Hardcover: 704 pages
Publisher: Bethany House; Rev Upd edition (October 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764228218
ISBN-13: 978-0764228216
From Amazon.com:
Book Description
The authoritative reference work on major cult systems for nearly forty years. Working closely together, Ravi Zacharias and Managing Editors Jill and Kevin Rische (daughter of Dr. Martin) have updated and augmented the work with new material. This book will continue as a crucial tool in countercult ministry and in evangelism for years to come. Among cults and religions included are: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, New Age Cults, the Unification Church, Baha’i Faith, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and more.
About the Author
Dr. Walter Martin held four earned degrees, having received his doctorate from California Coast University in the field of Comparative Religions. Author of a dozen books and a half-dozen booklets and many articles, Dr. Martin died in 1989.
Ravi Zacharias, the general editor, is president of Ravi Zacharias Ministries, a respected speaker, and author of many books.
As many of you know, I don’t read a whole lot of non-fiction, however, the subject of cults has always interested me. I’ve been reading this book off and on for awhile. It’s scholarly written, and that’s why I can only read it in bits and pieces, plus it’s non-fiction, so it’s harder for me to read than a novel. Here is a complete listing of the religious sects covered in the book.
I am in no way expressing an opinion about the following groups, I’m merely stating that the book listed above is a good source to get a general history of the following groups:
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Christian Science
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons)
Spiritism – The Cult of Antiquity
The Theosophical Society (Gnosticism)
Buddhism – Classical, Zen, and Nichiren Shoshu
The Baha’i Faith
Unitarian Universalism
Scientology
The Unification Church
Eastern Religions
The New Age Cult
Islam-The Message of Muhammad
The Cults on the World Mission Field
The Jesus of the Cults
Cult Evangelism-Mission Field on Your Doorstep
There’s also a section entitled: The Road To Recovery
I originally saw this book while browsing around a Christian bookstore. I didn’t want to shell out the money for it. But after I thought about it for a bit, I ended up purchasing it from Amazon months later.
Interesting reading.