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about the abuses and the fact that they existed beyond Berg‘s own household—a state that
Williams also experienced for a time [Williams, 1998:221].) Chancellor posits that despite
the reactions of some members, ―The Family has come full face to the reality that literature
such as ‗Heaven‘s Girl,‘ ‗The Little Girl Dream,‘ ‗The Devil Hates Sex,‘ and ‗The Story of
Davidito‘ did sanction adult sexual contact with minors‖ (p. 138). Furthermore, later in the
book, Chancellor asserts that ―throughout the late 1970s and the early 1980s, sexual
activity between adults and children was an accepted practice in a number of communities‖
(p. 223). With these and other discussions, Chancellor has tackled this thorny issue, and he
appears to have put to rest the ongoing debate about whether or not relatively extensive
child sexual abuse occurred. This book makes clear (within the context of a balanced
discussion) that many members of the second generation suffered greatly—not only in
terms of sexual abuse, but also physically and emotionally in fact, so much so, that
comparatively few of those born in the 1970s stayed with the group.
One strength of Chancellor‘s study is that he brings us up to date. Chapter 5 looks at how
current members live—the interviews paint a human and at times even a mundane picture
of life in the movement. Daily routines and the importance of prayer (p. 152), the continued
significance of the Mo Letters (p. 152), the disciples‘ concepts of self and their belief in their
special role in Jesus‘ service (p. 153)—all contribute to our understanding of the
movement‘s current form. Finally, as Chancellor notes, the group still rejects mainstream
values (for the most part), but disciples typically enjoy a more comfortable life than they did
during the movement‘s early days (p. 159).
Chapter 6 considers the consequences of giving up one‘s life in the ―System.‖6 Perhaps the
most contentious aspect of doing so is the ‗forsake all‘ policy that stipulates that disciples
must relinquish contact with friends and family (for the most part), and forsake worldly
possessions and services, as well. In 1971, concerned parents organised to form FREECOG
(Free our Children from the Children of God) because they believed that their children had
been ―brainwashed‖ into committing to COG/The Family. Some fearful parents employed
others to kidnap and ―deprogram‖ their children. Chancellor sides with Berg in his disdain
for FREECOG‘s efforts (p. 182) and the efforts of all those involved in what he terms the
―anticult industry‖ (p. 186). No doubt many kidnapping and deprogramming efforts were
misguided and harmful, but it seems only fair to acknowledge the anguish that families felt
not knowing where their children were or how they were doing—something Chancellor fails
to do.
The second generation is the subject of chapter 7. Chancellor reviews their current activities
(including overseas‘ ministry), and contemporary attitudes toward sexuality among the
younger members of the second generation (which are considerably more conservative than
those embraced by their parents [p. 230]). He reveals how approaches toward authority
have changed: The hierarchy is less authoritative, less demanding, and seems to have
accepted that the members of the second generation who chose to stay must share in the
process of forging the future evolution of the movement.
Chancellor uncovers some of the sexual abuses and harsh disciplines that the second
generation endured. (He conceptualizes these abuses as ―cost factors‖ [p. 222].) His
interviews reveal stories of people who lived through the abuse but ultimately chose to stay,
although, as Chancellor notes, most members (both young and old) were disinclined to
discuss the more serious abuses that occurred (p. 222). Other disciples affirm that they
never witnessed any of the abuses first-hand, but they concede they had heard of their
existence in other homes (p. 223). And as Chancellor remarks, even those who escaped
abuse experienced the sexualized atmosphere that the group fostered (pp. 227–228).
Berg condoned the use of physical punishment on children. Hence, extreme discipline
occurred not only within individual homes but also in the Victor Programs and Teen Training

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2006, Page 25
Camps (set up to keep rebellious teens in the group), where some adolescents experienced
―silence restriction,‖ hard physical labour, humiliation, paddling, the discontinuation of their
educations, and verbal abuse (pp. 236–240). Chancellor comments on the group‘s past:
―Family youth have certainly been consistently subjected to intense indoctrination into the
ideology and norms of the group‖ (p. 240). The interviews, along with his discussion,
expose the harsh realities that sometimes were a part of life for many children born into the
group.
In summary, Chancellor‘s many years of research have produced a comprehensive and
valuable account of COG/The Family, one that allows the reader to integrate previous
scholarship in such a way as to create a more holistic portrait of Berg, of his disciples, and
of the group as a whole. His publication stands as the most balanced and accessible of
academic books on this ever-evolving NRM.
Heaven’s Harlots: My Fifteen Years in a Sex Cult (1998) by Miriam Williams
Some academics may have a problem with Miriam Williams‘ status as an ex-member and
therefore classify her as a ―career apostate‖7, but I found her account a useful
complementary read to Chancellor‘s book for two main reasons. First, Williams provides an
oral history that is personal, and thus reads like an expanded version of one of Chancellor‘s
interviews. Her account, of course, is a subjective one, but for the most part her narrative is
particularly nuanced, despite her prior involvement with, and subsequent detachment from,
the movement. Moreover, in her self-reflection, Williams displays vulnerability that lends
legitimacy to her analysis. She fully acknowledges her own role and makes clear that she
was a part of the decision-making process when she chose to participate in various disciple
activities. She demonstrates an ability to recognise to what extent she felt pressured to
conform, and to what extent she believed the path she took was the right one for her at the
time. With the hindsight of maturity, she notes also that her youthful idealism contributed
to some of those decisions.
Second, Williams recounts both her positive and negative experiences, and so examines
both the advantages and drawbacks of belonging to COG/The Family. One gets the sense
that she still advocates the benefits one can gain from communal living. She states quite
frequently that one main appeal of the group was its communal approach to life others
were the opportunity it gave disciples to talk about Jesus and God to Systemites and the
promise of being able to help people in tangible, meaningful ways. Throughout her account,
Williams portrays both the joyful and the heart-rending times during which she tried to
realise these goals, and she expresses her own inner conflicts and mixed feelings about her
journey. COG/The Family was an enormous part of her life for 15 years, and she does not
reject the group out of hand nor does she portray the group as having realised fully the
utopian ideals that she hoped it would.
The majority of the book focuses on FFing, although she does also provide some valuable
insights into other aspects of the group, including her role as a childcare worker and the
strain of frequent moves. She reveals her own initial nonchalant response to sexual sharing
and FFing, stating that the Biblical and spiritual dimensions of these practices made them
seem (for her, at least) like an acceptable dimension of life in the movement (p. 77).
Williams comments on her sexual relations with the men she FFed:
Whether I was rationalizing or not, I finally concluded that I was helping the
men I loved through a sexual channel. I personally believed in Jesus‘
salvation message, and even if these men had not asked Jesus into their
heart, at least they had heard the message. (p. 112)
Only later, when the full ramifications of such a lifestyle began to take its toll on her, did
she gain insights into how these ideals played out like a social experiment gone awry: ―...I