Books

A Different Gospel: Biblical and Historical Insights Into the Word of Faith Movement

Dan R. McConnell.

"Every Christian should read this book in order to be aware of the dangerous implications of the widespread and cultic Word of Faith movement preaching what is popularly known as 'Name It and Claim It' theology. A Different Gospel is a bold and revealing examination of the biblical and historical basis of this movement. This new and revised edition is complete with a foreword by Hank Hanegraaff, author of Christianity in Crisis, and a new afterward by D. R. McConnell.

Being Human: The Nature of Spiritual Experience

Ranald Macaulay, Jerram Barrs

To be human is to be in the image of God. Guided by this truth, the authors discuss the nature of the spiritual experience. As the pursuit of true spirituality takes us away from sinfulness, it moves us closer to what God intended us to be. When we are truly spiritual, we are fully human. 216 pages from the Inter-Varsity Press.

Betrayal of the Spirit

Nori J. Muster.

Nori Muster was a member of the Hare Krishna sect, formally known as the International Society of Krishna Consciousness. This is her personal account of life in that group.

Born and Raised in a Sect: You are Not Alone

Lois Kendall.

Charleston, SC: Progression Publishing. What is it like to grow up in a strict religion or sect? Why did my parents become involved in this group? Why do people stare at me? Born and Raised in a Sect answers many, often unspoken, questions and enables the reader to better grasp what the experience of a sect upbringing and recovery from it may be like. Dr. Kendall is a leading researcher and a passionate advocate of those born and raised in sects. Her book enables the reader to grasp the enormity of the challenges facing this diverse group of people, including the risks and vulnerabilities associated with maltreatment and abuse, the potential impact on child and adolescent development, socialization and whether or not the child received state schooling, how children and young people come to leave sects and what happens to them afterwards.

Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse

Lisa Oakley; K. Kimmond.

Providing a balance of empirical research and practical concerns, this book explores the definitions and historical context of spiritual abuse, outlines a process model for the different stages of spiritual abuse and includes strategies for therapists working with survivors of spiritual abuse.

Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment

Janet Heimlich.

"This revealing, disturbing, and thoroughly researched book exposes a dark side of faith that most Americans do not know exists or have ignored for a long time—religious child maltreatment. After speaking with dozens of victims, perpetrators, and experts, and reviewing a myriad of court cases and studies, the author explains how religious child maltreatment happens. She then takes an in-depth look at the many forms of child maltreatment found in religious contexts, including biblically-prescribed corporal punishment and beliefs about the necessity of "breaking the wills" of children; scaring kids into faith and other types of emotional maltreatment such as spurning, isolating, and withholding love; pedophilic abuse by religious authorities and the failure of religious organizations to support the victims and punish the perpetrators; and religiously-motivated medical neglect in cases of serious health problems. In a concluding chapter, Heimlich raises questions about children’s rights and proposes changes in societal attitudes and improved legislation to protect children from harm. While fully acknowledging that religion can be a source of great comfort, strength, and inspiration to many young people, Heimlich makes a compelling case that, regardless of one’s religious or secular orientation, maltreatment of children under the cloak of religion can never be justified and should not be tolerated." From Amazon.com.

Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult

Jayanti Tamm.

“Cartwheels in a Sari reveals the hidden world of growing up ‘cult’ in mainstream America. Before her birth, Jayanti Tamm was prophesied to be the ‘Chosen One,’ by the guru Sri Chinmoy, a man who declared himself ‘God.’ …With humor and provocative insight, Jayanti reveals the allure and illusion of cult life, and the struggle to control her own destiny while risking everything that she has ever known, including the person that she was ordained to be.”

Churches that Abuse

Ronald M. Enroth

“Not only of value to the religious community, it will be of great use to psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physicians, and academicians. This is a book for those helping and those needing help. Timely, authoritative, and valuable. Gripping reading!” – Margaret Thaler Singer. (Available online)

Crazy Therapies

Margaret Singer, Janja Lalich

This book is a startling expose of the alternative philosophies and practices that can be found in today’s ever-growing psychotherapeutic marketplace. The book describes actual case histories of people who participated in a variety of controversial therapies. The authors outline methods and guidelines for distinguishing a legitimate therapeutic approach from one that is irrational, possibly harmful, and sometimes unethical.

Cult Proofing Your Kids

Paul R. Martin.

From the Publisher: “No matter how spiritual you are, no matter how strong your family, you could lose your child to the siren call of the cults. Time and time again Dr. Paul Martin has seen dedicated Christian young people fall into the trap of cults and fringe churches…Dr. Martin shares his expertise in the first book about cults designed especially for concerned Christian parents.”

Cults Inside Out

Rick Alan Ross.

From the publisher: “In his masterful new book…Rick Ross has delivered an exceptional critically needed resource. He has gathered together in one comprehensive volume detailed documented information about the diverse and growing number of controlling persons and groups preying on individuals, families, and communities in the United States and worldwide.”

Cult Survivor’s Handbook

Nori Muster.

This book by former ISKCON (Hare Krishna) devotee, Nori Muster, offers reflections and advice to people coming out of cultic groups. Subjects discussed include: family therapy, abuse recovery, depth psychology, the Twelve Steps, mind-body healing, art therapy and Gestalt, post-cult spirituality.

Cults in Our Midst

Margaret Thaler Singer

This book explains what cults are and how they work and offers vital information on how to help people leave cults and recover from the experience. The book is filled with practical suggestions for former members, family members, and professionals. Synopsis: The country's leading authority on cults, Margaret Thaler Singer, calls on her nearly fifty years of expertise to write the definitive book on cults. Written with author and former cult member Janja Lalich, Singer's first book is a shocking expose' that reveals what cults are and how they work. Cults in Our Midst offers vital information on how to help people escape cult entrapments and recover from the experience. This compelling book debunks commonly held myths and answers perplexing questions about cults. Cults in our Midst is filled with practical strategies and suggestions for understanding the cult phenomenon and helping the cult members break free.

Cults on Campus: Continuing Challenge

Edited by Marcia Rudin.

This book is a collection of essays by college and university administrators, counselors, clergy, and others. The book provides information about campus cult-recruitment techniques and why college students are vulnerable. Contents include: Cults On Campus: The Phenomenon Cults On Campus: How Can You Help? Cult Recruitment of International Students. Satanism and Young People: What Educators Should Know . Cults On Campus: Policy and Legal Issues. The Involvement of College Students in Totalist Groups. Developing an Ethical Code for Proselytizers. Cults On Campus: Training Staff and Educating Students. Training Residence-Hall Staff. Why Resident Assistant Training on Cultism? Working with Cult-Affected Families. Counseling Cult-Impacted Students. The Role of Campus Chaplains. Understanding the Condition of Recovering Ex-Cult Members. How Campus Law Enforcement Personnel Can Monitor Cults. A Multi-Faceted Approach to Preventive-Education Programs. Making Choices: How to Respond to High Pressure Groups. Educating Students at Colleges and Universities.

Available free in PDF format.

Damaged Disciples: Casualties of Authoritarian Churches and the Shepherding Movement

Ron & Vicki Burks.

This book is an account of the years the authors spent in the shepherding movement and their struggle to break free and rebuild their lives.

Easily Fooled: New Insights and Techniques for Resisting Manipulation

Bob Fellows

In this book Bob Fellows reveals through magic and "mind reading" methods that we can all be manipulated no matter how intelligent we are. He also shows how we can resist manipulation and take charge of our lives.

Exodus: A Memoir

Deborah Feldman.

"In 2009, at the age of twenty-three, Deborah Feldman walked away from the rampant oppression, abuse, and isolation of her Satmar upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to forge a better life for herself and her young son. Since leaving, Feldman has navigated remarkable experiences: raising her son in the “real” world, finding solace and solitude in a writing career, and searching for love. Culminating in an unforgettable trip across Europe to retrace her grandmother’s life during the Holocaust, Exodus is a deeply moving exploration of the mysterious bonds that tie us to family and religion, the bonds we must sometimes break to find our true selves."

Faithful Feelings: Rethinking Emotion in the New Testament

Matthew A. Elliott

In the New Testament, Jesus and Paul displayed a wide range of emotions in their lives and teaching. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and others have recognized the vital importance of emotion in Christian experience. However, in recent times, many preachers and theologians have pushed emotion to the sidelines. The relationship between reason and emotion is often confused or obscure, creating the need for a fresh look at the causes, nature, and role of felt experience in Christian living.

Families Where Grace is in Place: Building a Home Free of Manipulation, Legalism and Shame

Jeffrey VanVonderen.

Drawing on both his professional counseling and personal experience the author shows readers how to nurture God-honoring family relationships free of manipulation, legalism, and shame. The new [second] edition includes discussion questions for groups and for individuals or couples

Family Interventions for Cult-Affected Loved Ones

Carol Giambalvo.

This book provides practical information for families with a cult-involved member. The book also has a list of resources and a bibliography.

Available free in PDF format.

Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs

Steven Hassan.

“Steven Hassan has called upon his thirty-six years of expertise in the cult field to write this excellent, highly readable and extremely practical manual. Reading this book and implementing Hassan’s advice will help everyone affected by a mind control situation to understand and reevaluate an unhealthy involvement.” Rabbi James Rudin, Senior Advisor to the American Jewish Committee.

From Dean’s List to Dumpsters

Jim Guerra.

This book relates the author’s 10 years in the Brother Evangelist nomadic cult. The author says: “I was seduced into the group from Harvard University and spent over a decade alienated from my family and friends, scared to leave because I was afraid for my immortal soul. How could a bright man fall into this trap and not realize it for years? You will enjoy seeing the cult process from my eyes as I experienced it.”

From Slogans to Mantras

Stephen Kent.

Drawing from his own memories, from published accounts of the anti-war movement during the 1960s and early 1970s, and interviews with people who went through the process, Kent (sociology, U. of Alberta) details how political radicals suddenly transformed themselves into political adherents to various exotic and often obscure religious sects. Publishers Weekly: “In this lucid and economical study, sociologist Kent examines a little-noted confluence: the same years that saw American youth delving into radical politics and protesting war also saw them turn to unusual, sometimes cultish, spiritual traditions. Kent challenges traditional scholarship by arguing that such conversions to alternative religious traditions marked ‘a crisis of means,’ not a ‘a crisis of meaning,’ as has often been assumed. Political activism, says Kent, was meant to accomplish something: above all, to end the Vietnam War. When it became increasingly apparent that countercultural politics were not, in fact, achieving the desired ends, activists discovered other methods in new religious groups. That a disaffected generation should turn to spirituality is not surprising; that it should do so for political reasons is indeed interesting.”

God’s Brothel: The Extortion of Sex for Salvation in Contemporary Mormon and Christian Fundamentalist Polygamy and the Stories of 18 Women Who Escaped

Andrea Moore-Emmett.

A chilling indictment of contemporary Mormon and Christian fundamentalist polygamy, God's Brothel reveals gruesome facts about Bible-based polygamy through the brave voices of 18 women who escaped from 10 of the 11 main religious groups as well as independent families. Their stories include rape, incest, orgies, and violence, making this form of polygamy more akin to sexual slavery than to any quaint religious or lifestyle choice.

Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences

Ken Blue

"Many of us have gone through bad church experiences that have left us feeling like failures. Blaming ourselves, we asked for God's forgiveness, but felt distant from the church and sometimes from God too. Often, however, the fault is not ours but that of Christian leaders who abuse spiritually. How can we recognize the signs of spiritual abuse? What can we do to gain healing from the wounds we have experienced? With clarity and refreshing honesty, Ken Blue answers these questions and offers hope and healing to the victims of spiritual abuse. In addition he shows Christian leaders how to avoid abusive patterns and instead offer Christ's gospel of grace to every casualty of bad church experiences."

Heartbreak and Rage

K. Gordon Neufeld.

In this book the author describes his experiences in the Unification Church, including his rising to the position of a leader-in-training at the Unification Theological Seminary, his arranged marriage, and growing disillusionment that led ultimately to his walking away from the organization to which he had devoted so much of his life.

Heaven’s Harlots: My Fifteen Years as a Sacred Prostitute in the Children of God Cult

Miriam Williams

An explosive first-person account by a young woman who spent fifteen years in a sex cult called the Children of God, which encouraged "sacred prostitution" and taught that "The Lord is our pimp." Miriam Williams was an idealistic child of the sixties who, at seventeen, accepted an invitation from a "Jesus person" to visit a commune in upstate New York. She would soon be prostituting herself for a perverse cult that used sex to lure sinners to the Lord -- and this is her shocking, searingly honest account of a fifteen-year spiritual odyssey gone haywire. The Children of God turned its female devotees into Heaven's Harlots, leading strangers to the love of God by enticing them with the pleasures of the flesh. At its height, the cult boasted 19,000 members around the world: In such places as France and Monte Carlo, young women, Miriam among them, mingled with the rich and famous to save their souls, and in this unsparing, unnerving autobiography, she'll identify some of her high-profile "clients." She left this bizarre world in an attempt to protect her son, born through an arranged marriage and kidnapped by his father. Now, in a clear, compelling, cautionary tale, she shares both her extraordinary existence as a holy whore and the daunting experience of rebuilding a normal life -- an ordeal that led her to found a group dedicated to helping other cult survivors reclaim their souls as well.

Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids

Maia Szalavitz.

An investigative exposé of the brutal conditions in treatment programs for troubled teens, fueled by rigorous reporting and shocking first-person accounts. The troubled-teen industry, with its scaremongering and claims of miraculous changes in behavior through harsh discipline, has existed in one form or another for decades, despite a dearth of evidence supporting its methods. And the growing number of programs that make up this industry are today finding more customers than ever. Maia Szalavitz's Help at Any Cost is the first in-depth investigation of this industry and its practices, starting with its roots in the cult-like sixties rehabilitation program Synanon and Large Group Awareness Training organizations like est in the seventies; continuing with Straight, Inc., which received Nancy Reagan's seal of approval in the eighties; and culminating with a look at the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs-the leading force in the industry today-which has begun setting up shop in foreign countries to avoid regulation. Szalavitz uncovers disturbing findings about these programs' methods, including allegation of physical and verbal abuse, and presents us with moving, often horrifying, first-person accounts of kids who made it through-as well as stories of those who didn't survive. The book also contains a thoughtfully compiled guide for parents, which details effective treatment alternatives.

Heresy of Mind Control

Stephen Martin.

This book, according to James Bjornstad, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, retired, “discusses and illustrates the dynamics of mind control found in totalitarian groups, including cults, religion, terrorists, etc.”

I Can’t Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult

Wendy J. Duncan.

This book “is an extremely well-written, sensitive and insightful accounting of the author’s experience in an abusive religious group…Her courageous journey through understanding thought reform techniques and the recovery process serves as an encouragement to ex-members who are struggling to get their identity and life back.” Carol Giambalvo, Director of Recovery Programs, ICSA. Now available as an audiobook.

If You Want to Know How I Got Brainwashed.

Betsy Dovydenas.

Succinct narrative with 200 paintings of one woman's journey from subjugation to freedom. Purchase from ICSA Bookstore

In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in Christian Churches

Ken Garrett

There is a place that promises acceptance, spiritual growth, and friendship, but instead delivers criticism, abuse, and exploitation. A place that declares marriages will be strengthened, treasured, and protected, but instead weakens, diminishes, and marginalizes them. A place that claims to obey the word of God, but in practice weaponizes the word against those who disagree or doubt. A place where the good news of a tenderhearted, loving Savior is blurred by leaders who are controlling, traumatizing, and self-serving. A place that calls loudly to the storm-tossed at sea, only to lure them to the rocks where they flounder and fall apart. A place that appeared to be a house of friendship but was a place of betrayal.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert Cialdini.

This book is the result of years of study into the reasons that people comply with requests in business settings. It has sold over a quarter million copies in nine languages. Not directly about cults, this book is nonetheless very useful because the author explains many of the everyday social psychological mechanisms that are used extensively in cultic environments.

Inside Out: A Memoir of Entering and Breaking Out of a Minneapolis Political Cult

Alexandra Stein

"The most gripping inside account of a cult that I have ever read. It is also a literary masterpiece, and a classic of autobiographical writing. By the end, readers will care passionately about the author, her family, and the many characters that illuminate these pages." Dr. Dennis Tourish, Department of Communication and Management, Aberdeen University, Scotland.

Losing the Way: A Memoir of Spiritual Longing, Manipulation, Abuse, and Escape

Kristen Skedgell

The author, a former member of The Way International, shows how easily an idealistic young person can be swept away by a spiritual quest and manipulated through the quiet malevolence lurking beneath the religious exterior of a false leader.

Memory, Trauma Treatment, and the Law

Daniel Brown, Alan W. Scheflin and D. Corydon Hammond

From a book review by Helen McGonigle: “A comprehensive review of the literature and research on trauma, memory, post-traumatic stress, dissociative amnesia, hypnosis and related legal cases, Memory, Trauma Treatment and the Law received the American Psychiatric Association's 1998 Manfred S. Guttmacher Award as the most outstanding publication in forensic psychiatry. The award is well deserved. This book represents the combined knowledge of three prominent experts in the fields of memory, trauma, post-traumatic stress, suggestibility, hypnosis, mind control and behavior control. An extensive bibliography allows the serious researcher to consult original source materials and provides the opportunity for further study. This book is an excellent reference for mental health providers, legal experts, child abuse investigators, researchers, policy makers, attorneys, and judges involved in legal cases where issues concerning memory, suggestibility, or hypnosis arise.”

Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field

Edited by Benjamin Zablocki and Thomas Robbins

From a book review by Arthur Dole: “Twenty years ago, most sociologists and other academics who specialized in the study of religion ignored or dismissed the handful of scholars and helping professionals who called attention to the harmfulness of some cults. These cult sympathizers disregarded or disparaged without proper examination evidence that certain new religions applied “brainwashing,” or mind control, to recruit and retain converts. For years sympathizers and had little to do with cult critics. At last, however, sociologists Zablocki and Robbins, together with eight other contributors divided among cult sympathizers and critics, have presented diverse views in a search for ‘objectivity in a controversial field.’”

More Jesus, Less Religion: Moving from Rules to Relationship

Stephen Arterburn

"Over a decade ago, best-selling authors Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton exposed the dangers of what they called "toxic faith," helping countless believers to discern between religion and relationship and overcome their spiritual baggage. Drawing upon an additional ten years of observation and personal experience, Steve and Jack offer new insights in the search for lasting joy, fuller freedom, amd greater understanding, and a more honest experience of God."

My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru

Tim Guest

From the publisher: “Followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh behaved like children. They were completely dependent on their patriarch but they played very grown-up games, including mass poisoning. Among them was Guest's mother, whose overwhelming quest for self was her ticket straight into the underworld of the Bhagwan from the time Guest was six years old. As the movement grew and became even more destructive, and his oblivious mother became more and more involved, Guest was moved with and without her from commune to commune according to the whims and absolute authority of those who claimed they were creating heaven. Instead they created abandoned buildings, purloined cash, shattered dreams, and adults like Guest who are marked by the neglect suffered in a childhood among the completely self-absorbed.”

Not Without My Sister

Celeste Jones, Kristina Jones, and Juliana Buhring

The story of three sisters raised in the Children of God. From the publisher: “Here, all three sisters, who suffered the worst forms of abuse, and were torn apart from each other, have finally been reunited. In Not Without My Sister, they relive their experiences of how they survived – and then escaped – a cult that has claimed the lives and innocence of thousands of its members.”

Our Father Who Art in Bed

J. Paul Lennon

A former priest in the Legion of Christ, Paul Lennon discusses his experiences as “a naïve and sentimental Dubliner” who spent more than 20 years in this high-control organization.

Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control

Luna Lindsey

Those who leave Mormonism, and those doubters who stay, face struggles that few others can understand. Much of this suffering is caused by manipulative and controlling techniques pervasive throughout LDS doctrines and culture. Understanding these techniques will help recovering Mormons (and former members of other groups) overcome the effects of belonging to a high-demand group. Recovering Agency presents years of research into social psychology and the science of cult dynamics, describing 31 mind control techniques, alongside examples of their use in Mormon scripture, lessons, and from the pulpit. Even if you have never been Mormon, these coercive influence techniques are nearly identical in other abusive groups. Turn the pages and learn the answers to longstanding questions about this unique American religion and about the human mind. Available on Amazon.

Recovery from Abusive Groups

Wendy Ford

This book provides practical advice for former cult members and their families.

Available free in PDF format.

Recovering from Churches that Abuse

Ronald Enroth

From a book review by Frank MacHovec. “This is a short book, but the material is concise, readable, useful, and well referenced. There is an appendix of checklists of factors and forces in ‘abusive groups’ and in recovery from them. Six pages of footnotes further document and clarify the book's content. Enroth is a sociologist who has written other books on cults and new religions and this book's format and content attest to his expertise. His writing style is clear and the development of the subject logical and well documented. The material reflects a knowledge of the subject and insight into the cognitive, affective, and spiritual factors involved in spiritual abuse.” (Available online)

Recovering from Religious Abuse: 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom

Jack Watts

Defining "religious abuse" as the use of spiritual authority to manipulate, harm, or use another person for personal gain, this practical step-by-step recovery manual takes readers on a journey that helps them fully realize the extent of the impact of their religious abuse, and progressively moves them toward healing and recovery. This 91-day plan includes daily readings, prayer, journaling instructions, and scriptures for reflection.

Satanism & Occult-Related Violence

Michael D. Langone & Linda Blood

Overview of historical issues and mental health research on the subject.

Available free in PDF format.

Servant of the Lotus Feet: A Hare Krishna Odyssey

Gabriel Brandis

This book tells the true story of an adolescent's quest for spiritual meaning and his years in the Hare Krishna movement. Disillusioned by the contradictions and deceits perpetrated by the elders of the Indian religious cult, including his and other allegedly "pure" spiritual masters, he gradually backs out of the movement. While visiting his family for a holiday reunion, he is abducted and compelled to review the facts about the religious cult he had embraced.

Soul Repair: Rebuilding Your Spiritual Life

Jeff VanVonderen; Dale & Juanita Ryan

"...we are left with a toxic combination of fear and shame. We may try to get it right. We may try to control ourselves and others. We may try to please God and to earn God's love. After a while we find ourselves exhausted and discouraged, and we may feel even more alienated from God. Jeff VanVonderen, Dale Ryan and Juanita Ryan understand this problem because they have been there both personally and professionally. And they are prepared to help you rebuild your spiritual life. If you find yourself living out a burdensome and unfulfilling spirituality, this book is for you. If you are longing to have a relationship with God that works, this book can show you the way."

Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Dynamic Research on Finding a Place of Wholeness

Barbara Orlowski

"What factors contribute to active Christians in ministry leaving their church and becoming exiting statistics? Every year dedicated Christian people leave churches because of spiritual abuse. The stories of people who left their home church because of a negative and hurtful experience paint a picture of a widespread occurrence which beckons consideration by church leaders and church congregants alike. Spiritual abuse, the misuse of spiritual authority to maltreat followers in the Christian Church, is a complex issue. This book shows how people processed their grief after experiencing spiritual abuse in their local church and how they rediscovered spiritual harmony. Their spiritual journey shows how one may grow through this devastating experience. This book offers a thoughtful look at the topic of spiritual recovery from clergy abuse through the eyes of those who have experienced it. It invites church leaders to consider this very real dysfunction in the Church today and aims to demonstrate a path forward to greater freedom in Christ after a season of disillusionment with church leadership."

Starting Out in Mainstream America

Livia Bardin

This book offers information about life in the USA today. Adjusting to any new culture can be slow, difficult, and painful. If you are entering or preparing for re-entry into mainstream American life after a long absence, or perhaps for the first time, you may have many questions about where to find and how to do things. Available free online.

Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships

Janja Lalich & Madeleine Tobias

This book is an informative and useful introduction to the cult phenomenon. Take Back Your Life provides hands-on help for former members, their families, and professionals. It includes personal stories of healing and recovery, an analysis of cult leaders, an extensive list of resources, and sections on family issues. “Take Back Your Life is must reading for everyone who wants to understand the powerful appeal that cults have for so many ordinary people, using so many disguises, with so many subtle tactics. This book’s wisdom is vital for us all.” —Philip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Stanford University.

The Art of Seduction

Robert Greene

"Which sort of seducer could you be: *Siren? *Rake? *Cold Coquette? *Star? *Comedian? *Charismatic? or *Saint? This book will show you which. 'Charm, persuasion, the ability to create illusions: these are some of the many dazzling gifts of the Seducer, the compelling figure who is able to manipulate, mislead and give pleasure all at once. When raised to the level of art, seduction, an indirect and subtle form of power, has toppled empires, won elections and enslaved great minds. In this beautiful, sensually designed book, Greene unearths the two sides of seduction: the characters and the process. Discover who you, or your pursuer, most resembles. Learn, too, the pitfalls of the anti-Seducer. In part II, immerse yourself in the twenty-four manoeuvres and strategies of the seductive process, the ritual by which a seducer gains mastery over their target. Understand how to 'Choose the Right Victim', 'Appear to Be an Object of Desire' and 'Confuse Desire and Reality'. In addition, Greene provides instruction on how to identify victims by type. Each fascinating character and each cunning tactic demonstrates a fundamental truth about who we are, and the targets we've become - or hope to win over. The Art of Seduction is an indispensable primer on the essence of one of history's greatest weapons and the ultimate power trip."

The Boston Movement: Critical Perspectives on the International Churches of Christ, 2nd revised edition

Carol Giambalvo & Herbert Rosedale

Collection of personal accounts and professional reports on this organization.

Available free in PDF format.

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog

Bruce Perry & Maia Szalavitz

A world-renowned child psychiatrist takes us inside his pioneering work with trauma victims to offer a groundbreaking new perspective on how stress and violence affect children's brains-and how they can be helped to heal. Child psychiatrist Bruce Perry has treated children faced with unimaginable horror: genocide survivors, witnesses, children raised in closets and cages, and victims of family violence. Here he tells their stories of trauma and transformation. Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, is the Senior Fellow of The Child Trauma Academy (www.ChildTrauma.org). He has served as a consultant to the FBI and is the former Chief of Psychiatry at Texas Children's Hospital, as well as former Vice-Chairman for Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. He lives in Houston, Texas, and Alberta, Canada. Maia Szalavitz is an award-winning journalist who specializes in science and health.

The Cult Phenomenon: How Groups Function

Mike Kropveld & Marie-Andrée Pelland

From the Introduction: "The “cult” phenomenon is first and foremost a group phenomenon. Understanding how groups operate and the rules that govern interpersonal relations can provide insight into all of the organizations termed “cults” or “new religious movements.” Info-Cult produced this publication to address these various issues and to inform the public about the internal and external functioning of groups. Work on this publication began in 1999, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the National Assembly's adoption of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the 20th anniversary of the creation of Info-Cult. Four years later, the project has become a reality. This book, inspired by the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms as well as a desire to understand how these groups operate in a democratic society, explores various aspects of the “cult” phenomenon.

The Discipling Dilemma: A Study of the Discipling Movement Among Churches of Christ

Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr.

This book is a serious, documented study that analyzes the discipling movement objectively, pointing out both strengths and weaknesses for careful consideration by leaders and members of other churches of Christ. The book includes a chapter on the author's well-known research study that used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to investigate group pressures within the movement.

The Psychic Mafia

M. Lamar Keene

Known as the "Prince of the Spiritualists," Keene, in this powerful and nakedly honest autobiographical account, says he isn't the only fraud prowling the world of the paranormal.

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Recognizing and Escaping From Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority

David Johnson & Jeff vanVonderen

From the Publisher: “Breaking the Silence on an Abuse Within the Church That Leaves Christians Feeling "Used," Manipulated and Shamed. Churches are meant to be safe places where spiritual leaders help and equip the members for the work of service. There are some churches, however, where leaders use their spiritual authority to control and dominate others, attempting to meet their own needs for importance, power, intimacy or spiritual gratification. Through the subtle use of the right "spiritual" words, church members are manipulated or shamed into certain behaviors or performance that ensnares in legalism, guilt and begrudging service. This is spiritual abuse, and the results can be shattering. Deeply ingrained spiritual codes of written and unwritten rules control and condemn, wounding believers’ spirits and keeping them from the grace and joy of God’s kingdom. Believers find themselves enslaved to a system, a leader, a standard of performance that saps true spiritual life. This is a message for Christians who feel they are spiritually abused and for those who might be causing it. Authors VanVonderen and Johnson address these important themes and point the way toward freedom: What are the abusive spiritual dynamics that can develop in a church? How do people get hooked into these abusive systems? What are the marks of false spiritual leadership and their impact on a congregation?”

The Twelve Tribes: aka Messianic Communities - Journey from Orthodoxy to Heresy

Rev. Robert Pardon and Judy Pardon

Detailed description of the history, theology, structure, and psychological aspects of the Twelve Tribes, aka Messianic Communities.

Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism

Robert J. Lifton, MD

This classic work describes Dr. Robert J. Lifton’s work with Korean-War POWs and Chinese civilians subjected to thought reform programs in the early 1950s. Dr. Lifton’s analysis of the eight themes of totalism has helped countless form members of cultic groups and psychological abuse better understand their experiences.

Toxic Churches: Restoration from Spiritual Abuse

Marc Dupont

"Spiritual abuse devastates its victims perhaps more than any other form of violation, because it targets those who are most unprepared and vulnerable. In Toxic Churches, Marc Dupont reaches out to those who have given their time, money, and talents to the Body of Christ, only to find themselves hurting, frustrated, and confused. He also writes to Christian leaders who may have inadvertently hurt the flock of God entrusted to their care. This book explores all aspects of spiritual abuse in the church. With care and tenderness, Dupont offers help and hope to those caught in abusive situations-people who might even be blaming themselves. He provides a healing balm to those with residual pain from past abuse. And he warns those engaging in abusive behavior, flagging telltale signs of warped and broken patterns. Those who have been used or abused by church leaders will find a deeper understanding of God's healing grace-both for themselves and for those who hurt them."

Toxic Faith: Experiencing Healing Over Painful Spiritual Abuse

Stephen Arterburn

"When religion becomes a means to avoid or control life, it becomes toxic. Those who possess a toxic faith have stepped across the line from a balanced perspective of God to an unbalanced faith in a weak, powerless or uncaring God. They seek a God to fix every mess, prevent every hurt, and mend every conflict. Toxic Faith distinguishes between a healthy faith and a misguided religiosity that traps believers in an addictive practice of religion. It shows how unbalanced ministries, misguided churches, and unscrupulous leaders can lead their followers away from God and into a desolate experience of religion that drives many to despair. Toxic Faith shows readers how to find hope for a return to genuine, healthy faith that can add meaning to life."

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

Judith Herman

“When Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery was first published five years ago, it was hailed as a groundbreaking work. In the intervening years, Herman's now classic volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events and trauma victims. In a new introduction, Herman chronicles the incredible response the book has elicited and explains how the issues surrounding the topic of trauma and recovery have shifted within the clinical community and the culture at large. Trauma and Recovery brings a new level of understanding to a set of problems usually considered individually. Herman draws on her own cutting-edge research on domestic violence, as well as on a vast literature of combat veterans and victims of political terror, to show the parallels between private terrors such as rape and public traumas such as terrorism. The book puts individual experience in a broader political frame, arguing that psychological trauma can be understood only in a social context. Meticulously documented and frequently using the victims own words as well as those from classic literary works and prison diaries, Trauma and Recovery is a powerful work that will continue to profoundly impact our thinking. Annotation"...a psychology classic, called one of the most important psychiatric works since Freud, containing a new afterword by its author...discusses how violence in all forms affects its survivors and how those survivors cope." Publishers Weekly.

Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation

Dan Shaw

From a review by Gillie Jenkinson: “Shaw’s book is clearly organized and is an important contribution to both the psychotherapy and the cultic-studies fields. He stands on the shoulders of many great psychoanalytic thinkers and practitioners who have attempted to describe the complex phenomena of pathological and traumatizing narcissism, and how to work clinically with its various presentations. Shaw is an original thinker. He has used his own personal experience of being in a cult with a traumatizing narcissist at the helm and his extensive clinical experience as a psychoanalyst to inform this theoretical and clinical contribution. This book is a must for psychotherapists because it addresses the theoretical and clinical issues of working with both the victims of a traumatizing narcissist (referred hereafter as TN) and with TNs themselves—although he notes that, by nature of their disorder, TNs rarely attend psychoanalysis. Shaw also addresses degrees of authoritarianism and TN in supervision and in therapy, where, in some cases, the therapist has become an abusive TN and in effect a cult leader.”

True Spirituality

Francis Schaeffer

Francis Shaeffer had been serving as a pastor for over a decade when he began to wonder if Christianity really made a difference in people’s lives. True Spirituality, a twentieth-century spiritual classic, outlines the result of his effort to “start at the beginning” and re-examine his faith. The book is a treasure trove of wisdom for Christians trying to discover what true spirituality looks like in everyday life. Includes a foreword by Chuck Colson and an introduction by Dr. Jerram Barrs, director of the Schaeffer Institute.

Twisted Scriptures: Breaking Free from Churches That Abuse

Mary Alice Chrnalogar

"...reveals in depth how the Bible can be distorted in ways that rob you of the liberty Jesus died to give you. You might be shocked at what you discover. This book uncovers the subtle but powerful techniques by which, in the name of truth, controlling leaders manipulate and intimidate countless believers. It also supplies tools for overcoming persuasive, deceptive teachings and practices. Thousands of Christians have already moved from struggle to true freedom and hope through Twisted Scriptures. If you truly want to grow in everything God made you to be, you owe it to yourself to read this book."

Understanding and Treating Spiritual Abuse Kindle Edition

Jamie Marich

The purpose of this course is to provide clinicians with an appreciation for the impact of spiritual abuse on clients and the skills necessary to assess and address the experience of spiritual abuse. In addition, members of the public may use this course to enhance their personal knowledge of the subject matter presented.

Understanding Religious Abuse and Recovery: Discovering Essential Principles for Hope and Healing

Pat Knapp

Currently there are at least four major, identifiable perspectives on how people best understand and recover from religious abuse. Both secular and faith-based (Christian) adherents can be variously identified in each of these approaches. This book examines these viewpoints and evaluates their various strengths and limitations. It concludes that each perspective is helpful to the extent possible, given the limitations of its respective philosophic or theological assumptions. This book summarizes each viewpoint and suggests a larger contextual perspective, helpful to better understand involvement in and recovery from religiously abusive environments. The conclusion is an integration of the various conceptual frameworks, and a different model (SECURE) is described that includes essential principles and practical strategies necessary for recovery from religious abuse.

Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International

Charlene L. Edge

A "riveting memoir about the power of words to seduce, betray, and, in her case, eventually save. After a personal tragedy left her bereft, teenaged Charlene rejected faith and family when recruiters drew her into The Way International, a sect led by the charismatic Victor Paul Wierwille. The Way became one of the largest cults in America. Charlene gave it seventeen years of her life...Eventually Charlene was promoted to the inner circle of biblical researchers, where she discovered devastating secrets: Wierwille twisted texts of Scripture to serve his personal agenda, shamelessly plagiarized the work of others, and misrepresented the purpose of his organization. Worst of all, after Wierwille died in 1985, shocking reports surfaced of his secret sex ring. Amid chaos at The Way's Ohio-based headquarters, Charlene knew she had to escape--for her own survival and her child's." - from Amazon.com.

Unholy Devotion: Why Cults Lure Christians

Harold Bussell

A sensitive and insightful analysis about why Evangelicals show up frequently among cults and why it is so easy for Evangelical groups to appropriate cult-like practices and, more by implication and application than direct labeling, why destructive cults appear under Christian/Evangelical banners.

Whispering in the Daylight: The Children of Tony Alamo's Christian Ministry and Their Journey to Freedom

Debby Schriver

University of Tennessee Press. Coming in early 2018. “What is new about this book is that it describes the journey of second-generation former cult members (SGA’s) who were rescued from the cult as children or teenagers . . . The section on the interviews with the children in which they described their own post-cult growth was incredibly interesting. Gaining insight into the lives of these children while they were in the cult and after they left has not been done before in this way. I appreciated this new approach to information in the cult field.” —Lorna Goldberg L.C.S.W., Psy.A., Director, Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies, Past President, International Cultic Studies Association. Book website. Purchase from ICSA Bookstore