America has spawned hundreds of cults. Charismatic leaders periodically burst into the news for the most awful of reasons. We are awash with stories of brainwashed members' struggles to leave. Meet the messianic leaders, see the indoctrination and manipulation, look at their beliefs, and read the stories of some of America's most notorious, eccentric, and unusual cults!
From false religions and offshoots of traditional religions to political, financial, sexual, and hate groups,American Cults: Cabals, Corruption, and Charismatic Leaders looks at 40 groups and leaders, including their histories, deceits, manipulations, and twisted ideologies. Some rely on systems of obedience, submission, and dependency. More than a few have mystifying beliefs. Others are dark and murderous. You'll encounter curious, bizarre, and sometimes upsetting stories of ...
Charming, manipulative, and exploitative leaders--Jim Jones, Jim Baker, David Berg, David Koresh, and many, many others.
The breakaways from traditional religions--Father Divine and the Peace Mission, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Westboro Baptist Church, the Gospel of Prosperity, and many more.
Political, Ponzi, metaphysical, and science schemes--the cult of the scientific method, pyramid schemes, political cults, the Unification Church, and much more.
Aliens, extraterrestrials, and the cosmos--Church of Scientology, Ra�lians and Heaven's Gate, to name a few.
End-times and doomsday cults--rapture beliefs, Edgar Cayce, the Ant Hill Kids and more.
Racial, radical, and social media cults--QAnon, Ku Klux Klan, Oath Keepers, Antifa, and others.
Sex, perversity, and submission--NXIVM, Sullivanians, Rajneesh, and many more.
American Cults looks at why America is such a fertile ground for cults, how some people got caught in their webs, and how some managed to escape! With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.
Author(s): Willis, Jim
Publisher: Visible Ink Press
Year: 2023
Language: English
Commentary: Politics, Religion, Corruption, Leaders
Pages: 369
Tags: Politics, Religion, Corruption, Leaders
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About Jim willis
Also from visible ink press
Contents
Introduction: Crystal Balls and Conspiracies
Prologue: What Makes a Cult Possible?
In the Beginning: Why Is America Such a Fertile Field for Cults?
Lip-Service Religion
Rebelliousness
Entrepreneurship
Religious Freedom
Evolving Social Media
Infatuation with Conspiracy Theory
Living on “The Eve of Destruction”
Offshoots: Breaking Away from Traditional Religions
Cyrus Teed and the Koreshan Unity
Father Divine and the Peace Mission
Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church
Jim Bakker, The PTL Club, and the Return of Jesus
The Evangelical Church, Politics, and the NRA
Joshua, Jesus, MUHAMMAD, and the Implications of Jihad
David Berg and the Family International: From Teens for Christ to Grown-up Cult
The Watchtower Society and Jehovah’s Witnesses
Westboro Baptist Church
Jane Whaley, the Word of Faith Fellowship, and the Gospel of Prosperity
David Koresh and the Branch Davidians
Science, Politics, Economics, and Metaphysics: A TRICKY LINK
The Cult of Scientism
The Dogma of Politics
Multi-Level Marketing Cults (MLMs): Pyramids, Ponzis, and Profits
The World of Metaphysics: “It Seems to Me …”
Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church
Eckankar: Discovering God
The Universe and Beyond: Answers from the Final Frontier
The Christian Rapture, Carl Jung, and Flying Saucers
The Church of Scientology
Raëlians and the Elohim: Intelligent Design for Atheists
Into the Universe: Latter-day Saints and the Colonization of the Cosmos
Heaven’s Gate: Help from Above?
Prophets of the End Times: Telling the Future for Fun and Profit
From 666 to the “Seventy Sevens”: What Does the Bible Really Say about THE END?
From Nostradamus to Edgar Cayce and Beyond
The Doomsday Clock
Roch Thériault and the Ant Hill Kids
The Rise of Racial Religion Cults and Social Media
From the Ku Klux Klan to White Nationalism
The New Militia Movement
Nuwaubian Nation: From Black Supremacists to UFOs
Social Media and the Rise of Hate Groups
Spoofing the Movement: Fun with Cults
QAnon: Political Conspiracy and Religious Icons
Sex in the City: The Dark Potency of Cults
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh: Coming to America
Keith Raniere and NXIVM: The Case of the Self-Styled Revered One
Sullivanians: Sex as a Way of Life
Conclusions: What’s Ahead for Individual Freedom?
Is Every Organization a Cult?
Leaders, Followers, and Pathology
What’s Ahead for Individual Freedom?
Epilogue: How Do I Get Out?
Further Reading
Image Credits
Index
