78 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 3, 2012
lost despite having served a false prophet for so
long in unstable circumstances.
The obvious weakness of such a book for the
social scientist is its nature—an honest story
organized from memory by one witness.
Honesty is not necessarily truth or fact. When
some of the events happened is vague. There is
no index, so cross-referencing can be tedious
unless the reader takes copious notes along the
way. But the strength of the book goes beyond
mere honesty because it is strength of
perspective gained from 20 years of reflection
and hard work. Connolly hooked up with the
small but intense program at MeadowHaven in
Massachusetts, founded by cult specialists Bob
Pardon and Judy Pardon, whose reputations in
the cult-recovery field are solid. Connelly offers
several chapters that examine how cults twist
scriptures from the Bible to augment selfish
agendas. Chapter 17, “This is Your Brain on
Pain,” does a credible job to bring basics of
neurological science into the recovery picture.
His effort to learn gave Connolly a very real and
sophisticated advantage over the average ex-
member who merely moves on with his life, or
tries to (as if divorce after 20 years of marriage
resolves itself without psychological struggle).
Connolly dedicates the book to daughters Aimee
and Rebecca. Aimee was on the Dean’s list at a
college when she died tragically at age 19 in a
traffic accident in 1997. Connolly and his wife
had been out of the group a mere 6 years when
her death seriously rocked them emotionally, but
they held on for their family. Their third
daughter Rebecca struggled with severe
behavior problems resulting from a mood
disorder during her teens and into young
adulthood. Her parents supported her through
several hospitalizations and her runaway
behaviors. “Bec” passed away under tragic
circumstances at age 23. Through it all,
Connolly never lost his faith in Christ but he
did mature in that faith as he came to terms with
the support that modern science and psychology
offer to augment a healthy spirituality. After
shopping around for many years, Connolly and
his wife settled into a small, mainline
denominational church with a liturgical
tradition, the kind we might characterize as
gracefully normal compared to the hyperactive
religiosity of many new religious movements,
one that allows for plenty of freedom in one’s
silent and personal devotion within a solid and
more democratic teaching tradition.
lost despite having served a false prophet for so
long in unstable circumstances.
The obvious weakness of such a book for the
social scientist is its nature—an honest story
organized from memory by one witness.
Honesty is not necessarily truth or fact. When
some of the events happened is vague. There is
no index, so cross-referencing can be tedious
unless the reader takes copious notes along the
way. But the strength of the book goes beyond
mere honesty because it is strength of
perspective gained from 20 years of reflection
and hard work. Connolly hooked up with the
small but intense program at MeadowHaven in
Massachusetts, founded by cult specialists Bob
Pardon and Judy Pardon, whose reputations in
the cult-recovery field are solid. Connelly offers
several chapters that examine how cults twist
scriptures from the Bible to augment selfish
agendas. Chapter 17, “This is Your Brain on
Pain,” does a credible job to bring basics of
neurological science into the recovery picture.
His effort to learn gave Connolly a very real and
sophisticated advantage over the average ex-
member who merely moves on with his life, or
tries to (as if divorce after 20 years of marriage
resolves itself without psychological struggle).
Connolly dedicates the book to daughters Aimee
and Rebecca. Aimee was on the Dean’s list at a
college when she died tragically at age 19 in a
traffic accident in 1997. Connolly and his wife
had been out of the group a mere 6 years when
her death seriously rocked them emotionally, but
they held on for their family. Their third
daughter Rebecca struggled with severe
behavior problems resulting from a mood
disorder during her teens and into young
adulthood. Her parents supported her through
several hospitalizations and her runaway
behaviors. “Bec” passed away under tragic
circumstances at age 23. Through it all,
Connolly never lost his faith in Christ but he
did mature in that faith as he came to terms with
the support that modern science and psychology
offer to augment a healthy spirituality. After
shopping around for many years, Connolly and
his wife settled into a small, mainline
denominational church with a liturgical
tradition, the kind we might characterize as
gracefully normal compared to the hyperactive
religiosity of many new religious movements,
one that allows for plenty of freedom in one’s
silent and personal devotion within a solid and
more democratic teaching tradition.
