Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 15, No. 2, 1998, page 3
Special Collection
Recovery From Cults:
A Pastoral/Psychological Dialogue -
Personal Accounts of Former Group Members
Introduction
Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.
Editor, Cultic Studies Journal
The following articles are edited transcriptions of talks given by four former group members
who participated in a joint two-day conference of AFF and Denver Theological Seminary:
Nancy Miquelon, Patrick Knapp, Carson Miles, and David Clark. The conference‘s title was
―Recovery from Cults: A Pastoral/Psychological Dialogue.‖ In addition to the former
member talks published here, the conference included talks by Dr. Ronald Enroth, Dr.
Michael Langone, Dr. Paul Martin, and Gretchen Passantino. Dr. James Beck of Denver
Seminary moderated the conference. Herbert Rosedale, Esq., of AFF and Dr. Douglas
Groothuis of Denver Seminary were discussants.
The talks of the former members were designed to illuminate the psychological and spiritual
issues former group members frequently encounter and the similarities and differences of
evangelical and secular approaches to recovery issues. Two of the former members (Clark
and Miquelon) have been active in cult educational work with secular organizations and rely
primarily on the thought reform model of cult conversion. Two (Knapp and Miles) initially
sought help from evangelical cult educational organizations and have been associated with
Denver Seminary. They also recognize the abusiveness of cultic environments, but rely on
family systems and pastoral counseling models of cult conversion. All four contributors are
currently practicing Christians.
AFF is grateful to Denver Theological Seminary for providing a facility for the conference and
for collaborating in its design, promotion, and execution. We are grateful, in particular, to
Dr. James Beck, director of the seminary‘s counseling program, and Dr. Douglas Groothuis,
Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. A special debt of gratitude is owed
Sharon Hamm, a writer from Fort Collins, Colorado. Ms. Hamm volunteered to prepare
these talks for publication. Without her patient and skillful editing, these papers would have
remained rough transcriptions.
AFF also wishes to thank the speakers, whose thoughtful contributions made the conference
stimulating and memorable. The papers presented here will, I hope, help readers
appreciate the complexity and subtlety of the cult experience and recognize that we need
more nuanced theories of cult conversion than currently exist.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1998, Volume 15,
Number 2, pages 107-108. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the
bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
Special Collection
Recovery From Cults:
A Pastoral/Psychological Dialogue -
Personal Accounts of Former Group Members
Introduction
Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.
Editor, Cultic Studies Journal
The following articles are edited transcriptions of talks given by four former group members
who participated in a joint two-day conference of AFF and Denver Theological Seminary:
Nancy Miquelon, Patrick Knapp, Carson Miles, and David Clark. The conference‘s title was
―Recovery from Cults: A Pastoral/Psychological Dialogue.‖ In addition to the former
member talks published here, the conference included talks by Dr. Ronald Enroth, Dr.
Michael Langone, Dr. Paul Martin, and Gretchen Passantino. Dr. James Beck of Denver
Seminary moderated the conference. Herbert Rosedale, Esq., of AFF and Dr. Douglas
Groothuis of Denver Seminary were discussants.
The talks of the former members were designed to illuminate the psychological and spiritual
issues former group members frequently encounter and the similarities and differences of
evangelical and secular approaches to recovery issues. Two of the former members (Clark
and Miquelon) have been active in cult educational work with secular organizations and rely
primarily on the thought reform model of cult conversion. Two (Knapp and Miles) initially
sought help from evangelical cult educational organizations and have been associated with
Denver Seminary. They also recognize the abusiveness of cultic environments, but rely on
family systems and pastoral counseling models of cult conversion. All four contributors are
currently practicing Christians.
AFF is grateful to Denver Theological Seminary for providing a facility for the conference and
for collaborating in its design, promotion, and execution. We are grateful, in particular, to
Dr. James Beck, director of the seminary‘s counseling program, and Dr. Douglas Groothuis,
Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. A special debt of gratitude is owed
Sharon Hamm, a writer from Fort Collins, Colorado. Ms. Hamm volunteered to prepare
these talks for publication. Without her patient and skillful editing, these papers would have
remained rough transcriptions.
AFF also wishes to thank the speakers, whose thoughtful contributions made the conference
stimulating and memorable. The papers presented here will, I hope, help readers
appreciate the complexity and subtlety of the cult experience and recognize that we need
more nuanced theories of cult conversion than currently exist.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1998, Volume 15,
Number 2, pages 107-108. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the
bound volume. This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
