TBWPMar 7, 1989 8:29 amgFNPRTVXZ\^`bdfhjlnpr2t-GG EgHIG=KIHGbGEC5xJEI;gFFH0GxGJ5PIHJEb IJFFGDI 9`  G J E,!Iq!F!I"GI"J"G"H!#Hi#I## $H $IU$E$D$C'%Jj%F%J%*D&n&Hp&E&H&AE'B'J'E(GW(E(H(A+)Jl)H)G)JE*@***H*H6+E~+++*+,,,,1,6P,,E,F,@-AS--J-G-I'.Hp.I.C/D/JF/I/C/B0H^0<00J0B.1Fp11121;2J;22F22N2 @38M3;3D3J4<N444G4H4H-5Eu5H5J6FL6I6I6?$7Hc7C778 8&"8&H8n8p8+r8L8689F!9Ig9J9F9>@:J~:E:D ;IQ;D;A;G<Hf<D<:<,=H.=Ev=H=I>JL>H>J>C(?k?Am?E?J?B=@H@E@H AJTAEAGAJ*BJtB-BBIBJ6CJCICD+DH-DHuDKDJEGRE8EEHE@FF[FHFGF 0GPGNRG9GJGD#HEgHCHHHA7IxIIzICIHJ NJnJBpJGJGJG@KFKHK;LPLJRLCL@LIMIhMFMIMG@N2NNJNAOFFOHOHOBPI^PPPEPHPGDQEQHQ R$R&R$CRgRRRRR=RRIRH*SErSBSFSA?TJTFTUEUIWU>UCUD!VEeV8VVDVE(WFmWIWIWGEXHXXXGXH}~~,5~a~ Q&A WRITE -- B. Emerald A Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1988, Page #A Book ReviewsThe Lure of the Cults and New ReligionsRonald Enroth. InterVarsity Press, Downer's Grove, Illinois, 1987This second edition of Enroth's 1979 book wears well. The author, a professor of sociology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, is very experienced in the cult field and has many publications to his credit. The book contains good, clear writing about a problem that is still with us and gives no sign of surrender. The many stories about victims and their recovery produce a happy balance between analysis and the concrete.This book, which was written shortly after the Jonestown tragedy, begins with reflections on that sad event. The author, whose declared purpose is "to warn as much as to inform," provides exactly the tool needed by clergy, educators, and other counselors who feel that they do not know how to begin to cope with the "cult problem." The book will also be helpful for families distressed over a relative's involvement in a manipulative group.In the second chapter, "The Many Faces of Cultism," the author reminds us that the groups we used to hear about are still around and operating profitably. Some turn up with new names; some generate "spin-offs"; but the cult phenomenon has, regrettably, not run its course.Although other writers have categorized Zen as a cult, I must enter a demurrer to Dr. Enroth's joining them in listing "Zen Buddhism" as an aberrant group. There is no doubt about the influence Zen has had upon Scientology, est, and many other groups. Zen's existentialism and its focus upon the individual as his own savior have made it attractive to many who have "made the turn to the East." And for some, Zen provides an excuse for a very individualistic code of morality.But those things being said, it seems only right to acknowledge that Zen Buddhism has its own legitimacy in its own realm. It is not reasonable to condemn it because of the ignoble uses to which it has been put by the unscrupulous. Zen is not comfortably transplanted out of its native culture.Parenthetically, and at the risk of disturbing some readers, I would add a caution about some anti-cult writing (not Enroth's) which, with a broad brush, condemns any spirituality rooted in ancient India. One cannot expect to comprehend the rich spiritual tradition of India through the prisms presented by Hare Krishna, Transcendental Meditation, or the Bhagwan Rajneesh. Those things are an embarrassment to the devout Hindu as the Unification Church is to the intelligent Korean.Enroth notes that "an historical perspective will reveal this nation's propensity for religious innovation and pluralism." But is it not ironic that the gurus of what is called the New Age movement appear to lead their susceptible customers not down the fairways of the future but back along the paths of the past. Divination, clairvoyance, superstition, magical healing, and attempts to commune with spirits of the deceased do not represent a new thrust in Man's aspirations. In fact, it would be difficult to find a time in history or a place on the planet when mankind did not face these tempting short cuts to a higher knowledge or hidden wisdom. "For the Christian," Enroth rightly says, "New Age spirituality is intrinsically counterfeit. The goal of Christian worship is not the expansion of consciousness or the experience of self-realization, or ego enlightenment."Enroth has consistently opposed involuntary "deprogramming," as do most of those who have had success in the liberation and re-education of cult victims. However, he noted originally - and it is still true - that there are all too few "halfway houses" or places to accommodate the gradual readjustment of those people who are returning from a very confusing psychological "trip." It would seem that there is a great deal that could be learned if we were able to monitor more effectively the recovery of ex-cultists. And we might minimize their anguish if we had a better understanding of their suffering."When Mr. Moon was released from prison in August 1985," Enroth reminds us, "the fundamentalist leader Jerry Falwell participated in a press conference in Washington and called on President Reagan to issue a full pardon to Moon." The public relations push on Moon's behalf was remarkable. As Enroth reports, "A number of religious bodies and evangelical Christian organizations...filed friend-of-the-court briefs on Moon's behalf when he stood trial in 1982." The gullibility of some informed and sophisticated people was more surprising. One nationally syndicated religious and political writer responded to a complaining letter from this corner with a brief note saying, "Isn't it strange how many others `signed on'?" And one large, religiously affiliated university ran a week-long conference with the Moonies, Hare Krishna, and Scientology. They called it an "ecumenical dialogue." The president's feeble response to objections showed that he was quite unaware that he had been "used." He would benefit by reading Enroth, who would tell him, "Most cults are skillful at using such opportunities to achieve legitimacy by association."Because "the cults short-circuit the cognitive and spiritual quests for truth," the cult problem is one that has to concern parents, educators, and clergy. To all of them, this book can be warmly recommended.Walter DeboldAssistant Professor of Religious StudiesSeton Hall UniversityUnholy Devotion: Why Cults Lure ChristiansHarold Bussell. Zondervan Books, 1983, 128 pagesI certainly wish I had known of this book in November of 1983 when I joined the American Family Foundation in a cult education program for clergy and church leaders in the Pittsburgh area. I would have distributed it to each participant, or at least recommended it.Bussell, himself a committed Christian from Pentecostal origins and now a part of the Reformed tradition, writes a very sensitive and insightful analysis about why Evangelicals show up frequently among cults. He also shows 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.In fact, the book is more about Evangelicals than it is about cults. And that is where its strength lies and its limited readership appeal ends. Since Dr. Bussell's message identifies a laundry list of religious vulnerabilities common to Evangelicals, his approach of combining formidable Biblical knowledge with counseling insights will only appeal to those for whom frequent Biblical allusions are helpful.Dr. Bussell, Dean of Chapel at Gordon College when he wrote this book and now Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Hamilton, Massachusetts, describes nine characteristics which make Evangelicals vulnerable to cults:!1. Overemphasis upon subjective experience;!2. Overly spiritualized approach to life experience;!3. Indiscriminate abdication of privacy in sharing personal matterswith the group;!4. Uninformed and naive quest for the ideal or original form ofChristian community;!5. Religious fervor showing more excitement for the group's leader thanfor Christ;!6. Spirituality that is more legalism than grace;!7. Utopian expectations about the avoidance of pain;!8. A need for inner peace in an age many view as apocalyptic;!9. Allowing a profusion of heresies to flourish among Evangelicals,including perversions of Biblical models of discipling andshepherding.!Although Bussell discusses these issues quite competently and provides helpful suggestions for readers seeking to grow spiritually, I did feel some discomfort with the book. First of all, I wish the author had not assumed all readers had the same understanding of what "Evangelical" means. I, for example, am evangelical in the tradition of the Lutheran Confessional documents, rather than in the conversion experience motif of fundamentalism and pentecostalism, which is often associated with the political agenda of the religious right. I also wish the book had dealt in greater depth with shepherding/discipling cults, had acknowledged the benign nature of some cults, and had included a chapter on the gullibility and naivete that renders Evangelicals and others vulnerable to fraud, deception, lack of informed consent, and other religious racketeering practices.Richard L. DowhowerPastor, All Saints Lutheran ChurchBowie, MD The Family and the Unification ChurchGene G. James (Ed.). Barrytown, N.Y.: Unification Theological Seminary, 1983. (Distributed by Rose of Sharon Press, Inc.)As anyone who reads newspapers knows, the Unification Church has been embroiled in much controversy, including Sun Myung Moon's conviction for tax evasion. This controversy goes back at least ten years, when numerous parents of U.C. members began to protest what they felt was a crassly manipulative exploitation of their young adult children. This exploitation was said to be directed toward the accumulation of money and political power for the Church. Parental protests contributed to or resulted in several governmental investigations (including the Dole Committee hearings in the U.S. Senate and the Frazier Committee hearings in the House of Representatives), a flood of newspaper and magazine articles, a score of book-length analyses and personal accounts, legislative proposals designed to make it easier for parents to obtain conservatorships over adult children involved in cults, and, of course, involuntary deprogrammings, by which desperate parents attempted to restore their children's autonomy and critical thinking.A number of academicians, including some who contribute to this volume, dubbed the protest the "anti-cult movement" and asserted that it was motivated by a desire to maintain parental control over their children. Much of the academicians' criticism focused on the questionable legality and ethics of deprogramming and restrictive legislative proposals. These academicians tended to describe their opponents' views in stereotypical terms (the same accusation they leveled at their opponents' criticisms of cults), and dismissed criticisms of cults as silly or prejudiced.The general public and many other academicians and mental health professionals have not so readily dismissed the critical accounts of ex-cult members and parents. Too many independently reported instances of deception, high-pressure proselytizing, economic abuse, political machinations, and legal harassment have come to public attention. When countless former members (many of whom never knew each other) of the Unification Church state that they routinely lied to people (calling it "heavenly deception") in order to raise money for the UC, the credibility of that organization comes into question. When joined by reports of grand UC public relations ventures (e.g., the International Conference for the Unity of the Sciences) and the findings of governmental inquiries (e.g., Moon's link to the Korean CIA, tax evasion, etc.), the credibility of the Unification Church sinks even lower.One can argue with an honest opponent. One can teach and learn from such a person. But one must constantly guard against being duped or exploited when one interacts with individuals who view discussion as simply another means of manipulation. This is what makes dialogue with the Unification Church so unappealing.Hence, because the Moon Movement produced this volume, I could not help but approach it with considerable skepticism. This doesn't mean that I believe the contributors are necessarily being deceitful or manipulative. They may very well believe what they say (perhaps tempering their remarks out of "politeness" to the sponsor), for they could have been selected because their sympathetic views were known in advance.That their views - with a few minor exceptions - are sympathetic to the Unification Church is obvious, even upon casual skimming. This one-sidedness is not necessarily grounds for rejection, for one-sided treatises can sometimes intelligently articulate a given perspective on an issue. But acknowledging and trying to rebut intelligent, opposing opinions enhances credibility.I found no such acknowledgments in The Family and the Unification Church. The main criticisms against the UC - deception, extreme manipulativeness, economic and political abuses - are not dealt with, let alone challenged. In fact, the only recognized criticism of the UC occurs in the context of superficial ad hominem critiques of the "anti-cult movement" ("in its simplest form the anti-cult ideology constituted a classic illustration of a conspiracy theory" - p. 4) that create the impression that no valid criticism of the UC exists.So what does the book offer? It offers fifteen essays grouped into four topic areas: conflict and commitment; contrasts and comparisons; responses to challenges (written by members of the UC); and theological and philosophical assessments.In the first section, David Bromley and Anson Shupe restate their superficial "anti-anti-cult" "conflict theory," trying to show in this essay that the UC has been treated as the "archetypal cult" because of "(1) the pattern of conflict engendered with other powerful groups and (2) the organizational requisites of the anti-cult movement" (p. 2). Nowhere is any consideration given to the possibility that maybe - just maybe - the UC does things that deserve to be criticized.Most of the authors appear to assume that people join the UC because they believe in and are attracted to its doctrine. Kenneth Ambrose (in "Function of the Family in the Process of Commitment Within the Unification Movement"), on the other hand, at least lightly touches upon the notion that noncognitive factors may influence commitment. He notes the importance of personal attachments and commitment actions, a view opposed by Frederick Sontag (in "Marriage and the Family in Unification Church Theology"), who contends that belief in the Divine Principle is the primary determinant in conversion to the UC.Other articles suggest that somehow the Unification Church is pro-family, appearing "anti-family" because it spiritualizes the family in a nonspiritual world. In a sense this is true: if one accepts the UC definitions of "family" and "spiritual". But that's the rub. The vast majority of us who grew up in contemporary America don't see the family the same way the UC does. Confusion arises because people attach different meanings to the same word without admitting that others see it differently.In short, if one wants to know how the Unification Church would like itself to be seen, one can find much of interest in the book: it does reveal something about how the UC sees the "family." If, however, one wants to understand the "family" (according to the word's meaning in western culture) and the Unification Church, one will do better to look elsewhere.Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.Director of Research and EducationAmerican Family FoundationThe Faith HealersJames Randi. Prometheus Books, Buffalo, New York, 1987James Randi is a skillful, wittily entertaining professional illusionist and magician. This reviewer witnessed a performance in which Randi, up to his armpits in gore, seemingly pulled endless entrails out of the stomachs of living human subjects, in an exercise called "psychic surgery." But in this book, The Faith Healers, there is no wit or entertainment or, for that matter, human gore; there is merely a dissection of religious faith healers - particularly those that appear on TV - whose moral entrails are held up to Randi's angry public scorn.In examining the claims of faith healers, Randi acknowledges his own medical and legal limitations, and he claims to take a similar exemption toward religion. But in fact, this book is about as strongly anti-religious medicine as this reviewer has encountered in recent reading, despite some quotes from mainstream religious groups which attack faith healers, and a discussion of the French attitude toward faith healing that is far more tolerant than Randi's .Some of Randi's critics take exception to the deception to which he sometimes resorts to "get the goods" on quacks and charlatans, as he fights fire with fire. But others - and this evidently includes Carl Sagan who contributes an introduction to the book - would take exception not only to the means but to the ends as being unworthy of the emotional investment Randi makes in his cause, as he pursues one charlatan after another in a series of essentially repetitive chapters that do not make for very interesting reading.It is tempting to speculate what kind of book Randi would have written about faith healers if he himself had been a deeply religious man. One imagines that he could rail even more vehemently against the perversions of religion represented by the crude chicaneries and opportunism of many of the faith healers. One imagines also that if he had been such a man, he would resist temptations to resort to the dubious methods that are a feature of the Randi ethic.But that would not be a Randi book in the now-established tradition of the group of anti-religious debunkers among whom James Randi is the prominent figure. That group centers around Prof. Paul Kurtz, the principal person in Prometheus Books, and Chairman of the Committee for the Scientific Study of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). For members of that group the line between attacks on fraud, superstition, and pseudoscience on the one hand, and religion on the other, is a very uncertain one. And critics of that position would assert that the use of dubious investigative methods exposes a deep moral and even a philosophic flaw in the Randi-CSICOP program to expose pseudoscience.Randi-CSICOP consider themselves scientific, but at the same time they are stubbornly anti-clerical and left-leaning in their politics, as is evident from the Sagan introduction and the attacks in the book on Pat Robertson. The idea that religion - particularly in the West - has contributed to faith in reason, and in natural and moral law, finds no place in the annals of Randi-CSICOP.A broader, more interesting, and better balanced book might compare the faith healers who base their healing claims on the easy promises of Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto with those that allegedly derive from the Bible. Economic and political pseudoscience have done vastly more damage to mind and body in the last century than medical quackery. The Faith Healers is best seen as a warning not merely against fakers promising easy cures for every kind of physical malady, but against fakers who promise easy cures for every kind of misfortune to which man may fall victim.Lawrence Cranberg, Ph.D.Austin Society to Oppose PseudoscienceCults and Consequences: The Definitive HandbookRachel Andres and James R. Lane (Eds.). Los Angeles: Commission on Cults and Missionaries, Community Relations Committee, Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, 1988This valuable, down-to-earth book is part of an effort to "respond to the problems of cult and missionary groups in the Jewish community." As such, the book naturally touches upon Jewish viewpoints and concerns. But that does not diminish its virtually universal usefulness.As a handbook, the volume is conveniently divided into ten sections, or "Parts," which cover a wide range: (1) Cults & Society; (2) Entry; (3) Staying Put; (4) On the Outside..Looking In; (5) Getting Out; (6) Staying Out; (7) Looking Back; (8) Legal Issues; (9) Closing Comments; and (10) Resources/References.The Parts are divided into convenient subdivisions, all combining to form a convenient Table of Contents that makes the extensive informaton readily available. An excellent Index adds further to accessibility.Those who are experienced in the field will recognize some of the material, but they will be pleased to find it gathered together in such convenient form. New material has also been added at many points, often reflecting different points of view. Most "Parts" also include a Study Guide to stimulate further exploration.Beginning with the basic discussion of "What is a Cult?" and continuing throughout, the handbook presents varied approaches to the different aspects of the problems cults pose. It recognizes the similarities and differences among cults, the variations in kind and in degree. It even describes some positive aspects of some cults, even if outweighed by the negative. The effort is to understand, not simply to condemn.The book presents an excellent case for the position of the Commission on Cults and Missionaries: that there must be a counterposition to ward off those who oppress or persecute, who force their beliefs by mind control and manipulation or coercive persuasion.The text offers a full and comprehensive literary resource to those researching the area, to those who may need to address the issue of whether to help their children escape the oppressive hold of a cult, and to those who may be making possible entry or departure from certain groups, and need to make informed choices.The book outlines the potentially negative effects of certain destructive cults: the loss of free will over one's life, "reduced capacity to form flexible and intimate relationships, poor capacity to form judgments, hallucinations, panic, guilt, identity confusion, paranoia and dissociation, and in some groups, occasional neurotic, psychotic or suicidal tendencies, or involuntary slavery."The result is a practical volume that happily can serve a double purpose. It can be read through, even by the uninitiated, for its highly informative, well-organized content. Or it can serve as a handy, reliable, time-saving reference work.There is a central theme in the book: protection of religious liberties and the freedom to choose. The Constitutional guarantees of the First Amendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof") do not imply freedom to violate laws or to physically and emotionally abuse people. The First Amendment, like the rest of the bill of rights, is designed to protect the freedom of individuals, as well as organized religious groups.Its editors, Rachel Andres and James R. Lane, are to be congratulated.Anita O. Solomon, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.Rockville, MDThe Anatomy of Illusion: Religious Cults and Destructive PersuasionThomas W. Keiser and Jacqueline L. Keiser. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers, 1987, 144 pages. This book is an important contribution to the field of cultic studies. Written for the interested layman or professional, the book clearly reviews some of the psychological theories relevant to cult involvement.In Chapter One, the Keisers state their position straightforwardly. They do not pretend to be unbiased; they believe that many religious cults have the potential to harm recruits. Building on this premise, Chapters Two, Three, and Four discuss the psychological theories relevant to cult recruitment. The authors present these theories clearly so that even those without a psychological background can understand them. At times, however, the references are spotty; anyone wishing to go back to original sources to follow their arguments would have difficulty. This is significant because the authors' conclusions are sometimes unsubstantiated and impressionistic: For example, "those who experience the most serious after-affects {sic} of cult affiliation are the ones who have abused not one but a variety of substances prior to or during their involvement." (p. 38)Their review of the brainwashing literature is most clear and succinct. They compellingly argue that cults do not use "brainwashing" or "coercive persuasion" as those terms are commonly understood. They suggest the term "destructive persuasion" to characterize the process by which recruits become involved in cults. More specifically, "participation in destructive groups is achieved through belief and attitude change resulting from need manipulation and strategic information control. The resulting form of influence, destructive persuasion, undermines adaptation because it is based on systematically contrived illusions" (pp. 41-42).One apparent goal of this book is to de-mystify the conversion process, that is, to explain it in the light of normal psychological processes such as attitude change and cognitive belief systems. Although the authors allude to the important role that need manipulation plays in the converson process, there is little discussion of what these needs may be. Some attention to the presence of psychopathology would have been useful, even if only to rule it out as an important factor.In Chapter Five the authors present five principles of attitude and belief change as they pertain to cults. While this section is interesting, it is difficult to see how their principles could or should be used either by the clinician, the social scientist, or even by legal authorities. More discussion about how to apply these principles in the context of working with cult victims or for legislative purposes would have been welcome.The final chapter, "Religion, Illusion and the Law" is an excellent summary of the legal aspects of cult involvement. Although somewhat out of place in a book dealing with psychological concepts up to that point, it is nevertheless a useful review of the literature. Ultimately, the Keisers seem to value adaptation, or the ability to adjust to life's circumstances based on new information. They argue persuasively, from both a psychological and legal standpoint, that cults may impede adaptation by manipulating needs and controlling access to information. They are to be commended for distilling complex issues down to clearly presented ideas that will inform anyone interested in cults.Mark Sirkin, Ph.D.University of Rochester Medical Centerx" ' +"20F1-I933yw15\150601#%1ySOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 10 MedSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 10 BldSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 14 BldSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 10 ItaSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 12 MedSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 10 MedLaserjet II-Courier 12 MedSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 12 BldSOFT FONT:AC-TmsRmn 12 ItaC:\Q&A\HPLASERJ.FNT