Book Description
THIS 22 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Strange Cults and Secret Societies of Modern London, by Elliott O'Donnell. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766102858. ... Read more

Book Description
THIS 28 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Strange Cults and Secret Societies of Modern London, by Elliott O'Donnell. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766102858. ... Read more

Book Description
THIS 20 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Strange Cults and Secret Societies of Modern London, by Elliott O'Donnell. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766102858. ... Read more

Book Description
THIS 22 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Strange Cults and Secret Societies of Modern London, by Elliott O'Donnell. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766102858. ... Read more

Book Description
St Swithun was an obscure ninth-century bishop of Winchester about whom little was, and is, known. But following the translation of his relics from a conspicuous tomb into the Old Minster, Winchester, on 15 July 971, the massive rebuilding of the cathedral, and a vigorous publicity campaign by Bishop Aethelwold (963-84), St Swithun became one of the most popular and important English saints, whose cult was widespread not only in England but also in Ireland, Scandinavia, and France. The present volume includes new and full editions of all the relevant texts - hagiographical, liturgical, and historical - in Latin, Old English, and Middle English, many of which have never been published before: these illuminate the origins and development of St Swithun's cult. No dossier of an important English saint has been published on this scale until now: the wealth of this volume sheds new light not only on St Swithun himself, but also on the times during which his cult was at the peak of its popularity. ... Read more

Book Description
Ruth A. Tucker's book is a comprehensive survey of all the major alternative religions in the United States, including the new groups since the 1960s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An Excellent Resource For Believers
As a former member of the LDS church I find this an excellent resource to point out the false doctrines of the Mormons and other false churches.The treatments are excellent and factual...that some members of their organizations dispute the historical facts and doctrinal statements of their founders only shows that they have not made honest efforts to understand what their leaders have propagated.As a "Mormon" I was not aware of many of the more esoteric teachings of the church.I suspect that those below who would argue that this book is not factual have not in fact performed an honest assessment of their church histories and simply are not properly informed.As believers in Christ we must pray for them as my Christian friends and family did for me many years ago.I am forever grateful for people like Ms. Tucker and Walter Martin for showing me the true path to salvation and believe this book is an excellent resource to arm Christians against doctrinal fallacies.

In regards to Mr. Bartlett below, with all due respect, the Mormon church teaches that they are the only true faith much more than Protestant Denominations do.In fact, I find the suggestion that Joseph Smith and the Mormons are somehow more tolerant than other "sects" disingenuous when in fact the truth is they preach all non-Mormons will end up in hell.As an apostate, I am supposedly condemned even further to outer darkness.In this sense, Protestants are much more tolerant and inclusive in that we recognize that there are areas of difference on the nonessentials.No honest Protestant would ever say that Catholics are doomed to hell.Yet the Mormons do condemn them and all other Protestants to eternal damnation.Claiming this book is intolerant because it presents facts is a simplistic argument.I challenge you to refute even one fact presented in this novel in connection with the LDS church. As a former Mormon I refuse to treat any organization as Christian that preaches a false Christ.Mormons can wish to be called Christian all they wish but such a characterization is emphatically untrue.

More ammunition for the hate mongers
It's so very sad that so many self-righteous, fundamentalist Protestants, many who are well-meaning decent people, and their leaders who are not,have chosen to engage in smear campaigns against other Christians.Somehow these bigots have decided they are the ONLY true followers of Christ, and they, and only they, have the true gospel and Christ on their side.What a pity. These hate-mongers never seem to understand that their behavior not only makes them look so terribly ugly, but, in fact, actually causes people to investigate the very religions they rant and rave against.

The most pitiful misunderstanding on their part is that they would tell us that Jesus said the world will hate them as the world hated Jesus.Nothing could be farther from the truth.The world is beginning to hate Protestant fundamentalists because of their behavior, not their religion.If they lived their religion, and the message of love and peace that Jesus preached, no one would hate them.

Unlike these "christians" who unrighteously judge others, many of the groups Tucker calls "cults" do NOT consider others non-Christian. Jesus didn't come to start a church as we think of a church today.In his day "church" meant "following".The fundamentalist Protestants have no more right to claim their "perfect understanding", as they would have us believe, than many of the religions they verbally persecute.

It is so strange how no one learns from history. At one time the Christians were the persecuted. Then the Catholic Church became mainstream and they persecuted those that did not think like they did.Then the splinter groups from the Catholic Church who had been persecuted became mainstream, so they started persecuting, burning at the stake, etc., those that were different than they.Now, the splinter groups have come to some kind of agreement among themselves, while still disagreeing on many issues, and they want to dismiss the rest of the world as unsaved pagans and heretics, which, of course, was at one time exactly what they had done to them.

Now, is it any wonder that Joseph Smith, and many others, saw all this hypocrisy in these Protestant sects, and could not abide their bickering? He (they) therefore decided to try and understand why these groups were so hateful and argumentative-- in the name of Jesus Christ, of course-- and could not all be correct, and yet different. As a result they tried to build their beliefs on what they understood, exactly as the fundamentalist Protestants had done so many years earlier. So, what happens to them? The bickering sects of fundamentalist Protestants now turn on those who have ideas of their own with the same intolerance shown them so many years earlier?

Well, so much for Christian love.I wonder how Christ would have handled this?Just like the antis of the Protestant sects?I don't think so.

Seventh Day Adventism- NOT A CULT
At first glance, this book looks good. But looks can be deceiving. Since I can't claim to be an expert on religions, I don't know exactly how many times the author made serious errors. I do know for a fact that they made severe errors when addressing Seventh Day Adventists I myself am a Seventh Day Adventist and I consulted the book "Seventh Day Adventists Believe..." for accurate reference. "Seventh Day Adventists Believe..." contains 27 fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists and is copyrighted by the Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The author/s of "Another Gospel" made grievous errors while discussing Seventh Day Adventists.
Seventh Day Adventists do NOT believe:
1. That you must be baptized to be saved
2. In salvation through baptism through immersion only
3. If you don't keep the Sabbath, then you're not saved
4. If you don't keep the Sabbath, you will be rejected by God
5. In salvation through works
In respect to numbers one and two, "Seventh Day Adventists Believe" states:
"...it is the blood of Christ, not the water of baptism, that removes sin from the believer... baptism does not automatically assure salvation." (Chapter 14, Baptism, pages 182-183)
For numbers three, four and five, the book "Seventh Day Adventists Believe" again disproves these statements. In Chapter 10, The Experience of Salvation, pages 121-122, it states:
"Many wrongly believe that their standing before God depends on their good or bad deeds."
The chapter discusses salvation, and nowhere does it state that one may earn salvation or acceptance from God through good deeds/works. Though the Sabbath is not discussed in this chapter, it can be concluded that because salvation is achieved not through works, Sabbath-keeping cannot earn salvation or acceptance from God.
If the credibility of my statements is in any way in question, I encourage you to consult the book "Seventh-day Adventists Believe...".
"Seventh-day Adventists Believe..." was copyrighted in 1988 by the Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was Printed in the U.S.A. by the Review and Herald Publishing Association (Hagerstown, Maryland 21740). The ISBN number is:
0-8280-0466-8
The back cover of "Seventh-day Adventists Believe..." states:
"'What Seventh-day Adventists Believe...' stands as an authentic resource on Adventist doctrine because it is written by Adventists themselves. More than 230 men and women have evaluated and contributed their insights to the manuscript."
Seventh Day Adventists are not part of a cult. Since the author of "A New Gospel" made such severe errors with ONE branch of the Christian faith, what is to be concluded but that the author/s do not sufficiently check their information?
Such poor credibility is extremely offensive. In addition, the unfortunate popularity of the book "A New Gospel" spreads untruths about (at least) one branch of the Christian faith. The readers of this book may count "A New Gospel" as a credible source, and may even, sadly, go so far as to trust and believe what the book states. This, in turn, could spread incorrect beliefs, and damage the credibility of branches of the Christian faith.
The power of the written word can inflict incalculable damage when used incorrectly. Perhaps the author of "A New Gospel" needs to realize that.

Excellent Reference Guide
This book was assigned reading in my Seminary, and is an excellent reference guide for anyone desiring to understand people with other religious points of view and how to share the Gospel with them.It is a good investment you will refer to for years to come.

CONTENTS:

1. Cults, Sects, Denominations, World Religions: Definition of Terms; 2. Historical Heresy: Unorthodox Movements of Past Centuries; 3. Mormonism: The Legacy of Joseph Smith; 4. Seventh-Day Adventism: Eschatological Confusion; 5. Jehovah's Witnesses: A Religion of Protest; 6. Christian Science: A Denial of the Material World; 7. New Thought and Unity: Health and Happiness; 8. The Worldwide Church of God: Reinterpreting Israel and the Law; 9. The Way International: Denying the Deity of Christ; 10. The Children of God: Evangelism and Sex Perversion; 11. The Unification Church: Proclaiming a New Messiah; 12. Hare Krishnas: Transplanted Hinduism; 13. Baha'i: A Peace and Unity Movement out of Islam;

14. Scientology: Mind-Altering Pseudo-Psychology; 15. The New Age Movement: The Occult Made Respectable; APPENDIX A: Lesser-Known Cultic Movements; APPENDIX B: Cultic Statements of Belief; APPENDIX C: Major Tenets of Orthodox Christianity.

A respectful treatment of important new religions
I used this book as a textbook for a class on "Christianity and the Cults" at Denver Seminary. This book covers a wide variety of new religious groups, both ones that claim to Christian, like Mormons and JWs, and New Age type groups like Hare Krishnas and Baha'i. The professor preferred this volume to Walter Martin's "Kingdom of the Cults." I believe the reason why is this book is less "harsh" in its evaluations of the teachings of these groups than Martin's.

When this book evaluates each group's teachings, it is more with the attitude of, "This is something that should be considered" than Martins' "I'm right, you're wrong, that settles it" attitude.

For each group, Tucker gives a rather extensive review of its background and history, including a short biography of the group's founder and other important figures in its history. The "distinctive doctrines" of the group are then explained. And lastly, she provides what she calls "challenges" to these doctrines. But she emphasis that this should be done in a respectful manner. She is correct is saying that false teachings do need to be confronted, but it is possible to do so in a loving a respectful manner (1Peter 3:15). However, one deficiency of this book is it does not have that many Scripture references in it. Tucker seems to assume that the reader knows the Biblical basis for such basic Christian doctrines as the Trinity. And she generally provides logical not Biblical refutations of each group's teachings.

To study what the Bible has to say on such doctrines, one would need to consult a book like my "Scripture Workbook: For Personal Bible Study and Teaching the Bible." It presents hundreds of verses supporting basic Christian doctrines, such as the nature of God and the Trinity, and it provides rebuttals to interpretations these groups place on verses they quote in trying to support their doctrines.

Tucker's book is very helpful for the background information on these groups and the respectful attitude she presents. Christians need to have a basic knowledge of what such groups teach or at least a good references like this around this around to consult. But for a Biblical study on such topics, you'll need to consult a book like my "Scripture Workbook." ... Read more

Book Description
In the 1880s an oracle priest, Navosavakadua, mobilized Fijians of the hinterlands against the encroachment of both Fijian chiefs and British colonizers. British officials called the movement the Tuka cult, imagining it as a contagious superstition that had to be stopped. Navosavakadua and many of his followers, deemed "dangerous and disaffected natives," were exiled. Scholars have since made Tuka the standard example of the Pacific cargo cult, describing it as a millenarian movement in which dispossessed islanders sought Western goods by magical means. In this study of colonial and postcolonial Fiji, Martha Kaplan examines the effects of narratives made real and traces a complex history that began neither as a search for cargo, nor as a cult.
Engaging Fijian oral history and texts as well as colonial records, Kaplan resituates Tuka in the flow of indigenous Fijian history-making and rereads the archives for an ethnography of British colonizing power. Proposing neither unchanging indigenous culture nor the inevitable hegemony of colonial power, she describes the dialogic relationship between plural, contesting, and changing articulations of both Fijian and colonial culture.
A remarkable enthnographic account of power and meaning, Neither Cargo nor Cult addresses compelling questions within anthropological theory. It will attract a wide audience among those interested in colonial and postcolonial societies, ritual and religious movements, hegemony and resistance, and the Pacific Islands.
... Read more

Book Description

This book is an attempt to demonstrate the existence and explore the character, theology, liturgy and cultic beliefs and practices of the Gnostic movement. This is a fascinating study into the past to identify the Gnostics as a cult movement originating in the late first century and arising out of Christianity.

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Not so true
The book claims to be a "True Story" when in fact it should read, Based on a true story.Being a direct relative of a good portion of the people involved I have to say it was dissappointing to read.

I felt Colvin seemed to miss key parts of the story.Local law enforcement and family services as well as teachers ignored repeated reports from my family about child abuse, drug use, and other numerous activities on the farm.This went on for over a year.The book is very detailed with some of the sickest of things you'll ever read.I fell if he could included such great details like those, the least he could do is included how several people within the surrounding communiteis tried to stop it before it ever got so sick.

Colvin mentions how there were whispers of gunfire on the property.These were not whispers they were actual reports made to the Richardson County Sherriff Department and Family Servises that were not acted upon.There were several names Colvin was not allowed to mention or had to change to protect the innocent, I feel that a name with only a single letter different is not creative enough for a seasoned writter.

Trial coverage would have been good to add.

A Scary Book
I clearly remember when the Rulo murders were uncovered, as I live less then 100 miles from the scene of the crime. I read this book several times and I have to say Colvin seems to have done a pretty good job of gettingout and beating the bush to get his sources and research. He talked to aslew of people involved in the case.

The big problem with Colvin is thathe seems to downplay the Christian Identity theme to some extent. He talksin great depth about James Wickstrom and the Posse Comitatus, but we don'tget as much information on the underlying theme to these activities, whichis Christian Identity, a theology that advocates that Jews are the spawn ofSatan and that Blacks and other Non-White races are subhuman. The reasonRyan was able to exert his influence was due to Identity.

I can let thereader know that Michael Ryan is still on Death Row here in Nebraska. Infact, he recently lost yet another appeal, but he has several avenues leftto him. Dennis Ryan was released from prison when he had his sentencereduced to 2nd degree murder. Several years ago, our state Supreme Courtmade a ruling that resulted in the release of dozens of convicts that hadbeen convicted of 2nd degree murder. Go figure. Andreas and Haverkamp werealso released from prison recently. Michael Ryan, the last I heard, isattempting to rewrite the Bible along the lines of Christian Identity.

Ascary book in that it shows how evil some people can be.

chilling true crime
Rod Colvin gets into the mind of Michael andshows us how powerful ones influence can be and how destructive.he has proven to be a fine true crime writer. I will look forward to seeing more of his books in print. This is amust read for true crime reading fans.

evil harvest was a real page turnergreat true crime
Evil harvest was so well written. The contents of the book and the impeccable skills of this author really brings this story to life. Excellent true crime that doesn't focus to much on the trial but on whaatthe readers want to hear ie: about the characters. I love the way he givesyou an understanding into the minds of all the characters. Reaaly makes youunderstand what lead to the ultimate down fall of average good folks. Iwill look forward to reading more by this fine author.

A True Crime Classic
This is one of those books that probes the dark side of humanity. When I read a true-crime story, I'm looking for answers -- Rod Colvin gives them here in a compelling, harrowing narrative. ... Read more

Book Description
An improved, updated edition of a much-needed reference work in an increasingly pluralistic world where all kinds of unconventional religious groups abound. Formerly published as Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good cataloging, horrible interpretation
Though commenting upon an array of religions, cults, and sects so great you could hardly ask for more, this book is crippled by its own bias.

It is written from such a Christian-centered viewpoint that all non Judaic religions become horribly tainted. Just about everything, even religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism which pre-date Christianity, are compared extensively to the Christian faith. The trouble in this is, as any student of subaltern groups knows, that the reader cannot develop an organic understanding of a religion, but rather can only see religions as measured by the yardstick of Christianity.

For example, the section on Buddhism is broken down into the following categories: History, Teachings, God, Sin, Salvation & the Future, Morality, and Conclusion. In every section except for History and Conclusion, Buddhism is compared to Christianity, even though Buddhism predates Jesus by hundreds of years. The authors do not even attempt to hide such bias, openly declaring that they will portray Buddhism only through Christian lenses on page 42.

The section on Christianity itself is almost laughable. The masturbatory, emotive waxing on the noble history of Christianity (and its inherent correctness!) in the conclusion is hilariously sad. "Yet despite persecution, moral laxity, heresies challenging it both from within and without, the church of Jesus Christ prevails... It has experienced dark moments, but even as the darkness of the first Good Friday gave way to the brightness and splendor of the resurrection and the empty tomb, so too has the church experienced a glorious history with a future that will be brighter still when Jesus and the church - that is, when the bridegroom and the bride - unite forever." (Page 72)

If you want a comprehensive list of religions, cults, and sects, this will do - but if you want to understand them and see them from a relatively neutral viewpoint, go elsewhere.

P.S. Zoroastrianism doesn't have its own encyclopedic entry. Hello!? The People's Temple (the organization/cult of Jim "Purple Kool-Aid" Jones) which had perhaps 1000 members at its height gets its own section, but not a religion which heavily informed both Christianity and Islam and which still boasts 200,000 members world-wide today.

Unbiased?
The book has alot of good information but they continually compare every religion or doctrine to their own obviously fundalmentalist Christian views. It gets a little old time after time reading how this organization is wrong because they're not the right kind of Christian.

Which Is the "Christian" Doctrine?
Which Is the "Christian" Doctrine?

Suppose for a moment that the Latter-day Saints were to take seriously the demand that they conform in every particular to "Christian" doctrine, and that they thenmade the attempt to do so. Having complied with such a demand, would theLatter-day Saints find themselves in total agreement with Protestants orwith Catholics? Would they believe in apostolic succession or in thepriesthood of all believers? Would they recognize an archbishop, apatriarch, a pope, a monarch, or no one at all as the head of Christ'schurch on earth? Would they be saved by grace alone, or would they find thesacraments of the church necessary for salvation? Would they believe infree will or in predestination? Would they practice water baptism? If so,would it be by immersion, sprinkling, or some other method? Would theybelieve in a substitutionary, representative, or exemplary atonement? Wouldthey or would they not believe in "original sin"? And on andon.

It is unreasonable for other Christians to demand that Latter-daySaints conform to a single standard of "Christian" doctrine whenthey do not agree among themselves upon exactly what that standard is. Todo so is to establish a double standard; doctrinal diversity is toleratedin some churches, but not in others. The often-heard claim that all trueChristians share a common core of necessary Christian doctrine rests on thedubious proposition that all present differences between Christiandenominations are over purely secondary or even trivial matters-matters notcentral to Christian faith. This view is very difficult to defend in thelight of Christian history, and might be easier to accept if Protestantsand Catholics- or Protestants and Protestants, for that mat-ter-had notonce burned each other at the stake as non-Christian heretics over thesesame "trivial" differences.

Concise and extensive handbook of many of today's cults.
The strongpoint of this dictionary is its extensive coverage of the hundreds of cults and sects that are around today. While it was impossible to cover all of them, the authors went to great pains to include all the the best known ones as well as some that enjoy less popularity.

Each article is written from a strong Christological viewpoint, includes an extensive list of primary and secondary resources for further investigation while still being immensly readable. Theological language is either explained or avoided making each synopsis easily understandable for the average layman.

Kingdom of the Cultsm move over, your repalcement is here. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cult Mentality & Workings Clearly Explained
This book explains the mentality and workings of cults, cult leaders, and cult members in aconcise and readable manner.The author's clear explanations and historical examples areenhanced by excerpts ofinterviews with former cult members.Written in 1983, drug use within cults is not discussed.

Ms. Appel discusses cult leaders, why they becomecult leaders, and how they structure cults toattract and retainfollowers.She discusses cult members, their common characteristics, andhowthey are affected by cult membership.Ms. Appel discussesbrainwashing techniques, howbrainwashing is accomplished, and howbrainwashing affects individuals.She discussesdeprogramming: thecontroversial technique of "rescueing" a cult member andreturning the cultmember to society.Ms. Appel discusses deprogrammingtechniques, and also discusses their success.

This is a clearly writtenand very interesting book that merits reading.It also is a book that merits a new revision discussing today's cult activities. ... Read more

Product Description
How is it possible that cults continue to exist despite their history of disintegrating under the strain of their own mad ideas? In this entertaining study of the very thin line that separates cult leaders from full-blown madness, Stevens and Price argue that the answer lies in our gene pool. The sexual charisma of cult leaders--from Hitler, Koresh and Jones on one side of the spectrum and Jesus on the other side--play a vital role when groups waver and split. The authors create a controversial argument that will make anyone look at groups and religions in a whole new light. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Where Prophets and Madmen Meet
I have read many books on genius and madness and this is one of the best ones I have come across. The authors take an evolutionary approach to the mysterious condition of Schizophrenia and come to some fascinating conclusions. Basically they argue that the great prophets and spiritual gurus of the past and present are in fact borderline (sometimes even full blown) Schizophrenics who could for other reasons have a charisma that would convince "followers" of their bizarre and revelatory insights. The authors speak of a concept called a mazeway resynthesis that both the prophet and the Schizophrenic have the capacity for and experience, where they create a revolutionary vision of a world to come.The prophet who typically for whatever reason has high self esteem or status convinces followers of his/her vision whereas the Schizophrenic often with low self esteem or status doesn't and with no "followers" too edit their thoughts they further break off from reality into their own imaginary world filled with imaginary followers, etc.Of course that's a simplistic explanation of the theory the authors propose and I couldn't do it justice in this short review.I found the book too be a fascinating exploratory journey into the mysterious origins of both the prophet and the Schizophrenic in evolutionary terms and left much to think about.The authors appear to be very knowledgable about the subject at hand.I did not nitpick the book for 'factual errors' such as those suggested by the previous reviewer.Instead I saw their views as generally well argued differences of opinion that are currently being debated by scholars in various fields with regards to these controversial issues at hand.The book also gives interesting suggestions for treatment of Schizophrenics based on their theory.

Interesting ideas, but shallow in some places
I really wish there was a half-star rating on Amazon.com, because this is really more like two-and-a-half stars.Stevens's idea of prophets and messianic figures springing from the same root cause as schizophrenia and serving an evolutionary function in causing group fission is interesting (and may receive incidental support from Jane Goodall's work with the chimps at Gombe, who fissioned and essentially went to war with one another, resulting in the destruction of the smaller group by the larger).However, he is way too wedded to his biological paradigm and doesn't seem to understand the flaws in such an approach--one of the main problems with evolutionary psychology is that it works from a post-hoc ergo propter-hoc format, e.g. "We see this is serving this function so therefore it must have evolved to serve this function."

Stevens also displays only a superficial understanding of the ethnographic examples he picks out to illustrate his ideas, in particular those of Handsome Lake and other Native American examples, and to top it all off, his analysis of gender leaves a great deal to be desired.He states on page 122, "Males are orientated toward political issues of group leadership and group allegiances whereas females are primarily committed to motherhood and childrearing," and goes on to assert that this distinction is found in all cultures except our own of the last twenty years.The assertion that females are concerned primarily with house and home and not with political matters is patently false, and arises from a profound historical male bias in ethnographical fieldwork, as anthropologists anywhere will tell you; the world over, females practice power strategies as assiduously as males do, but tend to employ more subtle strategies as spreading rumors about opponents, attempting to manipulate others into doing their bidding, and so on.Here is where a greater understanding of his data might have come in handy, as well as an understanding of the conditions under which some of these ethnographic examples were collected.

Prophets,Messiahs and Cult Leaders Mad or Misguided?
This is a MUST-READ book covering all the obvious cults and leaders and less obvious ones like Jesus. Interesting details about John Nash (A Beautiful Mind---Russell Crowe) Boudicca, Joan of Arc, Hitler and every other cult leader and an explanation of how and why they were. The man who walked around London in the 1660s with a fire-filled brasier on his head warning Londoners of the Great Fire and the Plague to come.

Don't miss the interesting suggestion of providing schizophrenic patients with their own virtual reality world filled with cult followers all courtesy of the Internet. ... Read more

Product Description
They secretly meet for seventeen days each July at a place called the Bohemian Grove, a remote forest of ancient redwood trees in the deep Northern California woods. Some 1,500 in number, their membership rolls include current and former U.S. Presidents, heavy-hitting corporate chieftains, and high government officials. Mingling among them are a number of Hollywood movie stars, Broadway producers, famous musicians, authors, painters and poets. These are America's most powerful men.

The celebrity names you'd easily recognize, but chances are you've never heard of the Bohemian Club.

For most the club's long history, the public could only speculate as to what these men were doing behind closed doors. Now the truth can finally be revealed.

Mike Hanson is a first-hand eyewitness who has been inside the Bohemian Grove, and successfully emerged with the first video evidence ever brought out of the power elite's exclusive compound. He peers behind the deep, green foliage and twisted vines, and the moss-covered brown limbs and trunks of ancient, gnarled trees to discover what really goes on inside.

On this, the 130-year anniversary of the founding of the Bohemian Club, Bohemian Grove: Cult of Conspiracy promises to uncover the Grove's hidden history and expose the secrets of the redwoods.

Download Description
They secretly meet for seventeen days each July at a place called the Bohemian Grove, a remote forest of ancient redwood trees in the deep Northern California woods. Some 1,500 in number, their membership rolls include current and former U.S. Presidents, heavy-hitting corporate chieftains, and high government officials. Mingling among them are a number of Hollywood movie stars, Broadway producers, famous musicians, authors, painters and poets. These are America ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Hmmmmmm.
I wonder why the 2 negative reviewers only reviewed this book. Have they not read watched or used any other products on Amazon?
I wonder who they are and why they don't like the book.

BIased Book
I thought the book was very biased, not a true representation of the Grove.The author was obviously slanted to getting his own views across to the readers.

Sensationalist TV Style Trash
After having shelled out a reasonable amount of $ for this hefty, (if only paperback) tome, I can only say that I am sorely disappointed with the content. I was expecting a scholarly account of the history of Bohemian Grove and some 'investagative journalism' style account of having been inside the Grove. All I got was cheap, sensationalist, TV style, trashy first-hand account of a few hours spent inside the Bohemian Retreat with a camcorder.

This account of what is purported to happen inside the Grove is woefully short on facts, but full of wild supposition. To a practicing, Ph.D. qualified scientist used to dealing in hard facts - the 'evidence' suggesting human sacrifice at the grove seriously undermines the credibility of this account, as does the oral witness used to support a number of other equally absurd claims.

In short - this book highlights a very interesting conspiracy theory without providing any compelling evidence. It is by no means a convincing work. I would save my money. My copy is destined for Ebay!!

Excellent, Thought Provoking Book
I recieved this book for my birthday.I have absolutely loved it so far.There are a couple things I would not agree with but it doesn't change my opionon about the book.The author first describes the Waco disaster.The thing that I would disagree with is that Hanson debunks some of the myths of the Waco disaster which could be true, but what I don't agree with is that he says that the Dividians were not a cult.The dividians believed that their pastor david was Jesus Christ and that he came back on the second coming. They also said that he could open the seven seals in the book of revelations chapter 3 and 4. They are definately a cult, even though they didn't harm anyone contrary to what the government says.
I skipped ahead to the story of how Alex and Mike got in the bohemian grove.I had to hear the story.I thought it was one of the most hilarious things I ever heard with all the close calls!! I am glad that there is humor in this book but one has to know the deeply occultic side of this too.
Now we have to ask ourselves.Do we really thing George W. Bush is a christian???? A lot and I mean A lot of evidence shows this is not the case!!!! We have to see that many will be decieved, even the very elect. George W. Bush probably is a wolf is sheeps clothing. I thought I'd write two reviews since I am not all the way through, this book deserves two reviews!!! Big thumbs up!!!!! Also remember, many almost all of our presidents have been involved in secret societies!!! Where do you think we got the great seal from?????? From a dark being who visited Thomas Jefferson, he gave him a red velvet bag with the two seals on the 1 dallor bill.The dark being came to him mostly because he was a rosicruicanist.(another secret society). Wake up folks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally! *The* Bohemian Grove book I'd been hoping to find!
I was so delighted to find this book - a comprehensive history and study of the powerful and influential San Francisco Bohemian Club was long overdue! Since William Domhoff's "The Bohemian Grove and Other Retreats" has been out of print for 30 years, and other books have only skimmed the subject of the Bohemian Grove (maybe just a chapter or two), this book is nearly 450 pages on the subject - WOW! - Everything you Ever Wanted To Know About The Bohemian Grove (But Were Probably Afraid to Ask!).

Author Hanson provides a thorough history of the club, from it's humble founding in 1873 by a group of eminent newspapers writers such as Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce and Bret Harte, through the club's growth into a fashionable hangout for theatrical performers, musicians, artists, and movie stars in the early 20th century, to its current status of over 1500 members including some of the most powerful businessmen, politicians, and influential scholars, scientists and leaders on the planet.

Hanson manages to make this history a fascinating read (his style is not dry or too academic...that's refreshing!), and his writing style is careful to represent all sides of the ongoing debate fairly (so's that). Of course, there are still many unanswered questions floating around about what *really* goes on inside the Bohemian Grove, but Mike Hanson has done an excellent job in unraveling many of the secret mysteries, debunking a few conspiracy theories, while keeping his eye trained on the bigger picture...that the Bohemian Grove is only one key component in a much larger agenda that should concern all of us - WHO OWNS AMERICA? Well, this book names names - literally! - there's even a complete Bohemian Club membership list in the Appendix section.

Also included is a complete list of the various camps at the Grove, and a list of noteables who have been club members in the past reads like a "Who's Who in America" for the past 130 years! - everyone from Teddy Roosevelt and Jack London to Bobby Kennedy and Bill Clinton, plus famous entertainers like Will Rogers, Bing Crosby, Art Linkletter, Lowell Thomas, and yes, even California governor Arnold schwartenegger (who they say was "chosen" for the governorship at the Bohemian Grove!). Add to that every Republican president since Calvin Coolidge, right up to our current President George W. Bush, and his father and grandfather before him, and you've got one helluva story to tell.

The photos alone are incredible (how about Presidents Nixon, Reagan and Eisenhower all relaxing together at Owl's nest Camp?) and the author's own personal story of how he infiltrated Bohemian Grove is a real page-turner. I couldn't put this book down! Pretty amazing story - Mike Hanson and Alex Jones secretly snuck into the Bohemian Grove compund in July of 2000 and captured the super-secret occult fire ritual practiced by Bohemians called "The Cremation of Care" on hidden video cameras. The result of their effort was made into a documentary film called "Dark Secrets - Inside Bohemian Grove" and the rest of the story is inside the pages of this new book by Mr. Hanson.

"Bohemian Grove - Cult of Conspiracy" is an absolutely invaluable resource to any serious political and/or occult researcher. The author goes into great detail giving documentation, references and a selected bibliography for further reading on the subject, and adding a Preface to the book about Waco and an Epilogue about 9/11 was a nice touch. Very skillful, thought-provoking work. Everybody should read it!

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Customer Reviews (3)

Having grown up in Kirtland, Ohio
I thought the book was very well written but I will agree it was a little slow getting into it. I lived 2 streets over from the "infamous" barn and pass by it all the time. Having read the book was a little odd at first because they would talk about something in Kirtland and I would know exactly what they were talking about. It's a good read but you can tell it was written from the prosecuter's side. If you want something factual, you would be better off reading about it online.

Don't waste your time or money.
This book is disgusting. There are a few facts in there but it's so slow going it gets to the point where you figure out where they're headed five chapters before they get there. The authors need to figure out that this personal vendetta against this religion or cult or whatever just makes them look pathetic. Don't waste any effort on this sewage.

Needs a rewrite.
This is a book with " way too much meat" in a sandwich bag.
It is informative but the paragraphs have so many descriptions of so many people it's hard to keep " who's who straight".

And it was all written in the past tense with not much real action or suspense.( You know what's going to happen..and after you figure out who's going to do the killing...why should one keep reading?)

I would like to tell the author ...You have a very good story to tell... it should be read by more people....I know you are enthusiastic about the subject.Just slow down and go back and rewrite this book.I'm sure then you'll have a BEST SELLER.

Tanya Radic ... Read more

Book Description
How does a Vampire Cult differ from a Satanic Cult? How do seemingly "normal" or "ordinary" citizens suddenly find themselves committed to a group whose leader promotes criminal activities and isolation from families and friends? What should you do if a loved one becomes indoctrinated by a potentially dangerous cult? This book focuses on various cults and their often criminal belief systems. Most readers are shocked by stories of mass suicides and ritualized cult killings, but few understand how such crimes come to be committed. Snow, a seasoned police officer with experience working on cult crimes, examines those cults that commit offenses from murder and fraud to kidnapping and sexual assault. By providing specific accounts of dangerous cults and their destructive acts, Snow illustrates how seemingly innocent groups can turn pernicious when under the sway of a charismatic leader with an agenda, or when members take things too far. He offers advice on how to avoid falling victim to cult indoctrination, concluding with chapters on how to identify cults, how to protect yourself and your family, and what to do if a loved one is ensnared by such a group. ... Read more

Book Description
American society is culturally diverse with a variety of religious denominations, sects, cults, and self-help groups vying for members. This volume analyzes nine of these groups, chosen both for their intrinsic interest and because they illustrate a variety of sociological concepts. The groups included in this study are: Heaven's Gate, Jesus People USA, the Love Family, The Farm, Amish Women, Scientology, El Nino Fidencio, Santeria, and Freedom Park. The contributors are social scientists with first-hand experience of the groups they examine. ... Read more

Book Description
The discourse of Buddhist studies has traditionally been structured around texts and nations (the transmission of Buddhism from India to China to Japan). And yet, it is doubtful that these categories reflect in any significant way the organizing themes familiar to most Buddhists. It could be argued that cultic practices associated with particular buddhas and bodhisattvas are more representative of the way Buddhists conceive of their relation to tradition. This volume aims to explore this aspect of Buddhism by focusing on one of its most important cults, that of the Buddha Amitabha. Approaching the Land of Bliss is a rich collection of studies of texts and ritual practices devoted to Amitabha, ranging from Tibet to Japan and from early medieval times to the present.

The cult of Amitabha is identified as an integral part of Tibet's Mahayana Buddhist tradition in the opening essay by Matthew Kapstein. Next Daniel Getz, Jr., locates the Pure Land patriarch Shengcheng more firmly in a Huayan context and his Pure Conduct society not so much in the propagation of Pure Land praxis but as a means of modifying anti-Buddhist sentiments. Jacqueline Stone's study of the practice of reciting nenbutsu at the time of death gives us an understanding of both the practice itself and the motivating logic behind it. Kakuban--the founder of the one major "schism" in the history of the Shingon tradition--is placed in a typology of Japanese Pure Land thought in James Sanford's study of Kakuban's Amida hishaku. Hank Glassman contributes an essay on the "subsidiary cult" of Chujohime, which derived from the cult of Amitabha but grew to such importance that it displaced the latter as the focus of worship in medieval Japan.

In his examination of "radical Amidism," Fabio Rambelli discusses different forms of Japanese Pure Land thought that constitute divergences from the mainstream or normative forms. Richard Jaffe examines the work of the seventeenth-century cleric Ungo Kiyo, who sought to match his teaching to the needs and capacities of his disciples. Todd Lewis highlights the importance of cultic life and finds traces of the desire for rebirth into Sukhavati in stupa worship among Newari Buddhists. Charles Jones' "thick description" of a one-day recitation retreat in Taiwan provides us with a closer look at how the cult of Amitabha continues in present-day East Asia.

Approaching the Land of Bliss moves beyond the limitations of defining Buddhism in terms of its textual corpus or nation states, opening up the cult of Amitabha in Nepal, Tibet, China, and Taiwan, and uncovering new aspects of Japanese Pure Land. ... Read more

Book Description
Ivan IV, the 16th-century tsar notorious for his reign of terror, became an unlikely national hero in the Soviet Union during the 1940s. This book traces the development of Ivan's positive image, placing it in the context of Stalin's campaign for patriotism. In addition to historians' images of Ivan, the author examines literary and artistic representations, including Sergei Eisenstein's famous film Ivan the Terrible, banned for its depiction of the tsar which was interpreted as an allegorical criticism of Stalin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Easy to read and very informative
For anyone who is interested in why someone would stay involved in a cult, or become involved in the first place this book will answer your questions.The simplicity of the answers is astounding.I absolutely reccomend reading this book.

Readable and informative...
Books that are both substantive and written in an engaging way are pretty thin on the ground.This is definitely one of them.

It takes the position that cult behaviour is present in less extreme forms in our everyday life and is convincing and interesting in its delivery.

I recommendit very highly... ... Read more

Product Description
If you use Microsofts PowerPoint® presentation software, this fantastic ready-to-use teaching tool will allow you to project on a screen-or show on your computer monitor-a comparison of the beliefs of 20 different religious groups. Contains more than 300 slides.Groups compared:Christianity; Scientology; Judaism; Buddhism; Islam; Unity School of Christianity; Armstrongism; New Age; Hinduism; NEW! Wicca; Mormonism; Hare Krishna; Unification Church; NEW! Nation of Islam; Jehovahs Witnesses; Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism; Christian Science; Transcendental Meditation; Spiritualism; Bahai World Faith.Know what they believe about God, Jesus, Salvation, life after death, and their interesting practices. Shows the founder, date, and location of the groups headquarters. Has photos of founders, headquarters, symbols, key writings, magazines and tracts, practices, etc.Each frame shows the beliefs of a particular religious group on a certain topic. At the bottom of each frame is a Bible button that allows you to go to the frame that shows the Christian belief on the same topic in just one click, so there is no scrambling to find the right frame. One more click will return you to the previous frame. Compatible with Macintosh and PC. ... Read more