The Children of God: There Is Life After the Cult
By Faye Thomas, MDiv
Reviewed by Cynthia Kunsman
Houston, TX: Strategic Book Publishing and
Rights. 2013. ISBN-10: 1608605280 ISBN-13:
978-1608605286 (paperback), $16.99 ($15.29,
Amazon.com). 258 pages.
Faye Thomas offers us a glimpse into the stages
of recruitment into the Children of God (CoG)
and the difficulties that she faced during her
recovery process. However, not unlike the
misconception many Evangelical Christians
hold, the author seems to presume that a mature
Christian orthopraxy and sound doctrine make
one impervious to cultic influence.
I found the author to be an endearing character
in the well-written narrative, which depicts the
all-too-familiar experience within a high-
demand group. (A rudimentary knowledge of
Spanish will help the reader because the author
uses simple phrases that are not translated
directly in the text. These phrases add character
to the work, but they can be distracting to those
who are unfamiliar with the language. I didn’t
locate the appendix, which included translations
of the Spanish phrases in the text, until after I
had finished the book.)
Along with stressing the often-denied message
that all young people share a vulnerability to
cults, the author chronicles her transition back
into mainstream life and a return to her religious
roots. She also notes that recovery, which she
processed primarily from a religious standpoint,
proved to be a more difficult process for her than
surviving within the cult itself. The book
chronicles the potential pitfalls when one is
searching for a healthy belief system after
having exited a thought-reform group. One of
those pitfalls can include one’s lack of
objectivity regarding the spiritually abusive
nature of new spiritual transitions and interests.
The Memoir
Faye Thomas provides us with a window into
her world as a college student in the late 1970s
as a business major who receives a scholarship
to complete her junior year in Spain. Schiller
International University’s small Madrid campus
offers American students the benefit of
solidifying their Spanish language skills via
immersion in the culture. In August of 1977, the
20-year-old embarks upon a host of immediate
challenges common to relocating in a foreign
country, including the unanticipated reaction of
the nationals to her appearance. She finds herself
alone as an African American and the Africans
whom she does encounter in Madrid come from
cultures and belief systems that are often equally
foreign to her.
While visiting a cafe that is featuring a group of
singers, she encounters a handsome, English-
speaking, CoG missionary named Daniel. Her
eager new friend quickly develops into her love
interest and when she is pressured to make a
quick decision, she accepts his invitation to join
him at the “Paris colony” for the Christmas
holiday. Although disappointed when he returns
to Spain just after she arrives in Paris, she
decides to enjoy the opportunity of the visit.
Within a few days, she acquiesces to 2 years of
full-time service in the CoG and abandons her
scholarship. Daniel had suggested to her early in
their relationship that her stress was not a
normal response to so many life changes, but
was rather a spiritual sign that God was calling
her to join the group. She also considered that
joining would advance their personal
relationship.
Her colony gives her the new name of Joy as she
completes her indoctrination period in Paris.
When finally permitted to visit Daniel’s colony
in Madrid, she finds him to be distant and
observes him courting another potential convert.
Upon her return to France, an African member
named Eli consoles Joy with earnest romantic
interests, which grow into a marriage proposal.
When Eli asks her to elope to marry, which
would require leaving the group, the devoted Joy
stands on her convictions to remain faithful to
leader Moses David. She continues to follow the
102 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 6, 2015
By Faye Thomas, MDiv
Reviewed by Cynthia Kunsman
Houston, TX: Strategic Book Publishing and
Rights. 2013. ISBN-10: 1608605280 ISBN-13:
978-1608605286 (paperback), $16.99 ($15.29,
Amazon.com). 258 pages.
Faye Thomas offers us a glimpse into the stages
of recruitment into the Children of God (CoG)
and the difficulties that she faced during her
recovery process. However, not unlike the
misconception many Evangelical Christians
hold, the author seems to presume that a mature
Christian orthopraxy and sound doctrine make
one impervious to cultic influence.
I found the author to be an endearing character
in the well-written narrative, which depicts the
all-too-familiar experience within a high-
demand group. (A rudimentary knowledge of
Spanish will help the reader because the author
uses simple phrases that are not translated
directly in the text. These phrases add character
to the work, but they can be distracting to those
who are unfamiliar with the language. I didn’t
locate the appendix, which included translations
of the Spanish phrases in the text, until after I
had finished the book.)
Along with stressing the often-denied message
that all young people share a vulnerability to
cults, the author chronicles her transition back
into mainstream life and a return to her religious
roots. She also notes that recovery, which she
processed primarily from a religious standpoint,
proved to be a more difficult process for her than
surviving within the cult itself. The book
chronicles the potential pitfalls when one is
searching for a healthy belief system after
having exited a thought-reform group. One of
those pitfalls can include one’s lack of
objectivity regarding the spiritually abusive
nature of new spiritual transitions and interests.
The Memoir
Faye Thomas provides us with a window into
her world as a college student in the late 1970s
as a business major who receives a scholarship
to complete her junior year in Spain. Schiller
International University’s small Madrid campus
offers American students the benefit of
solidifying their Spanish language skills via
immersion in the culture. In August of 1977, the
20-year-old embarks upon a host of immediate
challenges common to relocating in a foreign
country, including the unanticipated reaction of
the nationals to her appearance. She finds herself
alone as an African American and the Africans
whom she does encounter in Madrid come from
cultures and belief systems that are often equally
foreign to her.
While visiting a cafe that is featuring a group of
singers, she encounters a handsome, English-
speaking, CoG missionary named Daniel. Her
eager new friend quickly develops into her love
interest and when she is pressured to make a
quick decision, she accepts his invitation to join
him at the “Paris colony” for the Christmas
holiday. Although disappointed when he returns
to Spain just after she arrives in Paris, she
decides to enjoy the opportunity of the visit.
Within a few days, she acquiesces to 2 years of
full-time service in the CoG and abandons her
scholarship. Daniel had suggested to her early in
their relationship that her stress was not a
normal response to so many life changes, but
was rather a spiritual sign that God was calling
her to join the group. She also considered that
joining would advance their personal
relationship.
Her colony gives her the new name of Joy as she
completes her indoctrination period in Paris.
When finally permitted to visit Daniel’s colony
in Madrid, she finds him to be distant and
observes him courting another potential convert.
Upon her return to France, an African member
named Eli consoles Joy with earnest romantic
interests, which grow into a marriage proposal.
When Eli asks her to elope to marry, which
would require leaving the group, the devoted Joy
stands on her convictions to remain faithful to
leader Moses David. She continues to follow the
102 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 6, 2015
