The Making Of A Moonie

The Moonie phenomenon inspired fear, anxiety and suspicion in the public mind, and the question always arises, Do people choose to become Moonies or are they brainwashed? This is the prizewinning story of an investigation by an outsider into who becomes a Moonie and how they do so.

Examines the way the Unification Church recruits its members, describes church activities, and investigates charges of brainwashing

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book is a collection of essays written in Beckford's honour, drawing on a number of religious themes that have been central to Beckford's interests, whilst also offering a significant contribution to our understanding of the wider society. A central theme is modernity (and its relation to the post-modern), and how religion affects and is affected by the dynamics of contemporary society, with the primary focus of many of the chapters being a concern with how society copes with the minority religions that have become visible with the globalising tendencies of contemporary society.

New religious movements—or so-called “cults”—continue to attract and mystify us. While mainstream America views cults as an insidious mix of apocalyptic beliefs, science fiction, and paranoia, with new vehicles such as the World Wide Web, they are becoming even more influential as the millennium approaches. Len Oakes—a former member of such a movement—explores the phenomenon of cult leaders. He examines the psychology of charisma and proposes his own theory of the five-stage life cycle of the two types of prophets: the messianic and the charismatic.

Cults and New Religions Aren’t Hard to FindThey’re in your neighborhood . . . your workplace . . . your school . . . maybe even your family.Cults are flourishing across America. Chances are, you’ve encountered one, perhaps even know someone who is involved in a cult. Can you discuss knowledgably the critical differences between Christianity and the teachings of Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, the New Age movement, Hindu-based cults, and other prominent groups and religious movements? In this essential resource, preeminent cult authority Ron Rhodes explains what cults are, why they are cause for concern, and why in the 21st century, as never before, their numbers and memberships are exploding nationally and worldwide. Drawing on his extensive experience as a cult researcher, Rhodes offers to-the-point, cutting-edge information on twelve major cults and new religions:MormonismJehovah’s WitnessesMind SciencesNew Age MovementChurch of ScientologyHindu-based CultsUnification ChurchBaha’i FaithUnitarian UniversalismOneness PentecostalismMasonic LodgeSatanismLearning the distinctives of these groups will equip you to deal with any of the thousands of other less significant cults you may encounter. The Challenge of the Cults and New Religion includes Color photosScripture IndexSubject IndexGlossaryBibliographyAnd your resources don’t end at the last page. You can supplement your knowledge whenever you choose by visiting the author’s Web site at www.ronrhodes.org for free, thorough, up-to-the-minute information on each cult discussed in the book.If you’re concerned for the temporal and eternal welfare of others, The Challenge of the Cults is a must. It will help you confront the deception of false Christs and lying doctrines with the clear, well-grounded truth of biblical Christianity.