Contemporary non-Christian and para-Christian cults and sects Books

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Book Synopsis''An extraordinary story'' CLOVER STROUD''Astonishing and valuable'' THE SPECTATOR''Beautifully written'' DAILY MAIL''Intensely gripping . . . as brutal and funny as it is raw and candid'' VIV GROSKOP''As vivid an account of addiction as I can remember reading'' GUARDIAN''Will resonate with anyone who has loved a difficult parent and spent a lifetime trying to work them out'' ALI MILLARWhen Lily Dunn was six years old, her father left for India to join the cult of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. She grew up enthralled by the myth of him - a brilliant, charismatic writer and entrepreneur who would appear with gifts from faraway places. Yet he was also a compulsive liar whose pursuit of transcendence took him from sex addiction, via the Rajneesh cult, to a relentless chase of money, which ended in ruin and finally addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. A daughter''s investigation into a father who was always out of reach, Sins of My FaTrade ReviewSins of My Father is Dunn's attempt to know her father, constantly on the move, impossible to rely on . . . she puts it together as if she is a detective working a long-forgotten cold case, and though its setting is very different, it reminded me of Laura Cummings' gripping memoir, On Chapel Sands . . . there is beauty in its crisp, cold clarity . . . as vivid an account of addiction as I can remember reading. Sins of My Father is a testament to the damage done, but it reads, in the end, like the slow discovery of freedom * GUARDIAN *This is a memoir of two lives: Dunn's father, who took enthusiastically to the Rajneesh cult and Dunn, whose life is overshadowed by this early abandonment. She writes with cold, controlled anger but also empathy. It's a gripping tale * THE TIMES *An extraordinary story . . . brilliantly captures the painful truth of impossible love. Sins of My Father is both page-turning and lyrical, an inspiration . . . one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time -- CLOVER STROUD, author of MY WILD AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTSConsiderable courage is needed to return to the stark, bright light of trauma in this shirking-nothing way; but writing of this intensity has delivered an astonishing and valuable memoir -- Juliet Nicolson * THE SPECTATOR *I was obsessed with Sins of My Father, a memoir which combines the emotional and the cerebral in telling the story of a life through the prism of a father's influence. The stories of the children of hippies, or parents who chose experimental lifestyles, is fascinating and fertile territory and although this story is Lily's own, she also speaks for a cohort. It is a victory of self-knowledge and compassion, as well as art -- AMY LIPTROT, author of THE OUTRUNA brutally honest consideration of toxic familial love and human frailty * i NEWSPAPER *Stunning. Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, Sins of My Father is a totally mesmerising journey through the outer limits of love -- DAVID WHITEHOUSE, author of ABOUT A SONSuperb . . . Sins of My Father is a terrific read, beautifully written and expertly structured. The book pulls off the difficult trick of laying bare just how morally bankrupt Lily's father was, while making the reader understand why she didn't give up on him until the very end * DAILY MAIL, Book of the Week *Forensic in its compassion and precise in its love: an extraordinary account of an extraordinary life that produces great empathy for the universals of human frailty -- JENN ASHWORTH, author of GHOSTEDIn Sins of My Father Lily Dunn has created an almost forensic analysis of the curse of the Charismatic Dad - on himself, his family and specifically here on his little daughter, who grows up under the desperate double shadow cast by addiction and devoted love, and finally in this memoir does all the painstaking, heartbreaking, ultimately fulfilling work that her father couldn't do -- LOUISA YOUNG, author of YOU LEFT EARLYAn intensely gripping memoir about the love between a daughter and a father. There's no end to the ways this father tests his loved ones, yet still his family keeps on trying and hoping for the best. A heart-stoppingly brilliant read that is as brutal and funny as it is raw and candid. I really wanted the craziness to stop - but I never wanted this book to end -- VIV GROSKOP, author of I LAUGHED, I CRIEDIn this compelling memoir, Lily Dunn confronts the legacies of trauma and dysfunction that surround her complicated father. She writes with searing honesty and clarity, exploring what it means to step away from the shadow of our family and find our own voice -- LULAH ELLENDER, author of ELISABETH'S LISTSSins of My Father is a moving story about a golden, gifted family and their paradise lost. About a daughter escaping the dense gravitational pull of a charismatic father through the act of writing. By turns tender and forensic, loving then fierce, this book will speak to anyone who has had to love and let go -- TANYA SHADRICK, author of THE CURE FOR SLEEPSins of My Father is a powerful, necessary, brilliantly brave book. It is superlative; it hums and flies and sings. It is moving and true -- MARINA BENJAMIN, author of INSOMNIALily Dunn manages the magic trick of rendering pain exquisite, and making beautiful the vacillation between heart and head, love and reason that characterises human relationships. The heady honesty of this book will reverberate in me for a long time -- ZOE GILBERT, author of MISCHIEF ACTSSins of My Father is a devastating work of love, pain and hope. Lily Dunn has created art and insight from chaos, joy and suffering -- SOFKA ZINOVIEFF, author of PUTNEYIn Sins of My Father Lily Dunn deftly explores the complexity of her father's choices; it's a startling book that will resonate with anyone who has loved a difficult parent and spent a lifetime trying to work them out -- ALI MILLAR, author of THE LAST DAYSUnputdownable. A love story. A horror story. The unmasking of an unfortunately still much-beloved guru. A soul-searching that can teach us much about how to analyse and escape from a cruel narcissist. It is horrifying and real and brilliantly written -- JANJA LALICH, author of ESCAPING UTOPIAWith keen insight Dunn tells her story, of a sensitive child who adores her dashing, abandoning father, who grows up, as so many adult children of narcissists do, starving for the kind of parental love and recognition a narcissist is always too self-absorbed to bestow . . . her story of healing and struggling to build a good, strong, healthy life is moving and inspiring -- DANIEL SHAW, author of TRAUMATIC NARCISSISMA notable addition to the canon of work on cults . . . At its most tender and difficult, Sins of My Father is really about the near intractable impossibility of moving beyond childhood trauma to transform a damaging legacy into something positive - and this is exactly what Dunn achieves with this remarkable book * CAUGHT BY THE RIVER *

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Book Synopsis2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime“A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” (The Boston Globe)—the definitive story of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre, the largest murder-suicide in American history, by the New York Times bestselling author of Manson.In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness. In this riveting narrative, Jeff Guinn examines Jones’s life, from his early days as an idealistic minister to a secret life of extramarital affairs, drug use, and fraudulent faith healing, before the fateful decision to move almost a thousand of his followers to a settlement in the jungles of Guyana in South America. Guinn provides stunning new details of the events leading to the fatal day in November, 1978 when more than nine hundred people died—including almost three hundred infants and children—after being ordered to swallow a cyanide-laced drink. Guinn examined thousands of pages of FBI files on the case, including material released during the course of his research. He traveled to Jones’s Indiana hometown, where he spoke to people never previously interviewed, and uncovered fresh information from Jonestown survivors. He even visited the Jonestown site with the same pilot who flew there the day that Congressman Leo Ryan was murdered on Jones’s orders. The Road to Jonestown is “the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it…The result is a disturbing portrait of evil—and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’s malign charisma” (San Francisco Chronicle).Trade Review“I have to say that it is weird to find out the background of things that I grew up hearing about around the dinner table. The level of research and detail in The Road to Jonestown is the best ever, and really lets readers understand not only what happened, but how and why. This book tells the Jim Jones story better than anything I have read to date.” -- Jim Jones, Jr.“Jeff Guinn offers what might be the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it. . . . The result is a disturbing portrait of evil — and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’ malign charisma.” -- Kevin Canfield * The San Francisco Chronicle *"A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey. . . . Generates a bizarre — dare I say Manson-like? — magnetic force that pulls the reader through its many pages. Noir thriller morphs into horror story." -- Dan Cryer * The Boston Globe *"Magisterial. . . . Guinn's exhaustive research, shrewd analysis, and engaging prose illuminate a monstrous yet tragic figure--and the motives of those who lost their souls to him." * Publishers Weekly *"A vivid, fascinating revisitation of a time and series of episodes fast receding into history even as their forgotten survivors still walk among us." * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"A powerful account of Jones's life. . . . Guinn's blow-by-blow account of Jonestown's final days in the book's last chapters is riveting." * BookPage *

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Book SynopsisImagine an age where the predictability of science and the wisdom of religion combine. Scientology is called a spiritual technology for a reason. Scientology provides tools to assist you to find your own answers to your questions about existence, your own truth about your life and you. The word Scientology comes from: Scio (Latin) 'knowing, in the fullest sense of the word', logos (Greek) 'study of'. Thus Scientology means 'knowing how to know'. Although modern life seems to pose an infinitely complex array of problems, Scientology maintains that the solutions to those problems are basically simple and within every man's reach. Difficulties with communication and interpersonal relationships, nagging insecurities, self-doubt and despair each man innately possesses the potential to be free of these and many other concerns. This book was designated by L. Ron Hubbard as the Book One of Scientology. It gives the basic philosophical principles of Scientology, and shows practical application how to improve conditions in life. It covers concepts like the relation of mind body and spirit, it gives you the analysis of what understanding consists of and how understanding can be mended or achieved, and all other essential concepts of this amazing study, merging science and spirituality.

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Book SynopsisSecrets of Voodoo traces the development of this complex religion (in Haiti and the Americas) from its sources in the brilliant civilizations of ancient Africa. This book presents a straightforward account of the gods or loas and their function, the symbols and signs, rituals, the ceremonial calendar of Voodoo, and the procedures for performing magical rites are given.“Voodoo,” derived from words meaning “introspection” and “mystery,” is a system of belief about the formation of the world and human destiny with clear correspondences in other world religions. Rigaud makes these connections and discloses the esoteric meaning underlying Voodoo’s outward manifestations, which are often misinterpreted. The book is translated from the French by Robert B. Cross and includes drawings and photographs by Odette Mennesson-Rigaud.Milo Rigaud was born in Port au Prince, Haiti, in 1903, where he spent the greater pa

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Book SynopsisOrganized in chronological order of the founding of each movement, this documentary reader brings to life new religious movements from the 18th century to the present. It provides students with the tools to understand questions of race, religion, and American religious history. Movements covered include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), the Native American Church, the Moorish Science Temple, the Nation of Islam, and more. The voices included come from both men and women. Each chapter focuses on a different new religious movement and features: - an introduction to the movement, including the context of its founding - two to four primary source documents about or from the movement - suggestions for further reading.Trade ReviewWith Race and New Religious Movements in the USA, Clark and Stoddard have produced a novel and accessible documentary reader. * Nova Religio *Featuring texts as varied as scriptures, prayers, sermons, treatises, newspaper columns, legal decisions, and FBI surveillance files, this rich collection offers invaluable insight into the significance of race in the theologies and practices of new religious movements in U.S. history. * Judith Weisenfeld, Professor of Religion, Princeton University, USA *This is a fascinating trove of primary sources from movements that are either little known or understudied. Taken together, these documents reveal a nation where the idea of racial difference is being endlessly re-examined by the religious imagination. * Joseph P. Laycock, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Texas State University, USA *This documentary reader deftly reveals the role of the production and maintenance of religious-racial categories within the long history of new and alternative American religiosity. It highlights the diversity of this process across time periods, regions, and ethnic groups. It is a welcome resource. * Benjamin E. Zeller, Associate Professor of Religion, Lake Forest College, USA *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of permissions 1. Introduction 2. The Code of Handsome Lake 3. Conjure 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5. Spiritualism 6. Ghost Dance Movement 7. Ku Klux Klan 8. Theosophy 9. Native American Church 10. Commandment Keepers 11. Moorish Science Temple 12. International Peace Mission Movement 13. Nation of Islam 14. Peoples Temple 15. Aryan Nations 16. The Nation of Yahweh 17. Odinism Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn Strange Rites, Tara Isabella Burton takes a tour through contemporary American religiosity. As the once dominant totems of civic connection and civil discourse--traditional churches--continue to sink into obsolescence, people are looking elsewhere for the intensity and unity that religion once provided. We're making our own personal faiths - theistic or not - mixing and matching our spiritual, ritualistic, personal, and political practices in order to create our own bespoke religious selves. We're not just building new religions in 2019, we're buying them, from Gwyneth Paltrow's gospel of Goop, to the brilliantly cultish SoulCycle, to those who believe in their special destiny on Mars.In so doing, we're carrying on a longstanding American tradition of religious eclecticism, DIY-innovation and "unchurched" piety (and highly effective capitalism). Our era is not the dawn of American secularism, but rather a brand-bolstered resurgence of American pluralism, revved into overdrive by commerce and personalized algorithms, all to the tune of "Hallellujah"--America's most popular and spectacularly misunderstood wedding song.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive tour of North American spiritual groups that use psychoactive drugs in the search for higher consciousness. For thousands of years, human beings around the world have used hallucinogenic plants and fungi to alter consciousness and connect with the Divine. Although such practices faded with the rise of organized religion, the last century has seen a revival of entheogen-based spirituality in North America. From LSD-powered guru Timothy Leary to cannabis-sex cults to psychedelic outlaw churches, Mike Marinacci presents a comprehensive tour of North American religious sects and spiritual groups that use entheogens and psychoactive drugs in the search for higher consciousness, mystical insight, and spiritual enlightenment. Exploring prominent churches and cults in depth, he examines the lives of their colourful leaders, the origins of their unorthodox beliefs, the controversial practices of their congregants, and their many conflicts with both law enforcement and public opinion. He looks at the Native American Church and their legal battle over their peyote rituals, the cannabis-sex temple known as the Psychedelic Venus Church, the murderous end of the LSD-therapy cult known as the Church of Naturalism, and several other major groups and temples of psychedelic spirituality. He then offers an encyclopedic survey of dozens of minor organizations, many of which have never been documented in an authoritative source before. Sharing personal interviews and anecdotes about the strange, outrageous adventures of religious psychonauts alongside rare photos and illustrations, this extensively researched study of underground psychedelic religious groups in the United States reveals their spiritual and cultural influence from the 1960s to the present day.Trade Review“A well-researched and adeptly written history of the underground spiritual movement that swept through American popular culture in the 1960s and ’70s. It’s a concise and thoroughly engaging compendium of this important subculture and a must-read for any serious student of this revolutionary and awe-inspiring time.” * Nick Schou, author of Orange Sunshine *“An essential encyclopedia of divine intoxication, documenting the dizzying parade of drug-crazed mystics and self-proclaiming prophets who’ve founded psychedelic cults and entheogenic churches over the past century. A long strange trip, indeed, from the obscure to the notorious, from the ridiculous to the sublime.” * Don Lattin, author of The Harvard Psychedelic Club *“This book not only outlines the history and central principles of well-known modern entheogenic groups like the Native American Church and the Brotherhood of Eternal Love but also pulls from the shadows of history all-but-forgotten characters. Marinacci reproduces intriguing photos from the past as well as discusses the founding scriptures of these far out religions. All future research in this area will owe a debt of gratitude to this unique, well-written volume.” * Thomas Hatsis, author of LSD—The Wonder Child *“Backed by indefatigable research, well-organized, and astonishingly comprehensive, this remarkable work brings together into one volume the true stories of the many saints and sinners, with a preponderance of the latter, who founded organizations that proclaim or proclaimed the religious value of psychedelics and who persisted under the threat and, in many cases, imposition of harsh prison sentences and confiscation of property. What is the point of all this work Marinacci has done? Why does it matter? Consider four possible positions on the issue of the religious value of psychedelics: they are a gift from God; they are a temptation from the Devil; they are both; they are neither. Whichever of these positions you choose and whatever other reasons you may give in defense, if that view is to have any hope of being the one closest to the Truth, it will have to be consistent with the history of the individuals and groups presented in this book.” * Jack Call, author of Psychedelic Christianity *“Mike Marinacci has made the exciting, detailed, and adventurous journey back in time to chronicle the psychonauts of the era. Mike searched, found, and explains in a highly readable fashion some of the histories of those who crave to know more of our reality and more than what we’re legally allowed to find out. What’s beyond the ‘Do Not Enter’ signs? You can now sit comfortably and vicariously journey through the lives of some of the most infamous seekers of the past half century with no risk involved. This book is a reminder of the relatively unknown yet important history of human potential that will likely help make you smile and wonder and appreciate even more the gift of life we’re given on planet Earth.” * Roger Christie, founder of THC Ministry and federal prisoner of the War on Cannabis *“Who other than the likes of Mike Marinacci knew there were so many psychedelics-focused groups, churches, and initiatives in our recent past, and especially in the expansive and chaotic glory days of the 1960s and ’70s? This is rich history in full color with a dose of bittersweet nostalgia for those who lived through and embraced the zeitgeist of the times; a cornucopia of inspiring, cautionary, and simply jaw-dropping true stories told in page-turning prose for younger readers and the rest of us. We owe a debt of gratitude to Mike for rescuing these invaluable segments and snippets of psychedelic and countercultural history from obscurity and giving them new life.” * Stephen Gray, editor of How Psychedelics Can Help Save the World and Cannabis and Spirituality *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword by J. Christian Greer, Ph.D. Introduction PART ONE Major SectsSuperstars of the Entheogenic Spiritual Underground ONE The Native American Church Trouble and Triumph on the Long Peyote Road TWO The Church of the Awakening Heartland Explorations in Mescaline Awareness THREE The Peyote Way Church of God Outlaw Stewards of the Magic Cactus FOUR The Oklevueha Native American Church Bringing Many Medicines to the White ManFIVE The League for Spiritual DiscoveryTurning On and Tuning In with Timothy Leary SIXThe Neo-American Church The Chief Boo Hoo Presents Massive Doses of Acid Absurdity SEVENThe Brotherhood of Eternal LoveThe Orange Sunshine Conspiracy EIGHT Shivalila The Wandering Entheogenic Tribe NINE The Church of Naturalism From LSD Rescues to L.A. Murders TEN The Church of the Tree of Life The Sacramental Garden of Legal Highs ELEVEN Temple of the True Inner Light A DPT Eucharist on the Lower East Side TWELVE The Shiva FellowshipCannabis Communion on Hippie HillTHIRTEEN The Psychedelic Venus ChurchSex, Drugs, and the Goddess of Ecstasy FOURTEENThe Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church Burning Down Babylon with Jah’s Ganja FIFTEEN The Church of the Universe Eden in the Great Green North SIXTEEN The Hawai’i Cannabis (THC) MinistryHoly Smoke in Paradise SEVENTEENThe International Church of CannabisA Gothic Church, Urban Murals, and Elevationism EIGHTEEN Ayahuasca Healings Plant Shamanism in the Internet Age PART TWO Minor SectsAn A–Z Guide from Ambrosia to Zide CONCLUSIONPsychedelic Sects From Prehistory into the Third Millennium APPENDIX Psychedelic Substances and Their Associated Sects NotesBibliography Index

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Book Synopsis'A harrowing-but-moving story' - Stylist'Raw, brave and vulnerable. Told with such clarity and purpose' - Maxine Mei-Fung Chung'A brave and deeply moving story of fierce spirit' - Dakota JohnsonBexy Cameron was in her late twenties when the dark events of her past finally caught up with her.Bexy was born into the Children of God, one of the world's most notorious cults. She was 9 years old when she experienced her first exorcism, held in a secret commune deep in the British countryside. At 10, she was placed on Silence Restriction, forced to be silent for a whole year. Even from an early age, she knew what was happening was not right. At the age of 15, she escaped, leaving behind her parents and 11 siblings.Haunted by her past, Bexy set off on a road trip across America, embedding herself in the underbelly of religious cults, living with children who, like her, are born into the worlds their parents and cult leaders have created for them.It is a journey of meth cooks, monks, Jesus Freaks, soap-making Armageddonists, surveillance vans and finally, confronting her parents and herself.Trade ReviewBexy Cameron has achieved a remarkable feat: deftly interweaving her intensely personal memoir with a wider examination of the common threads that run through cults across the world - all revealed through elegant, sharp-eyed prose. I marveled again and again at her courage, compassion and curiosity. An extraordinary book by an extraordinary woman. * Jessica Moor, author of Keeper *An unmissable memoir * Stylist *A vivid, emotional and almost unbelievable account. * The Daily Mail *'Raw, brave and vulnerable. Told with such clarity and purpose.' * Maxine Mei-Fung Chung *An extraordinary story * Christine Lampard *Astonishing... a jaw-dropping memoir * Irish Times Magazine *Powerful, beautiful and exceptionally written * Glamour Magazine *One of the most incredible stories I've ever heard * Joe Marler *Gripping and unforgettable, an incredible journey * Annie Mac *Defiantly not a misery memoir * The Times *Its rare to find writing so pure and captivating * Katie O’Connell Marsh *Its Thelma and Louise meets Wild Wild Country * Rankin *Lively and engaging, a powerful story of healing and transformation * Hunger Magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn 1981 Tim Guest was taken by his mother to a commune in a small village in Suffolk. It was modelled on the teachings of the famous Indian "guru", Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who preached an eclectic doctrine of Eastern mysticism, chaotic therapy and sexual freedom. Both were given Sanskrit names, dressed entirely in orange and instructed to completely abandon their former identities. Tim - or Yogesh, as he was now known - spent the rest of his childhood in Bhagwan's various communes in England, Oregon, Pune and Cologne. While his mother meditated, chanted and ran therapy groups, Yogesh lived a life of unsupervised freedom, occasionally catching glimpses of the strange behaviour of the adults around him. In 1985 the movement collapsed after Bhagwan's arrest and Yogesh was once again Tim, about to start life at a secondary school in North London, alone with the secret of his extraordinary childhood. In his first book, now in a new edition, Guest describes the other-worldly experience of growing up in an environment of unsupervised freedom and often disturbing adult behaviour.Trade ReviewA sweet book...[creating] a shocking but affectionate image of the Orange people * Time Out *Guest writes both touchingly and evocatively...an intriguing read * Evening Standard *A book to make you thankful for your boring childhood * Marie-Claire *A must-read, an extraordinary, harrowing, sometimes hilarious account * The Herald *Funny, gently ironic, closely observed, poignant and moving. Guest makes an astonishingly mature debut * Spectator *Guest's story seems to encapsulate the essential weirdness, not only of his childhood, but also of the period...compelling and poignant * Times Literary Supplement *Hilarious and heartbreaking, it says much for the human spirit...a beautiful written account * Daily Mail *Tim's Guest extraordinary account of his childhood is a survivor's tale, poignant, funny and wise * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis*****PERFECT FOR FANS OF 'THE COMING STORM'ONE OF THE TELEGRAPH'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR 'A chilling overview of a movement that should arguably have no place in any healthy, well-educated society.' - The Telegraph'A compelling book.' - The Guardian'The Storm Is Upon Us is an impressive piece of research and a gripping read. Rothschild's book reads like a thriller, with cliffhangers that leave you eager for the next episode. The trouble, of course, is that it's not fiction.' - The Times'For anyone who fears that the world really has 'gone mad', this book might be essential reading' - The Telegraph'An ideal tour guide for your journey into the depths of the rabbit hole that is QAnon, and even shows you a glimmer of light at the exit.' - Cullen Hoback, director of HBO's Q: Into the StormIn 2017, President Trump made a cryptic remark at a gathering of military officials, describing it as 'the calm before the storm'-then refused to explain himself to puzzled journalists. But on internet message boards, a mysterious poster called 'Q Clearance Patriot' began an elaboration all of their own.Q's wild yarn hinted at a vast conspiracy that satisfied the deepest desires of MAGA-America. None of Q's predictions came to pass. But did that stop people from clinging to every word, expanding Q's mythology, and promoting it ever more widely? No.Conspiracy culture expert Mike Rothschild is uniquely equipped to explain QAnon, from the cults that first fed into it, to its embrace by Trump and the right-wing media. With families torn apart and with the Capitol under attack, he argues that mocking the madness of QAnon will get us nowhere. Instead, he argues that QAnon tells us everything we need to know about global fear after Trump-and that we need to understand it now, because it's not going away.Trade Review'I hope everyone reads this book. It has become such a crucial thing for all of us to understand.' * Erin Burnett, CNN *'Rothschild's book is a sobering look at how the QAnon phenomenon began, and how it spread online to become a sort of all-encompassing conspiracy movement.' * VICE *Compelling, comprehensive, meticulously-documented. * Booklist, Starred Review *Rothschild provides an enlightening history of the QAnon conspiracy theory... a disturbing and well-informed look at the darker side of modern American politics * Publisher’s Weekly *Timely and chilling ... Rothschild is brilliant at outlining the process by which people who were not previously drawn to political extremism come to see themselves as "patriotic researchers", able to see patterns in the information that is fed to them. * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAliens, nuclear war and talking dolphins; this book is a study of the weird and wonderful world of the PosadistsTrade Review'Under the grim pressures of 20th century history, and now climate change, Gittlitz shows how explosions of black political humour also contain utopian hopes very necessary to keep alive. As an advocate of Partially Automated Adequate Socialism I can only agree, and applaud this fine addition to leftist history' -- Kim Stanley Robinson, award-winning author of the Mars Trilogy'While Posadism is often treated as a political curiosity, quickly set aside, Gittlitz skillfully paints J. Posadas and his followers in all their depth and complexity: paranoid, idealistic, cultish, fractious, bizarre, proud, far-reaching dreamers. In their bizarre, sometimes revolutionary own ways, they fought for a more just world, one that could finally join the ranks of a far more advanced fraternity awaiting them in the galaxy' -- Anna Merlan, author of 'Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power''An absolute treat. As well as a brilliantly researched biography of Posadas, and a very witty one, it does far more than lampoon him. Rather, it uses his story (and its legendarisation in meme culture) to provide really valuable reflection on revolutionary hope, cults, and the role of irony and despair in the millennial-left milieu' -- David Broder, author of 'First They Took Rome: How the Populist Right Conquered Italy''This book has it all: Trotskyist drama, South American revolutions and aliens from inner and outer space. What's not to like?' -- McKenzie Wark, author of 'Capital Is Dead: Is This Something Worse?''A provocative and clear-eyed account of communist lunacy, its costs, and why we might need it anyway' -- Malcolm Harris, author of 'Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials''I Want to Believe is most compelling in its consideration of how Posadist ideals live on today, beyond the meme-centric irony and vaporwave aesthetics of the extremely online left' -- Baffler'Gittlitz has recovered an unlikely left-wing hero for these febrile times... and is an able navigator through the ensuing alphabet soup of Trotskyist organisations he travels through' -- Morning Star'Gittlitz does so well in weaving the life of Posadas with the enclosed parallel universe of Trotskyism he created' -- Socialist Resistance'If you find yourself afflicted by capitalist realism, a dip into I Want to Believe and the world of Posadism might be just the thing for you' -- Social Review'There is no reason the left shouldn’t engage in the occasional indulgence of UFOwatching alongside the hard work of organising' -- Dawn Foster‘A cautionary political tale of a radical post-war tendency marked by zealous fanaticism, an enigmatic insurgent horizon caught between utopia and annihilation and the cruellest of gaps separating sincere revolutionary desire and delusional irrelevance’ -- ‘ROAR’Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: THE TRAGIC CENTURY 1. Commentaries on the Infancy of Comrade Posadas 2. Revolutionary Youth or Patriotic Youth? 3. The Death Throes of Capitalism 4. The Origins of Posadism 5. Where are we Going? PART II: THE POSADIST FOURTH INTERNATIONAL 6. The Flying International 7. The Role of Anti-Imperialist and Revolutionary Militants, the Role of Trotskyists, the Program, and Tasks During and After the Atomic War 8. The Macabre Farce of the Supposed Death of Guevara 9. Flying Saucers, the Process of Matter and Energy, Science, the Revolutionary and Working-Class Struggle, and the Socialist Future of Mankind 10. The Accident 11. Hombrecitos 12. Volver 13. What Exists Cannot Be True 14. Arrival of Comrade Homerita to the House PART III: NEO-POSADISM 15. Historical Sincerity 16. Why Don’t Extraterrestrials Make Public Contact? 17. UFOs to the People 18. On the Function of the Joke and Irony in History Timeline Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn this revised and updated version of the top-selling Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses (more than 90,000 copies sold), author and Bible expert Ron Rhodes helps readers delve into the Bible and use practical tools to share God's truths confidently with those who come calling.

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Book SynopsisWhat is a new religious movement, and why is the study of New Religious Movements in North America important? This book explores these key questions and introduces some of the key theoretical concerns when discussing new religious movements, known more pejoratively as cults.Among the new religious movements explored in this book are the Church of Scientology, the Branch Davidians, the Nation of Islam, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Topics covered include yoga, contemporary wellness and spirituality, the American Atheist, environmentalism, Covid-19, and the anti-cult movement in America. All of these examples are explored with an eye to answering not only what new religious movements are but why it is important to learn and talk about new religious movements.Over 75 illustrations are included throughout and each chapter contains suggested further reading and a glossary of key terms and concepts.The chapters in this book were fir

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Book SynopsisFinalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Analytical-Descriptive Studies, given by the American Academy of Religion A comprehensive collection of the pioneering work of Leonard Norman Primiano, one of the preeminent scholars in religious studies In 1995, Leonard Norman Primiano introduced the idea of "vernacular religion." He coined this term to overcome the denigration implied in the concept of "folk religion" or "popular religion," which was juxtaposed to "elite religion." This two-tiered model suggested that religion existed somewhere in a pure form and that the folk version transforms it. Instead, Primiano urged scholars to adopt an inductive approach to the study of religion and to pay attention to experiential aspects of belief systems, ultimately redressing a heritage of scholarly misinterpretation. Here for the first time, Leonard Norman Primiano's pioneering works have been collected into one volume, providing a foundational look at one of the preeminent scholars of twentieth-century religious studies. Vernacular Religion makes visible the dimensions of vernacular religion in North America, exemplifying the richness of its ability to explain key facets of American society, including especially thorny issues around race and sexuality. The volume also demonstrates a method of abiding engagement, the creation of ongoing relationships with those who are studied, and how the relationship between scholars and the communities they study inform an ethics of critical commitmentwhat Primiano calls an "ethnography of collaboration and reciprocity." This posthumous collection, edited by Deborah Dash Moore, brings together key studies in vernacular religion that explore its expression among such varied groups as Catholics, LGBTQ Christians, and the followers of Father Divine. Vernacular Religion models empathetic ethnographic engagement that embraces American religion in all its rich diversity, illuminating Primiano's enduring legacy.Trade ReviewReading this work, I feel nothing so much as grateful that someone had the idea to do this ‘collected works’ project. . . . Primiano’s study of Dignity is the best work on Dignity. His study of the Peace Mission is the best work on Father Divine. . . . This volume not only collects important essays, but also reflects to the field more of itself, a part that has been missing or under-told to this point. -- Julie Byrne, Monsignor Thomas J. Hartman Chair in Catholic Studies and Professor in the Department of Religion, Hofstra UniversityThis impressive volume persuasively recommends and gorgeously exemplifies a nuanced courageous scholarship of human engagement and commitment. -- Sally M. Promey, Director, Center for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion, Yale UniversityThe collection is compelling, with rich ethnographic details, and represents a major contribution to the field as a body of work. -- Jodi Eichler-Levine, Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization and Professor of Religion Studies, Lehigh University

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Book SynopsisStories of witchcraft and demonic possession from early modern England through the last official trials in colonial New EnglandThose possessed by the devil in early modern England usually exhibited a common set of symptoms: fits, vomiting, visions, contortions, speaking in tongues, and an antipathy to prayer. However, it was a matter of interpretation, and sometimes public opinion, if these symptoms were visited upon the victim, or if they came from within. Both early modern England and colonial New England had cases that blurred the line between witchcraft and demonic possession, most famously, the Salem witch trials. While historians acknowledge some similarities in witch trials between the two regions, such as the fact that an overwhelming majority of witches were women, the histories of these cases primarily focus on local contexts and specifics. In so doing, they overlook the ways in which manhood factored into possession and witchcraft cases. Vexed with DTrade ReviewGassers reading of these texts is close, careful, and extensiveGassers contribution to this scholarship is noteworthy. She provides a corrective to the direction that many previous studies took investigating mostly women, perhaps even women only- and failing to appreciate the attitudes about manhood that affected the outcomes of so many witchcraft cases. * Nova Religio *Vexed with Devils brings together a number of key attributes: an important topic approached through excellent research involving a broad range of early modern texts and secondary historical scholarship. Erika Gasser is to be congratulated on a broad and detailed survey of material, which is well-expressed and interesting to read. -- Marion Gibson,Professor of Renaissance and Magical Literatures, University of Exeter, Penryn CampusWriting a few years ago, Alison Rowlands urged scholars to do more research into the 'extent to which the prosecution of witches was imagined, carried out, and justified as an expression of godly, dutiful, patriarchal manhood.' Gasser's book is a necessary response: a convincing treatment. * Times Literary Supplement *While much attention has focused on the place of women in the witch trials, in Vexed with Devils, Erika Gasser...shifts focus to look at the lesser studied place of men in these incidents...[Her discussions]add additional depth to our comprehension of how issues of gender impacted not just the trials themselves, but also the broader societal discussion regarding the presence of witchcraft and possession in early modern society. * Reading Religion *Gasser argues that demonic and witchcraft possession cases throughout the Anglo-American world functioned as a form of social policing during the early modern period...Anyone seeking a fresh perspective on, and deeper understanding of, such possession accounts will not be disappointed. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book Synopsis'Such a good read' Val McDermid 'Absorbing, moving, and alarmingly believable' Carole Johnstone, author of Mirrorland 'Home is a white-hot gem of a book; brilliantly researched, so gripping and propulsive you’ll want to consume it in one go' Kirstin Innes, author of Scabby Queen Someone has broken into Zoe’s flat. A man she thought she’d never have to see again. They call him the Hand of God. He knows about her job in the cafe, her life in Dublin, her ex-girlfriend, even the knife she’s hidden under the mattress. She thought she’d left him far behind, along with the cult of the Children and their isolated compound Home – but now he’s found her, and Zoe realises she must go back with him if she's to rescue the sister who helped her escape originally. But returning to Home means going back to the enforced worship and strict gender roles Zoe has long since moved beyond. Back to the abuse and indoctrination she’s fought desperately to overcome... Going back will make her question everything she believed about her past – and risk her hard-won freedom. Can she break free a second time? 'An absolute triumph.... I found myself holding my breath, hoping for the best for her, while expecting the worst. Highly recommended' Laura Shepperson, author of forthcoming debut THE HEROINESTrade ReviewSuch a good read -- Val McDermidHighly engrossing * Heat *Really entertaining and pacy and fun to read, while still playing in that serious emotional territory -- Sara Taylor, author of THE SHORE and THE LAURASHome by Cailean Steed is an absolute triumph, an accomplished and confident debut that is not afraid to examine the dark side of cultish manipulation, while not losing sight of the heart of the story, the vulnerability of those taken advantage of. No-one is more vulnerable than Zoe, the escapee who was born into the cult. I found myself holding my breath, hoping for the best for her, while expecting the worst. Highly recommended -- Laura Shepperson, author of forthcoming debut PHAEDRAA daring debut ... Intoxicating, powerful and very visceral. Stunning prose, very dark but also filled with hope and love centred around identity and the struggle to find a sense of belonging. I was desperate for a happy ending -- Caron McKinlay, author of THE STORYTELLERSAbsorbing, moving, and alarmingly believable, Home is an unforgettable story about identity, family, and the terrifying dynamics of a cult -- Carole Johnstone, author of MIRRORLANDA totally original debut that I couldn’t stop thinking about and talking about while I read. Believable characters with distinct and unforgettable voices that drew me in and kept me reading far too late into the night. A thought-provoking, moving and clever novel that will stay with me -- Emma Christie, author of THE SILENT DAUGHTER and FIND HER FIRSTI don't remember the last time I rooted for a character more than I did for Zoe. The novel is original, captivating and packs a punch. The world of HOME is so well built, the reader is there with Zoe the whole time, and feeling the same frustrations and obligations Zoe does. Such a great read -- Hannah King, author of SHE AND IHome is a white-hot gem of a book; brilliantly researched, so gripping and propulsive you’ll want to consume it in one go, but also glowingly, humanly real - a gorgeous work of empathy and psychological verisimilitude. Cailean Steed is destined for great things -- Kirstin Innes, author of SCABBY QUEENA thought-provoking exploration of power, cult mentality and identity. A propulsive and compelling debut -- Rachelle Atalla, author of THE PHARMACISTTense, dark and intriguing, HOME hooked me from the first page. I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for Zoe all the way through. A compelling debut -- Mahi Cheshire, author of DEADLY CUREThis book has got it all. Queer representation, breakneck pacing, and an intricate, thrilling storyline. There's so much to this story, layer upon layer of insightful, arresting prose, and I suspect the characters will stay with me for a while. Some reviewers have complained about the dual POV, but I just love it when two strands come together at once. The ending was incredibly satisfying and every thread was tied up perfectly -- Vikki Patis, author of Return to Blackwater HouseA thought-provoking depiction of cult life … A very original debut … One to watch * Irish Independent *Masterfully written … both enthralling and disturbing in equal turns * The Scots Magazine *Page turner, well written and interesting * Scotland on Sunday *While Cults are far from new, they currently hold a particular interest for writers and filmmakers… Steed has done their research and the cult aspects of the novel ring true * New Zealand Listener *An alarmingly compelling story about searching for and finding the truth * Good Reading Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe studies in this volume concentrate on a complex set of socio-cultural phenomena, the cult of saints, in a variety of regions from Egypt to Poland, with a focus on Italy and Central Europe. The subjects of the contributions range in time from the fourth until the eighteenth century. The diversity of approaches adopted by the contributors—from literary analysis and historical anthropology to archaeology and art history—represents that open and multidisciplinary historical research that characterizes the work of Gábor Klaniczay to whom these essays are dedicated.Table of ContentsPreface by Jacques Le Goff List of Abbreviations Marianne SÁGHY: Pope Damasus and the Beginnings of Roman Hagiography Ildikó CSEPREGI: Theological Self-Definition in Byzantine Miraculous Healing Cristian-Nicolae GAŞPAR: (Re)claiming Adalbert: Patristic Quotations and Their Function in Canaparius’ Vita S. Adalberti Patrick GEARY: “Pull you Sons of Whores! ”Linguistic Register and Reform in the Legend of St. Clement János BAK: Hagiography and Chronicles André VAUCHEZ: Hagiography and Biography: The Case of St. Francis of Assisi Péter BOKODY: Idolatry or Power: St. Francis in Front of the Sultan Stanko ANDRIC: Blessed John of France, the First Franciscan Minister Provincial in Hungary, and his Miracles József LASZLOVSZKY: Material Culture and Everyday Life in the Acts of Canonization and Legends of St.Margaret Viktória DEÁK: The Techniques of a Hagiographer: The Two Legendae of Saint Margaret of Hungary Dávid FALVAY: St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Italian Vernacular Literature (Thirteenth to Fifteenth Centuries) Stanislava KUZMOVÁ: Division and Reintegration of St. Stanislaus: A Political Analogy in Sermons? Balázs NAGY: Saints, Names, and Identities: The Case of Charles IV of Luxemburg Ernő MAROSI: Saints at Home and Abroad: Some Observations on the Creation of Iconographic Types in Hungary of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries Béla Zsolt SZAKÁCS: Palatine Lackfi and his Saints: Frescos in the Franciscan Church of Keszthely Gerhard JARITZ: Late Medieval Saints and the Visual Representation of Rural Space György GALAMB: Sainthood in the Propaganda of Mendicant Orders: The Case of the Dialogus contra fraticellos of James of the Marches Ottó GECSER: Sermons on St. Sebastian after the Black Death Emőke NAGY: “Had She Born Ten Daughters, She would have Named them All Mary Because of the Kindness of the First Mary.” St. Anne in the Sermons of Two Late Medieval Hungarian Preachers Petra MUTLOVA: The Cult of the Saints in the Bohemian Reformation: The Question of Images Marina MILADINOV: Madonna of Loreto as a Target of Reformation Critique: Peter Paul Vergerius the Younger Benedek LÁNG: Saint Christopher, the Patron of Treasure-Hunters List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisJenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org—the church's highest ministry, speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.In this tell-all memoir, complete with family photographs from her time in the Church, Jenna Miscavige Hill, a prominent critic of Scientology who now helps others leave the organization, offers an insider's profile of the beliefs, rituals, and secrets of the religion that has captured the fascination of millions, including some of Hollywood's brightest stars such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

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Book SynopsisOffers a comprehensive study of the life, teachings, and following of the controversial Indian guru known in his youth as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and in his later years as Osho (1931-1990). Based on extensive ethnographic and archival research, it is suitable for anyone interested in religion and globalization.Trade Review"This book is a must... Smoothly written and accessible, without bias." OshoNewsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Introduction: Gurus, God-Men, and Globalization 1. "India's Most Dangerous Guru": Rajneesh and India after Independence 2. "Beware of Socialism!" The "Anti-Gandhi" and the Early Rajneesh Community in the 1970s 3. "From Sex to Superconsciousness": Sexuality, Tantra, and Liberation in 1970s India 4. "The Messiah America Has Been Waiting For": Rajneeshpuram in 1980s America 5. "Osho": The Apotheosis of a Fallen Guru in 1990s India 6. OSHO(R)? The Struggle over Osho's Legacy in the Twenty-First Century Conclusion: The Spiritual Logic of Late Capitalism Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHandbook for Preclears follows L. Ron Hubbard’s book “Self Analysis”. Both books contain easy to do methods of discovering your own mind, and increasing a person’s ability to utilize considerably more of his mental potential. Discover why behavior patterns become so solidly fixed; why habits seemingly can’t be broken; how decisions long ago have more power over a person than his decisions today; and why a person keeps past negative experiences in the present.

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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 SynopsisA prophetic warning against the foolishness of crusades, John Gray''s Black Mass challenges our belief in human progress. Our conventional view of history is wrong. It is founded on a pernicious myth of an achievable utopia that in the last century alone caused the murder of tens of millions. In Black Mass John Gray tears down the religious, political and secular beliefs that we insist are fundamental to the human project, examines the interaction of terrorism, declining world resources, environmental change, human myths of redemption and a flawed belief in Western democracy, and shows us how a misplaced faith in our ability to improve the world has actually made it far worse. ''Brilliant, frightening, devastating''  John Banville, Guardian ''A brilliant polemic ... Gray''s most powerful argument yet''  J.G. Ballard, Guardian, Books of the Year ''Causes vertigo when it d

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Book SynopsisBased on media reports, it appears that there has been an exponential gain in religious cults throughout the world. But who are these ersatz religions and what are they up to. This important book illuminates their activities, backgrounds and aims. This work is most informative about cults, particularly about cult intrusions on the religious scene. The infiltrations are revealed in this book through an in-depth look at major areas of religious concern (i.e. fundamentalism, fanaticism). Many procedures seen in conventional religions have been adopted by cults. The search for remedies to the cult problem finds scarce resources available. Individual case histories are presented and offer a measure of hope in breaking free from a cult. Among a number of disturbing issues the disruption engineered between the recruits and their families continues to be of paramount concern.

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Book SynopsisIn the Spring of 1993, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. A 51-day standoff ensued. Known as the Waco Siege, it has become a founding myth of the extreme wing of American conservatism, invoked by militiamen, gun rights advocates, and the alt-right. The leader of the evangelical sect, an extreme form of Seventh-Day Adventism, was David Koresh. Born Vernon Howell, he was a preacher, interpreter of the Bible, and obsessed with the coming of the Apocalypse. A charismatic but highly volatile man, he was a former victim of sexual abuse who himself became a sexual predator on a large scale, exploiting many of the women in his compound. Koresh is Stephan Talty’s extraordinary, meticulous narration of the events that led up to the Waco Siege. Drawing on new sources, FBI negotiation tapes, and interviews with family and friends, this definitive biography explores how Koresh grew from a young man to a cult leader, and investigates why the siege has become an enduring symbol for radical opponents of the democratic state.Trade Review'A searing account...This well-researched and enlightening book is un-put-downable. * Publishers Weekly *Koresh reads like a fever dream, with the quality of a timeless tragedy... if you think you know what really happened at Waco and why, think again. * Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road *Someday, when this book gets made into a blockbuster movie, you will say that the book was better. * A.J. Baime, author of The Accidental President *Burns with timely relevance and urgency... will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. * Gilbert King, author of Devil in the Grove *Clear-eyed and compelling. * Dick Lehr, author of Black Mass *Exposes not only the tragedy’s causes but embers that still burn today. * Mara Leveritt, author of Devil's Knot *PRAISE FOR STEPHAN TALTY: 'Gripping... A valuable recounting of a lurid and little-known episode in American history' Washington Post. 'Part Holocaust history, part detective case, part spy operation, The Good Assassin is an enthralling book... Stephan Talty paints vivid, often chilling, portraits of its vengeful hero, Mossad agent Jacob Medad' Neal Bascomb. 'Compelling... Talty remains true to his technique, delivering thoroughly researched, engrossing non-fiction in a thriller-like narrative style' Kirkus. 'Talty captures the chilling realities of bloody battlefields, tense war rooms and besieged London... Elegantly crafted' Wall Street Journal. 'Thrilling... An extraordinary crime story with a genuine American hero too long forgotten' * Dallas Morning News *

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Book SynopsisFor many people Dionysos is an obscure Greek god of wine and theatre. For others he is so much more. The Dionysian Spirit examines, in an easy and accessible form, the essence of what Dionysos is all about, both as a deity and as a cultural and social force. It looks at the relation of Dionysos with his opposite number Apollo. The twin gifts of Apollos and Dionysos are ekstasis (ecstasy) and entheos (enthusiasm) and have informed and enlivened our lives and cultures from ancient times right to the present day and beyond. The Dionysian Spirit like the art of a good party has always been with us and now, in many ways, we need it more than ever.

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Book SynopsisOhio housewife Sherry Shriner grew to prominence as a social media cult leader, flourishing in the era of conspiracy theories and the 9/11 Truther movement. She preached the virtues of mysterious orgone energy and Christian prayer as defensive shields against the forces of darkness, including: Lucifer and his demons; reptilian shapeshifters masquerading as human elites; the New World Order; cell phone towers; even hostile UFOs that flamed out over her home, visible only as shooting stars. Amazingly, she built a coterie of passionate devotees. The more outrageous the lie, the more fervent their belief. In 2017, she told follower Steven Mineo that his girlfriend, Barbara Rogers, was a witch who would kill him. A month later, Steven was dead, and Barbara was in jail charged with his murder. Steven's death proved Sherry's divinity to her followers, but in reality, he was just the latest casualty in a string of online trolling attacks that had left an earlier believer dead of suicide and still more cast into the outer darkness of cyberspace.

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Book SynopsisThe Scientology Handbook offers tools to overcome problems and achieve a more fulfilling and happier life. For no matter the situation, something "can" be done about it. Life's everyday difficulties and challenges can be overwhelming. Whether it's a failed marriage, trouble raising a child, problems on the job or simply the desire to achieve your goals, where do you turn for help? Scientology has answers. What's more, it provides an exact technology with step-by-step procedures anyone can apply to handle life's difficulties and to better conditions for yourself and those around you.This book offers an introduction to basic Scientology principles -- tools you can use to improve any aspect of life.

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Book SynopsisThe book is written around the "Chart of Human Evaluation" - a chart that makes it possible to predict how reliable or trustworthy a person will be. This is essential knowledge for anyone, be it to chose his personal friends and relationships, or be to select personnel for a job. The book further covers methods of improving a person's IQ, emotional tone and abilities through further developments from Dianetics.

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Book SynopsisHandbook for Preclears follows L. Ron Hubbard's book "Self Analysis". Both books contain easy to do methods of discovering your own mind, and increasing a person's ability to utilize considerably more of his mental potential. Discover why behavior patterns become so solidly fixed; why habits seemingly can't be broken; how decisions long ago have more power over a person than his decisions today; and why a person keeps past negative experiences in the present.

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Book SynopsisImagine an age where the predictability of science and the wisdom of religion combine. Scientology is called a spiritual technology for a reason. Scientology provides tools to assist you to find your own answers to your questions about existence, your own truth about your life and you. The word Scientology comes from: Scio (Latin) 'knowing, in the fullest sense of the word', logos (Greek) 'study of'. Thus Scientology means 'knowing how to know'. Although modern life seems to pose an infinitely complex array of problems, Scientology maintains that the solutions to those problems are basically simple and within every man's reach. Difficulties with communication and interpersonal relationships, nagging insecurities, self-doubt and despair each man innately possesses the potential to be free of these and many other concerns. This book was designated by L. Ron Hubbard as the Book One of Scientology. It gives the basic philosophical principles of Scientology, and shows practical application how to improve conditions in life. It covers concepts like the relation of mind body and spirit, it gives you the analysis of what understanding consists of and how understanding can be mended or achieved, and all other essential concepts of this amazing study, merging science and spirituality.

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Book Synopsis“HUXLEY''S MASTERPIECE AND PERHAPS THE MOST ENJOYABLE BOOK ABOUT SPIRITUALITY EVER WRITTEN. .” — Washington Post Book WorldAldous Huxley''s brilliant (Los Angeles Times) and gripping account of one of the strangest occurrences in history, hailed as the peak achievement of Huxley’s career by the New York TimesIn 1632 an entire convent in the small French village of Loudun was apparently possessed by the devil. After a sensational and celebrated trial, the convent''s charismatic priest Urban Grandier—accused of spiritually and sexually seducing the nuns in his charge—was convicted of being in league with Satan. Then he was burned at the stake for witchcraft.A remarkable true story of religious and sexual obsession, The Devils of Loudon is considered by many to be Brave New World author Aldous Huxley''s nonfiction masterpiece.

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Book SynopsisAre religious fringe movements a recent phenomeon in American history? Are widespread fears of mass suicides, sexual abuse, and brainwashing in cults justified? Do marginalized religious groups play any positive role in American spiritual life? Do the panics over such groups follow any discernible pattern? Phillip Jenkins gives fascinating--and surprising--answers to these and many other questions in Mystics and Messiahs, the first full account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history. Jenkins shows that, contrary to popular belief, cults were by no means an invention of the 1960s. In fact, most of the frightening images and stereotypes surrounding fringe religious movements are traceable to the mid-nineteenth century when Mormons, Freemasons, and even Catholics were vehemently denounced for supposed ritualistic violence, fraud, and sexual depravity. As Charles Ferguson observed in 1928, America has always been the sanctuary of amazing cults. But America has also been the homeTrade ReviewWhere the multiplication of sects was characteristic of just one phase of English history, the mid seventeenth century, such multiplication has been a constant feature of American history. This book is an engaging examination of that divesity. * Ecclesiastical History, vol. 52/4 *Jenkins is to be commended for his thoroughness and his evenhandedness in describing and comparing heterodox religious movements. * Todd Breyfogle, Reviews in Religion and Theology, Vol 8, Issue 3, June 2001 *With unusual insight and religious sensitivity, Jenkins explores the origins, development, and lines of continuity over time to various non-mainstream religious beliefs and practices in America ... Jenkins' account is learned and engaging to read; a helpful index makes it easy to find a discussion of whatever sect or movement - however conventional or quirky - the reader happens to fancy. The scope of the narrative is remarkable ... He effortlessly weaves together comparable stories from America's checkered religious past. * Todd Breyfogle, Reviews in Religion and Theology, Vol 8, Issue 3, June 2001 *a book that is not only highly readable but also sheds important light on the development of alternative religions in the Western world. * Church of England Newspaper, 8th Sept, 2000. *Perhaps this book will do some good by encouraging us to be more selective and discriminating in our response to them [cults]. * Church of England Newspaper, 8th Sept. 2000. *Always stimulating * Patrick Allitt, TLS *

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Book SynopsisThree decades after leaving the Mormon faith, Latayne Colvett Scott looks back to her original journey out of Mormonism and the reasons why she left. Revised and updated, this third edition of The Mormon Mirage presents both a fascinating inside look at Mormonism and new and formidable evidence against its claims and teachings.

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