Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1992, Page 78
In their philosophical approach, the authors examine the metaphysics, epistemology, religious
experience, and teachings regarding good and evil of the New Age and its manifestations of
pantheism. They seek to demonstrate that (a) “pantheism is unaffirmable and self-defeating,”
(b) as a worldview it is a poor choice to best explain the total experience of our lives, (c) the
epistemological foundations of New Age Pantheism do not support the metaphysical weight
placed upon them, and (d) the religious dimensions of New Age views cannot be defended.
The authors are strongest in their knowledge of pantheism in its many and varied historical
manifestations. As such, they contribute to the current discussion offering criteria for evaluat-
ing truth claims. The book can contribute to the philosophical insights and knowledge of exit
counselors. Obviously those of us who share the apologetic calling as advocates of Christian
theism are beneficiaries of their efforts.
The authors do little to deepen the average cult watcher‟s knowledge of the specific truth
claims of New Age teachings. Clark and Geisler have obviously done their life‟s work in
philosophy in general and pantheism in particular, and just enough in the New Age cults to
reach and illustrate their conclusion, which I for one affirm as well. I wish they had taken their
work more deeply into the contemporary New Age materials.
The Rev. Richard L. Dowhower, Pastor
All Saints Lutheran Church
Bowie, Maryland
Leaders and Followers: A Psychiatric Perspective on Religious Cults.
Formulated by the Committee on Psychiatry and Religion, Group for the Advancement
of Psychiatry. Report No. 132. American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, 1992, 70
pages.
This is one of numerous monographs published by the Group for the Advancement of
Psychiatry (GAP). This invitation-only organization‟s reports on psychiatric issues are
addressed to both professionals and laypersons. Like most GAP reports, it can be read in
about 90 minutes. This report on “religious cults” was written by GAP‟s Committee on
Psychiatry and Religion, not to be confused with the multiauthored report from the American
Psychiatric Association‟s committee of the same name.
The stated aim of the report is neither to decry nor to defend cults, but to help in the
“rational” evaluation of patients identified as cult members. The book does offer an excellent
and lengthy set of questions for a therapist to ask to gain insight into whether a patient is
under the sway of a destructive cult. The report‟s conclusion is that while some cults are
benign, others are so destructive that legal measures should be taken to prevent members
from joining.
Unfortunately, the report obtains its “fair” perspective by being overly vague when some
detail would help, and by offering extensive detail on religious sects that have little in
common with contemporary cults. References from all spectra of the literature are cited as
sources, but the report offers no criticism as to the very different conclusions of some of these
references. There are no new data here.
Cults are simplistically viewed as juvenile religions that will grow up one day, and not as a
specific kind of group that can have a religious, psychological, political, health, or self-
development motif. The report “blames the victim,” suggesting cult members suffer from
“developmental arrest” and “poor reality testing,” prior to entering cults while bad cults make
the members even sicker, “benign” cults offer “mentors, goals, and ideals” without the
pressure of maintaining a 2.0 average.
In their philosophical approach, the authors examine the metaphysics, epistemology, religious
experience, and teachings regarding good and evil of the New Age and its manifestations of
pantheism. They seek to demonstrate that (a) “pantheism is unaffirmable and self-defeating,”
(b) as a worldview it is a poor choice to best explain the total experience of our lives, (c) the
epistemological foundations of New Age Pantheism do not support the metaphysical weight
placed upon them, and (d) the religious dimensions of New Age views cannot be defended.
The authors are strongest in their knowledge of pantheism in its many and varied historical
manifestations. As such, they contribute to the current discussion offering criteria for evaluat-
ing truth claims. The book can contribute to the philosophical insights and knowledge of exit
counselors. Obviously those of us who share the apologetic calling as advocates of Christian
theism are beneficiaries of their efforts.
The authors do little to deepen the average cult watcher‟s knowledge of the specific truth
claims of New Age teachings. Clark and Geisler have obviously done their life‟s work in
philosophy in general and pantheism in particular, and just enough in the New Age cults to
reach and illustrate their conclusion, which I for one affirm as well. I wish they had taken their
work more deeply into the contemporary New Age materials.
The Rev. Richard L. Dowhower, Pastor
All Saints Lutheran Church
Bowie, Maryland
Leaders and Followers: A Psychiatric Perspective on Religious Cults.
Formulated by the Committee on Psychiatry and Religion, Group for the Advancement
of Psychiatry. Report No. 132. American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, 1992, 70
pages.
This is one of numerous monographs published by the Group for the Advancement of
Psychiatry (GAP). This invitation-only organization‟s reports on psychiatric issues are
addressed to both professionals and laypersons. Like most GAP reports, it can be read in
about 90 minutes. This report on “religious cults” was written by GAP‟s Committee on
Psychiatry and Religion, not to be confused with the multiauthored report from the American
Psychiatric Association‟s committee of the same name.
The stated aim of the report is neither to decry nor to defend cults, but to help in the
“rational” evaluation of patients identified as cult members. The book does offer an excellent
and lengthy set of questions for a therapist to ask to gain insight into whether a patient is
under the sway of a destructive cult. The report‟s conclusion is that while some cults are
benign, others are so destructive that legal measures should be taken to prevent members
from joining.
Unfortunately, the report obtains its “fair” perspective by being overly vague when some
detail would help, and by offering extensive detail on religious sects that have little in
common with contemporary cults. References from all spectra of the literature are cited as
sources, but the report offers no criticism as to the very different conclusions of some of these
references. There are no new data here.
Cults are simplistically viewed as juvenile religions that will grow up one day, and not as a
specific kind of group that can have a religious, psychological, political, health, or self-
development motif. The report “blames the victim,” suggesting cult members suffer from
“developmental arrest” and “poor reality testing,” prior to entering cults while bad cults make
the members even sicker, “benign” cults offer “mentors, goals, and ideals” without the
pressure of maintaining a 2.0 average.
