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-SPECIAL
FEATURE SECTION- NEW!! Doug Cowan explores the iffy term being tossed at many sociologists of religion and others... "CULT APOLOGY: A Modest Typological Proposal" The Tnevnoc Cult: A Sociological Analysis by Anson Shupe and David Bromley - This first-time-on the net gem is old but informative and a little tongue in cheek... What can "counter-cult" ministers learn from scholars? Dr. Gordon Melton offers some provocative ideas in this, his 2002 EMNR conference paper. Sociologist
Doug Cowan's hard, perhaps harsh, assessment of the evangelical
"counter-cult" community may not be 100% accurate in all respects.
Nonetheless, it is accurate in far too many. We include it here in two
parts: EMNR President John Morehead also looks beyond the old cult buster paradigms, pointing to missiologists as potential tutors for a new paradigm rooted in cultural sensitivity and rigorous scholarship. -=end of special section=- (May 16, 2002) Lauren Stratford, author of the best-selling Satan's Underground and two other books, reportedly died peacefully in early April, according to her supporters, at the age of 61. Stratford's sensational claims of having been "ritually abused" by an intergenerational satanic cult propelled her onto talk shows and made her into an instant evangelical celebrity. In 1989, Cornerstone investigated her story and discovered that it didn't match the facts. Ten years later, Stratford re-emerged with a stunning new story which completely contradicted her first tale. Cornerstone published our extensive look in this story, wherein she claimed to have been a child survivor of the Nazi concentration camp experiements on children. Stratford's main web supporter is one Gregory Reid, who himself has a "testimony" book or two on having been ritually abused by satanists. His page on Stratford's death has some rather uncomplementary things to say about Cornerstone's investigative team that did the Stratford articles. -cs- (Feb 26,
2002) EMNR
Conference 2002 in Louisville, KY: A Short Report
The sessions went from barely adequate to great, featuring a wide variety of speakers and perspectives. Yet the conference's most controversial element was, to me, also its best. There was the somber feeling of self-criticism evident all throughout, starting with each plenary session subtitled: "Raising the Standard." And EMNR's classic tension -- that between "cult-busting" and evangelism/missiology -- was evident. This year, the tilt seemed toward missiology as a paradigm, from comments made by EMNR president John Morehead to premier researchers of New Religions, Gordon Melton and Douglas Cowan. This paradigm conflicts, at least at times, with the more traditional domain of "counter-cult" evangelism, namely, "defending the faith" or (more cynically) "border maintenance." Speakers such as the venerable David Hesselgrave urged us not to forget the importance of defending the faith while doing missions, while Melton and Cowan (a Christian and "seeker" respectively) focused on the need for better scholarship. Melton was particularly harsh on the so-called "mind control" apologetic used by some secular anti-cult groups as being non-scientific (a view I concur with). I did not feel Hesselgrave contradicted Melton, but rather that both men's perspectives were needed to form a whole. I also found myself hanging out with the few NRM members attending the meeting, including two Scientologists (nice ladies, but what a strange worldview!) and a husband and wife from "The Family" (also known as the Children of God). I greatly enjoyed discussing their beliefs, history, and personal journeys, and my own faith and journey. That discussion continues. EMNR promises to become a major force in future apologetics and missiology to New Religious Movements, as well as a corrective to some of the more extreme "lone ranger counter-cultists." But as one observer noted, it will be difficult for EMNR to affect such individuals as Tex Marrs, Dave Hunt, and Robert Morey. More to the point, it will a ticklish business for EMNR to juggle the varying membership of 'mom and pop' apologetics ministries with more academic and institution-based groups. But the future is promising nonetheless. EMNR has struggled with many internal tensions, and now seems poised and balanced enough to move ahead, perhaps using those tensions as energy to do so. -cs- (2/26/2002)
Mike Warnke is apparently
attempting to revitalize his career after Cornerstone examined
his ministry and testimony and found them both wanting. In his book
Friendly Fire, to be released in April of this year, he writes:
"Was I a fake, a charlatan, a deceiver, and a liar? No. I never
lied about my testimony and I never ran a fake ministry. That being
said, however, let me hasten to add that all was not right in the Warnke
world. God used this whole mess to get my attention. My life was out
of control. I had no spiritual accountability." As
was shown in our book-length treatment, Selling Satan, Warnke's
response to our article was to set up the form of accountability without
the power thereof, a group of pastors near Warnke who (when we asked)
had no evidence contradicting our story. He has never admitted the truth
about his alleged involvement with the occult, nor the false testimony
he sold as a true autobiography in The Satan Seller and various
recordings. His new book focuses on being allegedly wounded by fellow
Christians, a classic case of bait and switch technique that one hopes
won't work (but fears likely will). There's
not much else we can say. -cs- Feb
12, 2002 CART is Cornerstone's think tank regarding Christian teaching (also called "doctrine" and "theology," though we don't consider ourselves trained theologians!). The historic roots of CART go all the way back to the beginnings of Jesus People USA itself. During the early years of the Jesus movement, various unorthodox groups challenged our standard evangelical interpretation of Scripture. As young Christians we realized we were new to the Word, and needed to immerse ourselves in the writings and thoughts of historic churches and leaders, as well as the leaders of our day. As Cornerstone magazine developed, our writing about groups known as "cults" (we have come to prefer the less pejorative term "new religious movements") became fairly well known. Long-time JPUSA member Eric Pement, along with Dawn Mortimer, Jon Trott, Tom Cameron, Bob and Gretchen Passantino, and others contributed to this apologetics focus. In the mid-80s, we conceptualized CART (Cornerstone Apologetics Research Team) as a formalization of the think tank we'd already basically created. In 2000, we amicably parted with Eric Pement, who went on to further his education in preparation for further ministry. Currently, we are reconceptualizing CART. These pages will hopefully allow you to observe those changes as they occur. CART Archives (many print articles not yet online; some listed here anyway) Listed
from Newest to oldest [more
to come, as time allows.....] Evangelical
Apologetics / Evangelism of [This list is not
meant to be exhaustive] Non-evangelical Sites regarding New Religious Movements + Sociologist
Jeffrey Hadden's Religions
Movements site carries outstanding information on various groups.
An evangelical might wish for more doctrinal analysis, but our own view
is that Hadden's approach offers a corrective to some excesses by other
self-proclaimed "experts" on "cults." Very informative,
and aesthetically well done. ***** Miscellaneous Articles on NRMs ("cults").... + Communities
magazine on the word "cult"
(This one is controversial in some respects, right on in many others). Miscellaneous Articles on Apologetics [Just a
sample....] [Not meant
as exhaustive....] This
page is continually being changed. Check back periodically for new additions. |
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Gretchen
and Bob Passantino's California-based ministry provides excellently
researched information online with a pastoral touch. The duo lives simply
and witness to personal integrity as well as solid teaching. *****
- CART/Cornerstone staffers were in on the beginning of this organization,
which initially attempted to distance itself from hate-mongering against
NRMs even while doing evangelism among NRMs and their members. CART's
Eric Pement headed EMNR for some time, and the group is once again being
revitalized by John Morehead of Watchman Fellowship. ****
(NRM
- specific) This ministry provides tons of info on various religious
groups and doctrines, and has a young, forward-thinking staff (John
Morehead for one) that may help lead the way in this new century's apologetic
endeavor. ****
This
venerable ministry, once headed by the late Walter Martin, provides
a great magazine (CRI Journal, edited by the eminently
sensible Elliot Miller, whose taste in rock music is impeccable as well)
and radio programs by CRI head Hank Hannegraf. Its web site carries
less freely-available content than some others, thus: ***1/2