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

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Book SynopsisAs seen in Season Two of the HBO docuseries THE VOWThey draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labor. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a cult run by Keith Raniere and many enablers. Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman uncovers how dozens of women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities instead were blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world.

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Book SynopsisThe untold story of the intersecting lives of the Reverend Jim Jones and Harvey Milk—marking the 40th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre and Milk’s assassination November 1978. The Reverend Jim Jones, the darling of the San Francisco political establishment, orchestrates the murders and suicides of 918 people at a remote jungle outpost in South America. Days later, Harvey Milk, one of America’s first openly gay elected officials—and one of Jim Jones’s most vocal supporters—is assassinated in San Francisco’s City Hall. This horrifying sequence of events shocked the world. Almost immediately, the lives and deaths of Jim Jones and Harvey Milk became shrouded in myth. The distortions and omissions have piled up since. Now, forty years later, this book corrects the record. The product of a decade of research, including extensive archival work and dozens of exclusive interviews, Cult City reveals just how confused our understanding has become. In life, Jim Jones enjoyed the support of prominent politicians and Hollywood stars even as he preached atheism and communism from the pulpit; in death, he transforms into a fringe figure, a “fundamentalist Christian,” and a “fascist.” In life, Harvey Milk faked hate crimes, outed friends, and falsely claimed that the U.S. Navy dishonorably discharged him over his homosexuality; in death, he is honored in an Oscar-winning movie, with a California state holiday, and with a U.S. Navy ship named for him. His assassin, a blue-collar Democrat who often voted with Milk in support of gay issues, is remembered as a right-winger and a homophobe. But the story extends far beyond Jones and Milk. Author Daniel J. Flynn vividly portrays the strange intersection of mainstream politics and murderous extremism in 1970s San Francisco—the hangover after the high of the Summer of Love. In recounting the fascinating, intersecting stories of Jim Jones and Harvey Milk, Cult City tells the story of a great city gone horribly wrong.

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Book Synopsis“In this bold, analytical, and readable book, Miles names names and dismantles the fallacy of progressive Christianity.”—ERIC METAXAS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Host of the Nationally Syndicated Eric Metaxas Radio ShowToday’s social justice movements call for equality, civil rights, love . . . solid Christian values, right? What if there is more to social justice than Christians understand? Even worse: What if we have been duped into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God?Woke Jesus uncovers the real dangers to Christianity and America from the Christian Left, Progressive or Woke Christianity. These radical alternatives abandon traditional biblical interpretations regarding marriage, gender, racial equality, justice, original sin, heaven and hell, and salvation, replacing them within a new fabricated morality. This fabrication is built around political correctness, cancel culture, hedonistic values, obsession with public health, allegiance to the leftist state, universalism, and virtue signaling.Author Lucas Miles— a pastor and trusted voice in the American church who has consistently addressed some of the most challenging topics in religion—not only outlines how the radical left wing is co-opting Jesus for their own anti-religious views, but also provides a call to action for Christians to resist the siren song of social justice and Wokeism. Rather than ignoring the problems within the church, Miles shows Christians how to grow in the truth of God’s word by expanding their understanding of solid orthodox theology. The church’s best days are still ahead!Trade ReviewPraise for WOKE JESUS: The False Messiah Destroying Christianity by Lucas Miles"In this bold, analytical, and readable book, Miles names names and dismantles the fallacy of progressive Christianity." — Eric Metaxas, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Host of the Nationally Syndicated Eric Metaxas Radio Show"Everyone knows that wokeism is a disease, but most have not understood it properly enough to offer a cure. WOKE JESUS provides us with the historical facts and biblical insight necessary to dismantle the lies of wokeism, as well as offer a solution to eradicate it, rooted in a true understanding of truth, justice, and freedom in Christ. This is a must read for every Bible-believing American." — Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Director, Producer, and Author "In his newest book, WOKE JESUS, Miles provides all of us with a roadmap to understanding the theology behind wokeism and the tools needed to reject it where it stands. If you've been looking for a book to help you understand the times and what to do about it, do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy!" — Abby Johnson, Former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director; Founder, And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries“This book should be on the desk of every Christian leader, because we can’t keep ignoring the threat, and this information is a roadmap for the way out.” — Phil Cooke, Ph.D., Author of The Way Back: How Christians Blew Our Credibility and How We Get It Back“Miles understands dangerous woke trend and has been bravely leading the fight against progressive ideology within the church. I believe in his work and pray that believers everywhere give ear to his message.” — Dr. Jim Garlow, CEO of Well Versed“WOKE JESUS is a must read for the modern day Christian.” — Lyndsay Keith, Newsmax Anchor, Co-Host Spicer&Co.“WOKE JESUS is an essential read!” — Kevin McGary, Founder, Every Black Life Matters (EBLM)“Resource every Christian needs, not only in their library, but also in their heart.” — David and Jason Benham, Best Selling Authors and nationally acclaimed entrepreneurs“A masterful job weaving church history with biblical theology in a clear and practical way that will open your eyes to encounter and embrace Jesus Christ that is consistent with Scripture.” — Jason Jimenez, Founder and President of STAND STRONG Ministries, Author, Challenging Conversations: A Practical Guide to Discuss Controversial Topics in the Church“Every conservative, Christian, Catholic and Jewish thought leader in this nation needs this book!” — Dave Dias, Chairman, Foundations of Freedom“Wow! This one is an eye-opener. Extremely well-researched and powerful!” — Edgar Struble, Producer, The Heart Mender; Music Director, The Academy of Country Music Awards“However well intended, Wokeism actually creates the very injustices it’s supposed to end, hurting the most vulnerable people while dividing church and country. Lucas Miles exposes this and provides a liberating, Christ-centered way forward.” — Dr. Frank Turek, coauthor I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, President CrossExamined.org“Scripture presents Jesus as the Son of God who is truth incarnate. In the last few decades, though, Jesus has undergone a ‘makeover’ at the hands of racialist theorists, Marxist political thinkers, and modern-day Gnostics. Christian filmmaker and pastor Lucas Miles calls their bluff.” — Jeff Myers, Ph.D., President, Summit Ministries“Bad ideas die unless empowered by Dark Money. Lucas Miles brilliantly explains both. Read this book, a golden key, an arsenal of truth and light. Then, enter the war for the Church and nations. For God’s glory.” — Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Author, Finding God at Harvard, Founder, the Veritas Forum"It's vital that Christians and especially, those affected by the powerless woke church, read this book!" — Anna Khait, Evangelist, Conservative, and former contestant on CBS’ Survivor“From CRT and wokism to the destructive injustice of the “moral” left, Lucas’ latest work is an intellectual smack down of the cancerous philosophies and heresies that have infiltrated every sector of American culture” — Rick Green, America’s Constitution Coach & Founder of Patriot Academy“If you’re looking for straightforward answers about how we arrived at this perfect storm, and how we can reverse course, I highly recommend this book.” — John L. Cooper, singer of Skillet, author of Awake And Alive To Truth, host of The Cooper Stuff PodcastTable of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS to WOKE JESUS: The False Messiah Destroying Christianity by Lucas Miles Introduction Page 3Chapter 1 Jesus the Luminous Page 6Chapter 2 The Historical Jesus Page 18Chapter 3 God and Race Page 31Chapter 4 Critical Race Theory Page 42 Chapter 5 The School of Woke Page 53Chapter 6 Parishes and Plagues Page 65Chapter 7 True Religion and the New Morality of the Left Page 78Chapter 8 A Theology of Justice Page 91Chapter 9 The Quest for the Biblical Christ Page 103Chapter 10 Missio Dei and the Renewal of the World Page 116About the Author Page 129

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Book SynopsisMania surrounding messianic prophets has defined the national consciousness since the American Revolution. From Civil War veteran and virulent anticapitalist Cyrus Teed, to the dapper and overlooked civil rights pioneer Father Divine, to even the megalomaniacal Jim Jones, these figures have routinely been dismissed as dangerous and hysterical outliers. After years of studying these emblematic figures, Adam Morris demonstrates that messiahs are not just a classic trope of our national culture; their visions are essential for understanding American history. As Morris demonstrates, these charismatic, if flawed, would-be prophets sought to expose and ameliorate deep social ills—such as income inequality, gender conformity, and racial injustice. Provocative and long overdue, this is the story of those who tried to point the way toward an impossible “American Dream”: men and women who momentarily captured the imagination of a nation always searching for salvation.Trade Review"Scholar and journalist Morris examines the theological, ideological, and personal relationships among a series of American spiritual leaders over the course of two centuries in his captivating debut.... Morris's research is extensive, and his reconstruction of his subjects' complex personal histories is impressive.... A fine examination of a series of Americans whose lives and missions shed light on the dominant institutions and values they sought to subvert." -- Publishers Weekly"[A] gripping narrative…Morris shows that these oddball spiritual liberators are not just historical footnotes. They reveal society’s fundamental themes and contradictions." -- Molly Worthen, New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisWhen recent Harvard grad Helen Zuman moved to Zendik Farm in 1999, she was thrilled to discover that the Zendiks used go-betweens to arrange sexual assignations, or “dates,” in cozy shacks just big enough for a double bed and a nightstand. Here, it seemed, she could learn an honest version of the mating dance—and form a union free of “Deathculture” lies. No one spoke the truth: Arol, the Farm’s matriarch, crushed any love that threatened her hold on her followers’ hearts. An intimate look at a transformative cult journey, Mating in Captivity shows how stories can trap us and free us, how miracles rise out of crisis, how coercion feeds on forsaken self-trust.Trade ReviewWinner, 2020 Timothy Miller Outstanding Book Award (given by the Communal Studies Association) 2020 Eric Hoffer Awards: First Runner-Up, Memoir; finalist for the First Horizon Award and the Grand Prize Finalist, 2019 Firecracker Award in Creative Nonfiction (CLMP) A Best Indie Memoir of 2018 (Kirkus Reviews) “Zuman . . . retains her sense of agency (and humor) as she weighs Zendik’s weird creed and power plays against the sense of righteousness and belonging that drew her in. Her whip-smart prose . . . conveys the squalid exuberance of Zendik’s blend of idealism and fraud [in this] engrossing and offbeat story of ideological bonds that chafe—and sometimes liberate.” —Kirkus Reviews, (starred review) “Raw in perspective, this challenging memoir of religious fanaticism never adequately addresses the nagging question: Was Zuman a victim, or did she freely seek the group out because she was looking for the experiences Zendik promised to provide?” —Library Journal “This entertaining depiction of life in a cult pits the appeal of belonging against the desire for self-determination. An enlightening read.” —Julia Scheeres, New York Times best-selling author of Jesus Land “If you have joined, left, or wondered about a utopian group, you should read Mating in Captivity. Fascinating, disturbing, and ultimately inspiring, this is a brave, honest book.” —Margaret Hollenbach, author of Lost and Found: My Life in a Group Marriage Commune “Just as the Zendik community, a cult, pulled Helen Zuman in and held her, her account of her time there will pull you in and hold you. Her clear-eyed observations of her fellow idealists—and of herself—are honest, compelling, and sophisticated.” —Daniel Menaker, author ofMy Mistake: A Memoir “How timely, how telling this story of an inexperienced young woman who fell prey to a cult because of the abuse to which she’d been subjected by male strangers. Only within the fold, where there were rules protecting the women, did she feel safe enough to explore her sexuality and learn to love. So she gave them her possessions, her will, her youth. Read Mating in Captivity as a cautionary tale, one I hope will spark a desire to create a better world for our daughters." —Leah Lax, author of Uncovered: How I Left Hasidic Life and Finally Came Home “Helen Zuman was a believer. She believed in the perfectibility of community, in the ability of young dreamers to transform traditional sexual norms by getting back to the land. That Zendik Farm was ultimately exposed for her as a tyranny built on lies somehow does not destroy the idealism of Zuman's original impulses, as she tells her story in Mating in Captivity. No, she is able to hold up her youthful self alongside her wiser older self, without useless moralizing, and thereby show respect for the young people drawn to this cult, as well as to shed light on the long history of American pastoral communal experiments. She does all this with restraint and wit, and a deft instinct for entertaining incident and character. A page turner, with purpose!” —Philip Weiss, author of American Taboo: A Murder in the Peace Corps “Zendik Farm has long been both mysterious and intriguing. Helen Zuman has given us her wrenchingly personal and deeply insightful story of her time in this most unusual of communes. Others might see the group and their own experience differently, but few will provide a better-written or more probing account of Zendik.” —Timothy Miller, author of The 60s Communes: Hippies and Beyond “Like Animal Farm and 1984, Mating in Captivity shows how shared delusion feeds creeping oppression. A keen study of tyranny in microcosm, and the costs of acquiescence.” —Ryan Grim, author of This Is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America “Escape from mainstream society and delve into a mysterious cult world. Writer and Beacon resident Helen Zuman did this for real in 1999. . . . Read about the manipulation she endured and what it taught her in this unusual, tell-all memoir.” —Chronogram “Helen is a riveting storyteller. . . . The communities movement would benefit from many more memoirs of this caliber.” —Communities magazine

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Book SynopsisAfter seven years of faithfully following her spiritual teacher, Renee Linnell finally realized she was in a cult and had been severely brainwashed. But how did that happen to someone like her? She had graduated magna cum laude with a double degree. She had traveled to nearly fifty countries alone before she turned thirty-five. She was a surf model and a professional Argentine tango dancer. She had started five different companies and had an MBA from NYU. How could someone like her end up brainwashed and in a cult? The Burn Zone is an exploration of how we give up our power―how what started out as a need to heal from the loss of her parents and to understand the big questions in life could leave a young woman fighting for her sanity and her sense of self. In the years following her departure from the cult, Linnell struggled to reclaim herself, to stand in her truth, and to rebuild her life. And eventually, after battling depression and isolation, she found a way to come out the other side stronger than ever. Part inspirational story, part cautionary tale, this is a memoir for spiritual seekers and those who feel lost in a world that makes them feel less than perfect.

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Book SynopsisA moving, heart-breaking, and lyrical true story of the author's escape from an apocalyptic cult-and the survival skills that led to her freedom. My family prepared me for the end of the world, but I know how to survive on what the earth yields. As a child, Michelle Dowd grew up on a mountain in the Angeles National Forest. She was born into an ultra-religious cult-or the Field as they called it-started in the 1930s by her grandfather, a mercurial, domineering, and charismatic man who convinced generations of young male followers that he would live 500 years and ascend to the heavens when doomsday came. Comfort and care are sins, Michelle is told. As a result, she was forced to learn the skills necessary to battle hunger, thirst, and cold; she learned to trust animals more than humans; and most importantly, she learned how to survive in the natural world. At the Field, a young Michelle lives a life of abuse, poverty, and isolation, as she obeys her family's rigorous religious and patriarchal rules-which are so extreme that Michelle is convinced her mother would sacrifice her, like Abraham and Isaac, if instructed by God. She often wears the same clothes for months at a time; she is often ill and always hungry for both love and food. She is taught not to trust Outsiders, and especially not Quitters, nor her own body and its warnings. But as Michelle gets older, she realizes she has the strength to break free. Focus on what will sustain, not satiate you, she tells herself. Use everything. Waste nothing. Get to know the intricacies of the land, like the intricacies of your body. And so she does. Using stories of individual edible plants and their uses to anchor each chapter, Forager is both a searing coming-of-age story and a meditation on the ways in which understanding nature can lead to freedom, even joy.

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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 SynopsisMore than three hundred Latter-day Saint settlements were founded by LDS Church President Brigham Young. Colonization—often outside of Utah—continued under the next three LDS Church presidents, fueled by Utah's overpopulation relative to its arable, productive land. In this book, John Gary Maxwell takes a detailed look at the Bighorn Basin colonization of 1900–1901, placing it in the political and socioeconomic climate of the time while examining whether the move to this out-of-the-way frontier was motivated in part by the desire to practice polygamy unnoticed.The LDS Church officially abandoned polygamy in 1890, but evidence that the practice was still tolerated (if not officially sanctioned) by the church circulated widely, resulting in intense investigations by the U.S. Senate. In 1896 Abraham Owen Woodruff, a rising star in LDS leadership and an ardent believer in polygamy, was appointed to head the LDS Colonization Company. Maxwell explores whether under Woodruff's leadership the Bighorn Basin colony was intended as a means to insure the secret survival of polygamy and if his untimely death in 1904, together with the excommunication of two equally dedicated proponents of polygamy—Apostles John Whitaker Taylor and Matthias Foss Cowley—led to its collapse.Maxwell also details how Mormon settlers in Wyoming struggled with finance, irrigation, and farming and how they brought the same violence to indigenous peoples over land and other rights as did non-Mormons.The 1900 Bighorn Basin colonization provides an early twentieth-century example of a Mormon syndicate operating at the intersection of religious conformity, polygamy, nepotism, kinship, corporate business ventures, wealth, and high priesthood status. Maxwell offers evidence that although in many ways the Bighorn Basin colonization failed, Owen Woodruff's prophecy remains unbroken: "No year will ever pass, from now until the coming of the Savior, when children will not be born in plural marriage.

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Book Synopsis?A must-read for those with a taste for cult narratives.??Publishers WeeklyFrom the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids, an eye-popping compendium of the 30 most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in historyHave you ever wondered how ordinary people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Everything you?ve ever wanted to know about history?s most notorious cults?and the psychology of the people who join them?is packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of those who were lured into such sinister groups as: Branch Davidians: This cult was waiting out the apocalypse when the FBI infamously raided their compound in Waco, Texas. Los Narcosatánicos: This group of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico committed human sacrifice and believed their leader had magic powers. Breatharianism: Breatharians believe that humans can live on air alone, and their founder claimed to have gone without food for seventeen years. NXIVM: This twenty-first-century cult attracted Hollywood actresses and engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering under the guise of personal development seminars. Heaven?s Gate: The Heaven?s Gate UFO cult ended in the suicide of thirty-nine members who believed they would ascent to a spaceship after death. In this fascinating collection, weird history expert J. W. Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.

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Book SynopsisA major, perhaps the major, focus of early research on New Religious Movements (NRMs) was on the people who joined. Most of the field's pioneer researchers were sociologists. However, the profile of NRM members had changed substantially by the twenty-first century - changes largely missed because the great majority of current NRM specialists are not quantitatively oriented. Sects & Stats aims to overturn the conventional wisdom by drawing on current quantitative data from two sources: questionnaire research on select NRMs and relevant national census data collected by Anglophone countries. Sects & Stats also makes a strong argument for the use of longitudinal methods in studying alternative religions. Additionally, through case studies drawn from the author's own research projects over the years, readers will be brought into a conversation about some of the issues involved in how to conduct such research.Trade Review'The book has an important contribution to make to the study of NRMs.' Helen A. Berger, Brandeis UniversityTable of ContentsPreface Introduction I. Quasi-longitudinal Approaches 1. Whatever Happened to Youthful Converts? 2. Social Networks and Conversion II. Three Styles of Longitudinal Research 3. Increasing Complexity vs. Prior Generalizations: Census Data and Longitudinal Approaches 4. Toward a Paradigm for Longitudinal Studies: The Order of Christ Sophia 5. The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness: Demographic Patterns, 1998-2011 III. Mixed Method Approaches 6. Demise of the Teen Witch Fad 7. Who Serves Satan? 8. NRMs and Gender - The Case of Scientology IV. Ex-Members 9. Post-Involvement Attitudes 10. Member vs. Ex-member Profiles Afterword: Directions for Future Research Appendix: Anglophone Census and National Survey Data on NRMs

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Book SynopsisWhen it became evident that the People's Republic of China (PRC) was on the verge of banning the Falun Gong movement, Li Hongzhi, the movement's founder, and his family escaped China, relocating permanently in the United States. Subsequently, the dramatic crackdown on Falun Gong in 1999 made international headlines. From the safety of his new home, Master Li encouraged his followers left behind in the PRC to vigorously demonstrate against the Chinese government, even if it meant imprisonment or even death. Further, Master Li actively discourages his followers from telling outsiders about his esoteric teachings; rather, he explicitly directs them to say that Falun Gong is just a peaceful spiritual exercise group being persecuted by the PRC. Not only has Falun Gong succeeded in propagating their side of the story in the media but the group will vigorously protest any news story that disagrees with their point of view. In more recent years, Falun Gong has attempted to silence critical scholars, including two of the contributors to the present volume. Enlightened Martyrdom: The Hidden Side of Falun Gong provides a comprehensive overview of Falun Gong: the movement's background, history, beliefs and practices. But whereas prior treatments have generally tended to downplay Falun Gong's 'dark side, ' in Enlightened Martyrdom, we have made an effort to include treatments of the less palatable aspects of this movement.Table of ContentsIntroduction James R. Lewis and Huang Chao 1. The Religion and Politics of Falun Gong Junpeng Li, Columbia University 2. The Doctrine of Li Hongzhi: Falun Gong: Between Sectarianism and Universal Salvation David A. Palmer, Hong Kong University 3. From Spiritual Healing to Protest: Falun Gong’s Emerging Culture of Martyrdom Susan J. Palmer, McGill-Queens University 4. Burning Faith: Interpreting the 1.23 Incident James R. Lewis 5. Devil Killing and the Essence of Falun Gong Fang Yong, Wuhan University 6. The Self-contradictions in Li Hongzhi’s Statements about Illness Cao Yan, Wuhan University 7. Scientific or Anti-scientific: A Critical Analysis of “Science” Discourses in Falun Gong Wang Chengjun, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law 8. “You Don’t Want to Have That Kind of Thought in Your Mind”: Li Hongzhi, Aliens, and Science Stefano Bigliardi, Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue, Geneva 9. Falun Gong's Attack on Academic Freedom Helen Farley, University of Queensland 10. Friendly Fire: How Falun Gong mistook me for an enemy Heather Kavan, Massey University 11. The Falun Gong Political Narrative: Creating the Illusion of So-called “Forced Organ Harvesting” Campbell Fraser, Griffith University 12. “Clarifying the Truth”: Falun Gong’s Media Strategies James R. Lewis

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Book SynopsisWhen it became evident that the People's Republic of China (PRC) was on the verge of banning the Falun Gong movement, Li Hongzhi, the movement's founder, and his family escaped China, relocating permanently in the United States. Subsequently, the dramatic crackdown on Falun Gong in 1999 made international headlines. From the safety of his new home, Master Li encouraged his followers left behind in the PRC to vigorously demonstrate against the Chinese government, even if it meant imprisonment or even death. Further, Master Li actively discourages his followers from telling outsiders about his esoteric teachings; rather, he explicitly directs them to say that Falun Gong is just a peaceful spiritual exercise group being persecuted by the PRC. Not only has Falun Gong succeeded in propagating their side of the story in the media but the group will vigorously protest any news story that disagrees with their point of view. In more recent years, Falun Gong has attempted to silence critical scholars, including two of the contributors to the present volume. Enlightened Martyrdom: The Hidden Side of Falun Gong provides a comprehensive overview of Falun Gong: the movement's background, history, beliefs and practices. But whereas prior treatments have generally tended to downplay Falun Gong's 'dark side, ' in Enlightened Martyrdom, we have made an effort to include treatments of the less palatable aspects of this movement.Table of ContentsIntroduction James R. Lewis and Huang Chao 1. The Religion and Politics of Falun Gong Junpeng Li, Columbia University 2. The Doctrine of Li Hongzhi: Falun Gong: Between Sectarianism and Universal Salvation David A. Palmer, Hong Kong University 3. From Spiritual Healing to Protest: Falun Gong's Emerging Culture of Martyrdom Susan J. Palmer, McGill-Queens University 4. Burning Faith: Interpreting the 1.23 Incident James R. Lewis 5. Devil Killing and the Essence of Falun Gong Fang Yong 6. The Self-contradictions in Li Hongzhi's Statements about Illness Cao Yan 7. Scientific or Anti-scientific: A Critical Analysis of "Science" Discourses in Falun Gong Wang Chengjun 8. "You Don't Want to Have That Kind of Thought in Your Mind": Li Hongzhi, Aliens, and Science Stefano Bigliardi, Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue, Geneva 9. Falun Gong's Attack on Academic Freedom Helen Farley, University of Queensland 10. Friendly Fire: How Falun Gong mistook me for an enemy Heather Kavan, Massey University 11. The Falun Gong Political Narrative: Creating the Illusion of So-called "Forced Organ Harvesting" Campbell Fraser 12. "Clarifying the Truth": Falun Gong's Media Strategies James R. Lewis

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Book SynopsisLocal-level pilgrimages, when based on strong expressions of faith, can have a much wider local, regional and international appeal. It has been estimated that pilgrims and religious tourists number around 330 million per year, meaning development of these faith identities can help drive destination visitation and regional development. This book explores the central role of ordinary people in the popularisation of faith-based practices, thus illustrating religious tourism as an expression of cultural identity. Focusing on the interrelationship of cultural groups and the overall formation of culture and society, this book: - Uses a range of multidisciplinary, sociological and ethnographic studies to illustrate the evolution of pilgrimage sites and saints. - Includes practical case studies and illustrations of religious tourism and pilgrimage development from a variety of international perspectives. - Provides a selection of discussion questions for each chapter, encouraging readers to engage with further study and investigation of these important issues. An invaluable review of cultural identity and faith, this book delivers to scholars, students and local policy makers a collection of current perspectives on the growth, development and evolution of faith practices surrounding contemporary and historical sites and saints.Table of ContentsPart 1: From Local to International, the Development of Devotion 1: Introduction: Local Identity and Transnational Cults 2: Continuity from Local Cult to ‘Accepted’ Ritual 3: Developing Pilgrimage Itineraries: The Way of St Francis in Umbria as Case in Point 4: Pilgrimage, Religious Tourism and Heritage in Calabria 5: Fighting for the Saint: Ritual Rivalries in Traditional Pilgrimages Part 2: Popular Pilgrimage Development 6: Chinese Migrations and Pilgrimages around Prato (Italy) and Wenzhou (China) 7: Globalizing Romani Culture: The Pilgrimage to the Sea in Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (France) 8: The Cult of Señor de los Milagros of Peruvians in Italy 9: Cultural Diversity in a Local French Pilgrimage 10: Mixing Sport and Religion in the Landes Area of France 11: An Ethnology of the Foreign Traveller to the Shrine of St Nicholas of Bari, Italy Part 3: Focus on Saint Rita 12: Healing Tourists with Religion: Saint Rita’s Cult in Poland 13: A Transnational Cult: St Rita of Cascia 14: Saint Rita of Cascia: An Evolving Devotion in Dublin’s Inner City 15: Conclusion 16: Discussion Questions

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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 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 SynopsisThe Sacred Feminine, whether viewed as an archetype, ideology or heavenly deity, has been stripped from our cultures, religions and psyches for several millennia. But we are starting to remember its roots and origins. She is the missing piece of the spiritual, cultural and political puzzle that can address the human conditions of suffering that plagues the planet. Writing from the heart, Tate's enthusiasm, passion for justice, and vision of love and enlightenment is personified in the concept of the Sacred Feminine. Thus she aids readers both new and familiar with Goddess to reawaken this knowledge, to experience once again the nurturing arms of the Mother, and perhaps, help humankind save itself.Trade ReviewWalking an Ancient Path takes us on a spiritual journey by one of the foremost pathfinders of the Goddess movement. Rosemary Clark, Author of The Sacred Tradition in Ancient EgyptKaren has created a wonderful book that blends travelogue, personal reflections and shared rituals in a way accessible to anyone. For those spiritual travelers looking for new and old ways of experiencing the Divine Feminine, Karen's book is the perfect resource. Tina Carey, Author of God's Mesengers for Today's Women

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Book SynopsisPagans often claim that their spiritual inspiration comes not from a written scripture but from personal experience and original creativity. Yet, there are many written works which also constitute its testament. Some of them are thousands of years old, such as the "Descent of Ishtar", and "The Homeric Hymn to Demeter". Others are more recent, such as "The Charge of the Goddess". "A Pagan Testament" collects these original works together, along with the poetry and prose that inspired the founders of the modern Pagan movement. It also includes the largest collection of circle songs and wisdom teachings ever published, which are the Pagan equivalent of the Biblical Psalms and Proverbs. They were collected by the author in a survey of Pagan folklore, from almost 2,000 people in twelve countries around the world. They show that Paganism is continually expanding and developing. Finally, the book includes an original and valuable philosophical commentary and interpretation.Trade ReviewA remarkable resource for anyone following the Wicca-Pagan path. We highly recommend it. Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, Authors of A Witches Bible, The Witches Goddess and Progressive WitchcraftBrendan Myers is one of the most important Neopagan voices now alive. Isaac Bonewits, Author of "Real Magic"; founder of Arn Draoicht Fein, America's largest Druidic association

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Book Synopsis"Great Sects" is a non-scholarly book containing sketches of history and beliefs, insights, trivia and unexpected details about very many of the world's largest, smallest, oldest and strangest beliefs, faiths and religions. It is a succour for the legion of intellectually curious and perhaps some of the answers to a lot of big questions. Questions from the religion of Elvis to the Nation of Islam, Kabbalah to Dreamtime, Druidry to Opus Dei, Satanism to the Church of England, and Jedi Knights to the Church of Country Sports together with many others. "There is really only one religion, though there are a 100 versions of it." - GB Shaw 1898.

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