Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1992, Page 80
Dialogue is a manner of acting, an attitude and a spirit which guides one’s conduct. It
implies concern, respect and hospitality towards the other. It leaves room for the
other person’s identity, his modes of expression and his values. Dialogue is thus the
norm and necessary manner of every form of Christian mission as well as every
aspect of it, whether one speaks of simple presence and witness, service or direct
proclamation. Any sense of mission not permeated by such a dialogical spirit would
go against the demands of true humanity and against the teaching of the gospel.
Fr. Walter Debold
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Seton Hall University
The Wrong Way Home. A.J. Deikman. Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 1990, 192 pages.
Psychiatrist Arthur Deikman's major premise is that there are cult-like behaviors in everyday
life, primarily due to the search for a powerful, protective parent. This “longing” or “yearning
exists in the borderlands of consciousness” and is “superimposed on people in real positions of
authority, success and power” or on deities. According to Deikman, cult behavior creates
“diminished realism,” which he contends is more widespread than we think in the workplace,
politics, therapy, and religions. We must recognize this “indwelling wish” to “gain freedom
from the childhood world of vertical relationships.” He cautions that it isn't easy. He presents
his theory in the book's seven chapters, using two case studies (Hugh and Clara) and many
examples from everyday life.
The book includes an eight-page, two-column index and nine pages of references ranging
from Freud, Jung, Rogers, Erikson, Fromm, and Chomsky to Lee Iacocca, Robert McNamara,
and Arthur Schlesinger. Although the references are dated (few within five years of the
publication date), compared to most current cult literature, the book provides a good
sampling of theory, research, and behavioral science.
Deikman omits child ritual abuse and teen and Satanic cults, which in this reviewer's
experience involve more aggressive and antisocial motives than a search for a protective
parent. It would have helped if the author had made reference to this darker side of cult
behavior. Nevertheless, the book provides valuable insights into cult behavior from an
experienced mental health professional. It is well-reasoned, easy to read, and priced right at
$19.95. Highly recommended!
Frank MacHovec, Ph.D.
Director, Center for the Study of the Self
The Divine Archetype: The Sociobiology and Psychology of Religion. Brant
Wenegrat. Lexington Books, Lexington, MA, 1990.
When I first became convinced that cults were a social and spiritual menace, I discussed my
concerns with my psychiatric colleagues and was confounded by a frequent response of
bemused disinterest. Even worse, I found that the preponderance of articles on cults
published by the American Journal of Psychiatry showed a pro-cult tilt.
What is the problem? There is a blur in people’s minds between cults and religions, and many
psychiatrists are not interested in religion --their families’ or anyone else’s. There are
societies of Catholic, Jewish, and Evangelically oriented psychiatrists, but they are tiny. The
“Christian psychiatry” treatment programs that exist around the country have more to do with
grass-roots interest of patient populations (and hospitals looking for a marketing niche) than
leadership from the psychiatric profession. The traditional convocation of the APA’s (American
Psychiatric Association) annual meeting by a clergyman was discontinued several years ago.
Dialogue is a manner of acting, an attitude and a spirit which guides one’s conduct. It
implies concern, respect and hospitality towards the other. It leaves room for the
other person’s identity, his modes of expression and his values. Dialogue is thus the
norm and necessary manner of every form of Christian mission as well as every
aspect of it, whether one speaks of simple presence and witness, service or direct
proclamation. Any sense of mission not permeated by such a dialogical spirit would
go against the demands of true humanity and against the teaching of the gospel.
Fr. Walter Debold
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Seton Hall University
The Wrong Way Home. A.J. Deikman. Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 1990, 192 pages.
Psychiatrist Arthur Deikman's major premise is that there are cult-like behaviors in everyday
life, primarily due to the search for a powerful, protective parent. This “longing” or “yearning
exists in the borderlands of consciousness” and is “superimposed on people in real positions of
authority, success and power” or on deities. According to Deikman, cult behavior creates
“diminished realism,” which he contends is more widespread than we think in the workplace,
politics, therapy, and religions. We must recognize this “indwelling wish” to “gain freedom
from the childhood world of vertical relationships.” He cautions that it isn't easy. He presents
his theory in the book's seven chapters, using two case studies (Hugh and Clara) and many
examples from everyday life.
The book includes an eight-page, two-column index and nine pages of references ranging
from Freud, Jung, Rogers, Erikson, Fromm, and Chomsky to Lee Iacocca, Robert McNamara,
and Arthur Schlesinger. Although the references are dated (few within five years of the
publication date), compared to most current cult literature, the book provides a good
sampling of theory, research, and behavioral science.
Deikman omits child ritual abuse and teen and Satanic cults, which in this reviewer's
experience involve more aggressive and antisocial motives than a search for a protective
parent. It would have helped if the author had made reference to this darker side of cult
behavior. Nevertheless, the book provides valuable insights into cult behavior from an
experienced mental health professional. It is well-reasoned, easy to read, and priced right at
$19.95. Highly recommended!
Frank MacHovec, Ph.D.
Director, Center for the Study of the Self
The Divine Archetype: The Sociobiology and Psychology of Religion. Brant
Wenegrat. Lexington Books, Lexington, MA, 1990.
When I first became convinced that cults were a social and spiritual menace, I discussed my
concerns with my psychiatric colleagues and was confounded by a frequent response of
bemused disinterest. Even worse, I found that the preponderance of articles on cults
published by the American Journal of Psychiatry showed a pro-cult tilt.
What is the problem? There is a blur in people’s minds between cults and religions, and many
psychiatrists are not interested in religion --their families’ or anyone else’s. There are
societies of Catholic, Jewish, and Evangelically oriented psychiatrists, but they are tiny. The
“Christian psychiatry” treatment programs that exist around the country have more to do with
grass-roots interest of patient populations (and hospitals looking for a marketing niche) than
leadership from the psychiatric profession. The traditional convocation of the APA’s (American
Psychiatric Association) annual meeting by a clergyman was discontinued several years ago.
