When a Church Becomes a Cult: The marks of a new religious movement
By Stephen Wookey
Hodder & Stoughton. . 168 pages. £7.99
ISBN 0 340 65622 0
Among cult-watchers, the debate continues as to whether the essence of a cult resides in its doctrinal deviation from Christian orthodoxy or in its authoritarian control-structure.
Stephen Wookey, an Anglican clergyman who has made a special study of the London Church of Christ and has become something of an authority on this movement, has performed a valuable service in producing a highly readable, state-of-the-art review of the issues involved in identifying abusive religious movements. Whilst he is well aware that a major problem is authoritarian leadership, he shows that such authority actually has its roots in the belief system of the cult - both in the attitudes of the leader himself and his elevation by cult members. A particularly dangerous feature of 'authority' in religious cults is the belief that the leader speaks on behalf of God - this gives him far more power than a merely secular dictator. Therefore, the root of cultish error is doctrinal and not merely abuse of power.
