Evangelicals Now
<< March 1997 >>

When a Church Becomes a Cult - The Marks of a New Religious Movement

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.
Many books on cults have been produced before, but the outstanding feature of this book is the author's concern: 'that there is no really clear distinction between a church and a cult', and: 'There is only a continuum, a line that at some stage gets crossed.' He observes, too, that: 'Many of those groups now regarded universally as cults started out as mainline churches.' All believers need to heed this point, bearing in mind that: 'He who thinks he stands,' should 'take heed lest he fall.' (1 Corinthians 10.12).
After highlighting the key features of cults with apt examples, the author, in his final chapter, reruns these features, his finger now pointed towards churches, with a series of penetrating questions, such as: 'How is your church governed and controlled? How does it recruit? How is it advertised? How does it raise and use money?' and so on. This will undoubtedly prove a valuable diagnostic tool.
I was disappointed that more attention was not paid to UK-style 'Restorationism', a fertile breeding ground for cultish movements if ever there was one.
Overall, an excellent book which could be improved by the provision of an index, the elimination of the many typographical errors, and completion and correction of the footnotes. However, these defects, for which the publisher rather than the author is responsible, pale into insignificance beside the monumental importance of this work. It is a book that every Christian needs to read as soon as possible.
If every Christian would digest it and repent of all cultism, such as regarding the 'pastor' as the ultimate spiritual authority, perhaps the ground would be prepared for genuine revival and the elimination of so many counterfeits of revival which abound today.

Mike R. Taylor