Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 216
Book Reviews
For many people who still believe the old myth that all cults are religious, this study of
political cults expands our understanding of these social formations. Indeed, some religious
cults may take an interest in the political environment or particular issues, and may have
entire sections or individuals whose purpose is to influence politicians or political outcomes.
Yet the kinds of groups discussed in this book are substantively different in that they
―advocate programs of total social transformation‖ (p. 33). Ultimately, the goal is to seize
state power. In the meantime, the leader(s) create an environment characterized by
ideological totalism, and the members are expected to devote their lives to the group‘s
political mission, be it left or right. The authors‘ premise is that political cults are ―miniature
totalitarian societies.‖ Their danger lies in their efforts at ―seeking money, recruits, and
influence‖ (p. xi). In that regard, these groups tend to siphon money from just causes they
burn out their members and, in some cases of deep disillusionment, turn them away from
further participation in political processes or causes and, despite their rather small
numbers, these groups have a negative impact on political life, skewing causes and issues
in the direction of their own untoward ends. All of this is brought to life through the authors‘
analyses and their descriptions of ten or more cultic organizations, their foundational
ideologies, and their daily practices.
In Part I, Tourish and Wohlforth bring together key points from the classic literature on
persuasion and thought reform, illustrating clearly how they apply to political cults. The
newcomer will learn the essential principles of social psychology that explain most cult
practices, from recruitment to the development of the deployable agent. For those more
familiar with cultic studies, these early chapters serve as a fine reference point and review
of the works of Janis, Milgram, Sherif, Zimbardo, Cialdini, and, of course, Lifton.
On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left
Dennis Tourish and Tim Wohlforth. Published by: Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe,
2000. ISBN: 0-7656-0639-9 (cloth). $34.95
Tabernacle of Hate: Why They Bombed Oklahoma City
Kerry Noble. Ontario, Canada: Voyageur Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 0-921842-56-2
(cloth). $19.95
Tourish and Wohlforth wrote On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left out of their concern
for healthy participation in democratic political processes. While the focus on political cults is
especially important in today‘s climate of terrorism and political repression, more
information on this type of cult is needed in general. Some years back, for example, when
Dennis King published Lyndon LaRouche and the New American Fascism (Doubleday, 1989),
there was very little available about political cults. To locate articles on the subject, one had
to contact Chip Berlet at Political Research Associates in Cambridge, Mass., or other
organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center in Birmingham, Ala., or search the
archives of various weekly independent presses, such as The Guardian or City Paper. My
own writings on the left-wing Democratic Workers Party, first published in the Cultic Studies
Journal in 1992 and then elsewhere, were among the few works drawing connections
between cultic phenomena and the practices of certain political sects. Consequently, On the
Edge is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature in this field.
Book Reviews
For many people who still believe the old myth that all cults are religious, this study of
political cults expands our understanding of these social formations. Indeed, some religious
cults may take an interest in the political environment or particular issues, and may have
entire sections or individuals whose purpose is to influence politicians or political outcomes.
Yet the kinds of groups discussed in this book are substantively different in that they
―advocate programs of total social transformation‖ (p. 33). Ultimately, the goal is to seize
state power. In the meantime, the leader(s) create an environment characterized by
ideological totalism, and the members are expected to devote their lives to the group‘s
political mission, be it left or right. The authors‘ premise is that political cults are ―miniature
totalitarian societies.‖ Their danger lies in their efforts at ―seeking money, recruits, and
influence‖ (p. xi). In that regard, these groups tend to siphon money from just causes they
burn out their members and, in some cases of deep disillusionment, turn them away from
further participation in political processes or causes and, despite their rather small
numbers, these groups have a negative impact on political life, skewing causes and issues
in the direction of their own untoward ends. All of this is brought to life through the authors‘
analyses and their descriptions of ten or more cultic organizations, their foundational
ideologies, and their daily practices.
In Part I, Tourish and Wohlforth bring together key points from the classic literature on
persuasion and thought reform, illustrating clearly how they apply to political cults. The
newcomer will learn the essential principles of social psychology that explain most cult
practices, from recruitment to the development of the deployable agent. For those more
familiar with cultic studies, these early chapters serve as a fine reference point and review
of the works of Janis, Milgram, Sherif, Zimbardo, Cialdini, and, of course, Lifton.
On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left
Dennis Tourish and Tim Wohlforth. Published by: Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe,
2000. ISBN: 0-7656-0639-9 (cloth). $34.95
Tabernacle of Hate: Why They Bombed Oklahoma City
Kerry Noble. Ontario, Canada: Voyageur Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 0-921842-56-2
(cloth). $19.95
Tourish and Wohlforth wrote On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left out of their concern
for healthy participation in democratic political processes. While the focus on political cults is
especially important in today‘s climate of terrorism and political repression, more
information on this type of cult is needed in general. Some years back, for example, when
Dennis King published Lyndon LaRouche and the New American Fascism (Doubleday, 1989),
there was very little available about political cults. To locate articles on the subject, one had
to contact Chip Berlet at Political Research Associates in Cambridge, Mass., or other
organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center in Birmingham, Ala., or search the
archives of various weekly independent presses, such as The Guardian or City Paper. My
own writings on the left-wing Democratic Workers Party, first published in the Cultic Studies
Journal in 1992 and then elsewhere, were among the few works drawing connections
between cultic phenomena and the practices of certain political sects. Consequently, On the
Edge is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature in this field.
