Product Description

This book takes a practical approach to studying the cults, focusing attention on 12 of the primary representative cults or categories of cults.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #155033 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

From Library Journal
Even though cults do not make the news these days as they did some years ago, they are still of concern to many people. Rhodes, an author, radio personality, and president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries, addresses this concern from the viewpoint of an evangelical Christian. His thrust is to show where these groups go wrong for Christian ones, how they twist Scripture and how to counter them. He writes very clearly and does an excellent job of defining cults and new religions as well as introducing the 12 groups with which he has chosen to deal. Even readers not sharing the author's viewpoint can learn a good deal about these groups. However, one might wonder why some were included, for example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarian Universalism, and Freemasonry. They are certainly not new, and few would categorize them as cults, but perhaps their inclusion is justified by their evangelical approach. A good addition to the literature on cults, in particular for evangelical Christians. John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Lib., New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover
Cults and New Religions Aren’t Hard to Find

They’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:

Mormonism
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Mind Sciences
New Age Movement
Church of Scientology
Hindu-based Cults
Unification Church
Baha’i Faith
Unitarian Universalism
Oneness Pentecostalism
Masonic Lodge
Satanism

Learning 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 photos
Scripture Index
Subject Index
Glossary
Bibliography

And 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.

About the Author
Ron Rhodes (ThD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries. He is the author of eighteen books, including two Silver Medallion Award winners. He is heard nationwide on radio.

Customer Reviews

Excellent insight into the Cults
Ron does a great job of arming readers with all the right ammunition to counter false doctrines and provides wisdom for how best to lead people to the absolute truth of God. Very well done.

Some Integrity Please
My objection to this type of book is does nothing but create divides. For example he lists one religion as a cult that currently is the fourth leading religion in the United States. The pace it is setting it will be a world religion within a 100 years. Not bad for a cult. Just to set the record straight the dictionary defines a cult as a 1.System of religious worship and ritual.2.Devoted attachment to a person or principle3. a sect.

Under that definition every organized religion is a cult. That would include Evangelical Christians as they espouse Bible and Being Saved.

Disappointing and rather sloppy scholarship
Mr. Rhodes' five "essential" doctrines of Christianity as found on pages 22-23 are wide of the mark. Not all mainstream denominations of Christianity, particularly more liberal ones, would agree with his conclusions. His assertion that the doctrine of the trinity is a "biblical fact" is nothing short of laughable considering the church did not fully develop or embrace the doctrine of trinitarianism for over 3 centuries after Christ's death. And only after intense debate.

With respect to the specific religions he includes in his book, I can only speak to the Unitarian Universalist chapter as that is the religion with which I'm most familiar. Some of Mr. Rhodes' facts are easily refuted and his conclusions are sometimes downright insulting.

For example, "Past Unitarian Universalists include five U.S. presidents..." In fact, there has never been a UU president as the denominations merged in 1961. He names Thomas Jefferson as a Unitarian Universalist. Jefferson was raised an Episcopalian and later in life belonged to no specific religion although his writings do contain Unitarian ideals. There have been four presidents who belonged to Unitarian churches when the Unitarian faith bore little resemblance to UU practice today.

Mr. Rhodes contends that UUs "have little respect for the Christian Bible." That would be his opinion and one which would not hold up to scrutiny. UUs do indeed respect the Bible and other sacred religious texts, they just do not use it the same way Mr. Rhodes does.

Mr. Rhodes states that most UUs deny that there is an afterlife. He sites a document that isn't even accepted as the definitive statement of UU belief by all, or even most, Unitarian Universalists.

Mr. Rhodes contends that UUs are intolerant towards Christians despite their professed belief in religious tolerance. He does not explore the meaning of religious liberalism or differentiate between acknowledging Christianity as a valid faith path while failing to appreciate a conservative Christian proclaiming UUs as evil, sinful, faithless people destined for eternal damnation. Why should anyone tolerate intolerance?

If his other chapters are as misleading as this one, I would recommend anyone interested in cults seek a different source. Clearly Mr. Rhodes' purpose in writing this book was not scholarship, but to elevate his own religion by showing disdain for others. Even if that means shoddy research and erroneous conclusions.