from around the globe, Anke Richter pinpoints the internal struggles of those coming out of cults, and the debilitating harm that lingers afterwards’ -- Rachel Bernstein, cult specialist and educator‘Wild stuff. Anke Richter is one of my favourite writers, blurring the line between participant and reporter’ -- David Farrier, journalist behind Dark Tourist and Tickled‘Thorough and compassionate . . . Cult Trip is a brittle, sensitive book’ -- Steve Braunias'What a book and what a writer! Cult Trip is an incredibly immersive, intense and necessary reading experience put together with doggedness and skill. The stories are heart-rending, told with bravery and care.' * Noelle McCarthy, author of Grand *A ‘powerful must read’ * Style *‘Cult Trip is incredibly painful and powerful - an eye opener, a tour de force and a call for justice. Those voices of survivors can’t be silenced. Thanks to Anke Richter’s courage and compassion, they will be heard.’ * Janja Lalich, author of Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships *

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Book SynopsisWhat spiritual or esoteric practices took place within the mysterious and often controversial Knights Templar? Whilst little is known about this aspect of the Order's history, speculation and wild rumours continue to persist. Having taken the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the members of the Templar Order were required to live the life of other monastic orders. However, their remarkable rise to a successful elite community - followed by the insidious machinations and slander that led to their spectacular fall and destruction - suggests that they were involved in something more significant than straightforward medieval religious practices. There have been many theories as to whether their 'secret' involved material wealth and special treasure. But could it have been connected to a science of initiation - the knowledge, experience and understanding of spiritual dimensions that can enlighten the pupil on an esoteric path? In The Templar Spirit Margaret Jonas penetrates these questions, examining some of the various claims and revealing something of the esoteric practices and beliefs of the Order, including influences from other religious traditions. She presents her own research into the meaning of the mysterious 'head' that the Templars were accused of worshipping, and examines the historical figures that lent their wisdom and guidance to the founding of the Order.

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Book SynopsisThe beginnings of the Templar Order are shrouded in mystery. Very little is known about its foundation, inner workings or its rapid growth. This lack of knowledge can lead to all sorts of speculation and, sometimes, bizarre theories. This book - developed from a conference held on the theme at Emerson College, England - offers new, well-grounded perspectives that utilize both esoteric and exoteric sources. From varying points-of-view, the contributors tackle key questions relating to the forming of the Order and its aims and intentions. They explore the Knights Templar's spiritual and historical background, as well as the Order's significance at the present time and its continuing impulse in the future. With its broad scope, this stimulating anthology encourages independent, open-minded enquiry and research. Featuring contributions by: Peter Tradowsky, Gil McHattie, Horst Biehl, Margaret Jonas, Rolf Speckner, Sylvia Francke, Simon Cade-Williams, Jaap van der Haar, Alfred Kon, David Lenker, Peter Snow, Christine Gruwez, Frans Lutters, Walter Johannes Stein and Siegfried Rudel.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""[It is] difficult to exaggerate the importance of Mackay’sbook as a statement on ancient Roman religion. . . . Essential."---R. E. Winn, Choice

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Book Synopsis'Christianity is not a matter of a religion or even a denomination; it is not a question of a particular culture. Christ is there for all humanity.' In the old Mystery cultures the human being experienced himself as a child of the Gods, or even an instrument of them. According to Rudolf Steiner's spiritual-scientific research, the birth of independent thinking came only with our present state of consciousness - through becoming aware of the individual self. But who is this self? Who am I? Virginia Sease and Manfred Schmidt-Brabant maintain that real self-knowledge is intimately connected with knowledge of the central being of world evolution: the Christ, or the 'I AM'. Focusing on the being of Christ and on Christianity, "The New Mysteries" presents a series of engaging lectures on the developing Mystery wisdom of our age. Having given an overview of the history of the Mysteries in their book "Paths of the Christian Mysteries", the authors deepen and further their study by paying special attention to the effect of the "Christ Mysteries". Among the essential themes of the new volume are the transformation of conscience, the place of prayer and meditation, and the significance of sacrifice today.

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Book SynopsisAn investigation into the different relationships between democracy, culture, and Catholicism found in the religious, social, political, and cultural contexts of four nation-states: Indonesia, Lithuania, Peru, and the United States.Trade Review"Democracy, Culture and Catholicism is a unique and very illuminating book studying the restraints and resources of Catholicism for democracy. It links Catholic social thought on democracy with several key case studies of countries which underwent a transition from dictatorship to democracy and how the social location of the church aided or not that crucial transition. A must read for people concerned with comparative study of Catholicism and Catholic social thought." -- -John A. Coleman S.J. Associate Pastor, Saint Ignatius Church, San Francisco "... [A] dynamic conversation regarding the interpretation and application of Catholic social teaching in diverse Lithuanian, Indonesian, Peruvian, and U.S. American perspectives. A critical resource for expanding knowledge and inquiry into diverse expressions of Catholicism and globalization." -- -Alex Mikulich Jesuit Social Research Institute, Loyola University, New OrleansTable of ContentsIntroduction Lithuanian Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck Democracy and Catholicism in Twentieth Century Lithuania Arunas Streikus The Domains of the Lithuanian Church during the Soviet Period: Martyria, Diakonia, and Leiturgia Vidmantus Simkunas, S.J. Traumatized Society, Democracy, and Religious Faith: The Lithuanian Experience Danute Gailiene Christianity and Politics in Post-Soviet Lithuania: Between Totalitarian Experience and Democracy Nerija Putinaite Note John Crowley-Buck Montaigne, Julian, and 'Others': The Quest for Peaceful Coexistence in Public Space David M. Posner Indonesian Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck Catholics in Indonesia and the Struggle for Democracy Baskara Wardaya, S.J. Musyawarah and Democratic Lay Catholic Leadership in Indonesia: The Ongoing Legacy of John Dijkstra, S.J. and Ikatan Petani Pancasila Paulus Wiryono Priyotamtama, S.J. The Influence of Catholic Social Teaching on the Democratic Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Study from Indonesia Francisca Ninik Yudianti The Performing Art of Kethoprak and the Democratic 'Power to Will' in Indonesia Albertus 'Budi' Susanto, S.J. Note John Crowley-Buck Alter/Native Democracies: Muslim and Catholic Negotiations of Culture, Religion, and Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century Marcia Hermansen Comparative Insights Regarding Religion and Democracy in a Muslim Context Russell Powell Peruvian Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck The Relationship of Patronage and Legitimacy between the Catholic Church and the Peruvian State Maria Soledad Escalante Beltran Catholicism and the Struggle for Memory: Reflections on Peru Gonzalo Gamio Gehri The Catholic Church, Indigenous Rights, and the Environment in the Peruvian Amazon Region Oscar A. Espinosa Religion as a Political Factor in Latin America: The Peruvian Case Jorge Aragon Trelles Note John Crowley-Buck The Catholic Church and the Leftist Populist Regimes of Latin America: Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia Jeffrey Klaiber, S.J. United States Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck Roman Catholic Sisters and the Cultivation of Citizenship in the United States: Rich and Contentious Legacies Bren Ortega Murphy "First Be Reconciled": Restorative Justice and Deliberative Democracy William R. O'Neill, S.J. Access to Information: Citizenship, Representative Democracy, and Catholic Social Thought Barry Sullivan Note Foundations of Human Rights: The Work of Francisco de Vitoria, O.P. Robert John Araujo, S.J. Global Interpretations Introduction John Crowley-Buck Democratic Transitions and Consolidation in Predominantly Catholic Countries Peter Schraeder Civil Discourse and Religion in Transitional Democracies: The Cases of Lithuania, Peru, and Indonesia David Ingram Epilogue on Democracy, Culture, and Catholicism Michael J. Schuck Contributors Index

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Book Synopsis'It is a Lord of the Flies parable with Bhagwan as lord. The book is a fascinating social history, with many celebrities, from Diana Ross to Prince Charles. - Helen Rumbelow, The TimesThis is the story of a Englishman who gave up a job in journalism to spend fourteen years with the controversial Indian mystic Osho, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and frequently referred to as 'the sex guru'. His guru was always controversial with his teachings on sex and spirituality, rumours of orgies and because he owned ninety-three Rolls Royces.Early in 1976, Subhuti travelled to India to meet Rajneesh in his ashram in Pune, became initiated as his disciple and immediately began to have mystical experiences, which he attributed to the powerful energy field surrounding the guru. He stayed for six months, participating in the ashram's notorious Encounter Group and other therapies designed to release suppressed emotions and awaken sexual energySubhuti would stay to live and work on his master's ashrams for fourteen years, first as his press officer in Pune, India, then as editor of the community's weekly newspaper when Bhagwan and his followers shifted to Oregon, USA, and built a whole new town on the massive Big Muddy Ranch.There Subhuti was a first-hand witness to the scandals and hullabaloo that accompanied the guru, including tales of broken bones in no-holds-barred therapy groups and Tantra groups that encouraged total sexual freedom, and the increasing hostility with the locals which would lead to Bhagwan's attempt to flee America, his arrest and imprisonment. .He was on the Oregon Ranch when Rajneesh's secretary, Ma Anand Sheela, plotted against rival cliques within the ashram as well as a range of murderous crimes against state and federal officials which feature in hit Netflix series Wild Wild Country.Yet, amidst it all, Subhuti could see the profound revolution in spirituality that Bhagwan was creating, leaving a lasting impact on our ideas about society, religion, meditation and personal transformation.According to the author's understanding, it was the controversy itself, plus Bhagwan's refusal to tread the path of a spiritual saint, that became the stepping stone to a new vision of what it means to be a spiritual seeker.

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Book Synopsis'A rare, highly detailed insider account of a "family" designed to be shut off from the world. And of Morgan, a ferocious young girl who railed hard against it.' Sunday Times'This is an unflinching and courageous memoir, exposing one of the world's most infamous cults. It's an inspiring, if at times upsetting, read.' Daily ExpressMy name is Faith Morgan and I was born into the infamous Children of God cult, or 'The Family' as it came to be known. At age 19 I managed to escape and entered a world in which I had to learn how to live again. Rebel is my story.My teenage diary helps piece the story of my travels in Costa Rica, India, Greece, Mexico, and London together. Of the communes, the 'missions', the friendships and the relationships. And of course, my enduring faith: in Jesus, in the Prophet (cult leader David Berg), and in the inevitability of the coming end times, which I fully believed would arrive.But beyond the brainwashing and mistreatment is the extraordinary story of my family and the adventures of my early life which help me understand what happened and why, so it doesn't happen to others. The spirit of that defiant girl who escaped is still in there somewhere, and through telling my story I wish to look into the eyes of 'evil', with its many faces so I can send it on its way.

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Book SynopsisThis is a novel based on a true story. Racheli is a regular American modern Orthodox girl. After her marriage, idealism brings her and her husband to Israel where they begin to build a family. Spiritual searchers, the couple falls prey to a cult. Over a period of six years, Racheli and her husband lose the ability to make their own decisions or protect their children. As a result, Racheli receives a five-year prison sentence. Eighteen months into her prison sentence, Racheli begins to understand where everything went wrong. From here, her healing begins. Upon her release, Racheli marries a prisoner who still has time to serve. With his help, she is able to rebuild herself into a vivacious, mentally and emotionally healthy woman who learns to live with the irreversible consequences of her mistakes and nourish the children and grandchildren with whom she has contact. The book was written to give hope to anyone who feels that they have fallen into a place from which they cannot escape. It shows that you can rebuild yourself and fashion a core of inner strength that will make you into a person you never dreamed you?d be.Give Me a Second Chance sheds light on the dark shadows in this world in the hopes of giving strength to those still in their own personal darkness. The book encourages readers to give a second chance to those who have fallen.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn Mormon Christianity Stephen H. Webb becomes the first respected non-Mormon theologian to explore in depth what traditional Christians can learn from the Latter-Day Saints. Richard Mouw''s recent work, Talking with Mormons, focuses on making the case that Mormons are not a cult and that Christians should tolerate them. But even Mouw, sympathetic as he is, follows all other non-Mormon theologians in declining to accept Mormons as members of the Christian family. They are not a cult, Mouw writes, but rather a religion related to be set apart from traditional Christianity. Mormons themselves are adamant that they are Christian, and eloquent writers within their own faith have tried to make this case, but no theologian outside the LDS church has ever tried to demonstrate just how Christian they are. Webb writes neither as a critic nor a defender of Mormonism but as a sympathetic observer who is deeply committed to engaging with Mormon ideas. His book is unique in taking Mormon theology sTrade ReviewMuch of this book reads like an extended love letter, not one from the lover to his beloved, but from the lover to his family explaining what he loves about her and responding to the family s objections...Webb is a readable writer, quite capable of explaining technical philosophical ideas in nonphilosophical terms...I strongly recommend Webb's book, not just to the non-Mormons at whom it is aimed but also to Mormons. Latter-day Saints will learn a great deal about Catholicism by reading it...Webb's book offers non-Mormons a love letter explaining why he loves Mormons and giving them reasons why they might also. * Mormon Studies Review *Table of ContentsContents ; Ch. 1: Mormon Envy ; Ch. 2: The Magic and Marvel of Being Mormon ; Ch. 3: What's Up with Mormons and Matter? ; Ch. 4: The Other Side of the Family Tree: Relatives or Impersonators? ; Ch. 5: Brigham Young, Philosopher of Industry ; Ch. 6: How to Heal Modernity's Mental Breakdown ; Ch. 7: The Decision ; Appendix A: Two Theological Problems that Mormonism Solves ; Appendix B: Three Philosophical Problems that Mormonism Needs to Solve ; Sources and Suggested Reading ; Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisApologetic literature emerges from minority groups seeking to come to terms with the larger cultures within which they live. Its authors are not entirely at home in either their own groups or the larger society, and their position is one with which many Christians today can sympathize. This book looks at the first Christian apologists of all.

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