New Durham Chapel

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From the mass weddings of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church to the mass suicides at Jonestown, charismatic cults and their devotees have become facts of American life. Once exotic offshoots of the Sixties counterculture exciting suspicion, scorn, terror, and counter-terror (as in the brief vogue of "deprogrammers"), cults have grown so common and entered so many areas of public life--managing everything from roadside flower-sellers to major metropolitan newspapers and nation-wide political campaigns--that only spectacular disasters like the immolation of the Philadelphia cult MOVE seem to remind us how extraordinary their burgeoning really is. Using material gleaned from fifteen years of direct encounters with cults and their detractors, as well as a wide range of his quantitative research, Marc Galanter shows not only how cult members feel and think at all stages of their involvement but also how larger social and psychological forces interact within the cults to command and reinforce individual commitment. After examining the powerful combination of social cohesiveness, shared beliefs, and altered consciousness that cults offer potential recruits, Galanter shows how these forces are orchestrated into self-contained social systems that relieve anxiety within while warding off threats--real or imagined--from without. Finally, he demonstrates this basic system in action, both in apparently successful movements like the Unification Church and in catastrophic failures such as MOVE and Jim Jones's People's Temple, and reflects on how and why some groups turn to violence. The book is full of compelling stories--first-person accounts of conversions, daily life under the rule of charismatic leaders, disillusionments, and departures both voluntary and forced--and fascinating overviews of many of the most influential cults, including the most comprehensive psychological analysis ever published of the evolution of the "Moonies." Many of Galanter's findings, especially his account of the similarities between cults and "zealous" self-help movements, are highly controversial, and his discussion of the powerful influence that Alcoholics Anonymous exerts over its members will spark much debate. Moving beyond the expos�s and confessions that have characterized so much of the literature on this subject, Galanter offers the most extensive psychological analysis of cults available. Although based on extensive on-site research, it is immediately accessible to both the general reader and to anyone personally or professionally concerned with cults.

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Book by Ryken, Leland

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A calendar of devotional readings for the daily walk of the Christian and his God. With appropriate Scripture readings.

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The classic missionary story of Dr. Viggo Olsen continues to thrill readers with its blend of excitement, insight, and inspiration.

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Sara's terrified. She's doing the one thing she cannot afford to do: fall in love with a famous man, former pro football player Adam Black. Sara is hidden away in the witness protection program, her safety dependent on staying invisible - and loving Adam could get her killed. Her brother, FBI agent Dave Richman (O'Malley series book one, The Negotiator), has his hands full providing her security from the man who kidnapped her and her twin sister and caused her sister's death. Soon they are caught in a chain of events that brings Sara face-to-face with terror...and with the sure knowledge that only God can set her free from the Danger in the Shadows.

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This book analyzes the contemporary self-esteem movement from a biblical perspective. It discusses its secular philosophical and psychological backgrounds, explains how it has infiltrated the evangelical worldview, and examines the various arguments used to demonstrate that it is compatible with Scripture. It concludes that the concept of self-esteem propagated by secular and evangelical sources is not biblical, but instead is doing substantial damage to individuals and relationships. It offers and supports an almost universally overlooked alternative that is thoroughly biblical in nature and that promotes behavioral, emotional, and relational health. This book can be used effectively as a self-help manual, as a textbook, or as a personal guide to understanding contemporary culture.

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Mercy Randolph, at home in Sweetriver, Kansas, finds herself in the midst of danger moving as fast as a tornado. Meanwhile, Jeremiah must learn to deal with his new faith and his new love--while risking everything to save his nephew from enemies.