Product Details

• Directors: James Gelet
• Producers: Erik Hollander, Jerry Johnson
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: The Apologetics Group
• Run Time: 117 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000F6RAO8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,885 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

FREE 72 PAGE STUDY GUIDE WITH PURCHASE. In today's religiously diverse and relativistic culture, labeling a group a cult may seem extreme to many people, not to mention rude. Even people who believe in absolute Truth and further believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life can get confused about just what constitutes real Christianity. Just why are Baptists properly considered Christians, but Mormons are not? Or why is the Jehovah's Witness religion classified as an anti-Christian cult while Presbyterians or Wesleyans or Pentecostals are simply seen as denominations within the Christian faith? With the explosion of different sects that claim to honor and follow Jesus, how does one differentiate between true Biblical Christianity and an aberrant religious movement? Just what are the marks of a cult? Join us for The Marks of a Cult as it takes you on a journey into the heart of Biblical revelation and the constant struggle of truth against lies, the apostolic faith against the "doctrines of demons." This new documentary from does more than simply point fingers. It explains in great detail the absolute essentials of the Faith and just how and why Christians can properly and necessarily refer to certain sects as "cults." Not only a tool for recognizing and understanding false teaching - and for reaching people held captive to it - The Marks of a Cult is also a powerful apologetic on the need for Christians to become more rooted in the Biblical historic faith, with its creeds and confessions, and to be better prepared to give "a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15) FREE 72 PAGE STUDY GUIDE WITH PURCHASE.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joseph Smith's worst nightmare, March 29, 2006

By 

The dogma is the drama (Pensacola, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Marks of a Cult: A Biblical Anaylsis - Free 72 Page Study Guide (2005) (DVD)

At last! A clear and comprehensive tool that people can not only use to challenge loved ones, friends and acquaintances that have fallen prey to anti-Christian cults -- it is also a great primer on why doctrine matters. I've been saying it for years: cults prosper when the Church ceases to be a foundation and bulwark for the Truth. Maybe this interesting and well-produced DVD will help wake the Church up.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compassionate, not condemnatory, March 29, 2006

By 

Peter Diltz (Tustin, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Marks of a Cult: A Biblical Anaylsis - Free 72 Page Study Guide (2005) (DVD)

Upon seeing a documentary about cults, you'd normally assume it's going to be a brutal dissection of various groups and their beliefs, and simply pointing out how apostate they are. But THE MARKS OF A CULT is compassionate, educational tool for helping the Christian to identify who is a cult, and who is a legitimate denomination of Christianity.

All of the speakers featured in it are extremely prepared and thoughtful. As always The Apologetics Group has added just enough visual pizazz and musical flare in this documentary to make you forget you're watching a talking head video.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Equip Yourself!, January 22, 2008

By 

Tim Challies (Oakville, Ontario) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Marks of a Cult: A Biblical Anaylsis - Free 72 Page Study Guide (2005) (DVD)

Marks of a Cult is the latest in a series of DVDs produced by The Apologetics Group and hosted by Eric Holmberg. Previous titles have included Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism and Hells Bells 2: The Power and Spirit of Popular Music, both of which I have reviewed in the past (and both of which are well worth viewing). This latest presentation seeks to answer some of the following questions: Why are Baptists properly considered Christians, but Mormons are not? Why is the Jehovah's Witness religion classified as an anti-Christian cult while Presbyterians, Wesleyans and Pentecostals are simply seen as denominations within the Christian faith? How does one differentiate between true Biblical Christianity and an aberrant religious movement? And just what are the marks of a cult?

The presentation describes cults through the four marks developed originally, I believe, by Watchman Fellowship. These marks are easy to remember and are helpful in forming a framework around which we can differentiate a cult from a church. The marks are as simple as add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Add: Cults add to Scripture. The revelation of God provided in the Bible is never sufficient for a cult. Thus they must add to the written revelation of Scripture, usually with additional scriptures or with their own translation of the Bible. In this way we have books such as The Pearl of Great Price of the Mormons and the New World Translation of the Bible produced by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Since the Bible claims exclusivity as the written revelation of God, we must see that other books, even if the followers of cults claim that they are equal to the Bible, must actually be over and above the Word of God.

Subtract: Cults subtract from the person of Christ. Cults cannot tolerate the divinity and exclusivity of Jesus and thus usually reduce Him to being a created being. In some cases they make Jesus only a manifestation or mode of God. In either case, the role of Jesus as revealed in Scripture is diminished.

Multiply: Cults multiply the requirements of salvation. Salvation, as it is presented in the Scriptures, is by God's grace through faith alone. Cults continually add to the requirements of salvation, always adding human works as a necessary prerequisite to salvation. No cult teaches or endorses justification by faith alone. Thus all cults reject the very heart of the gospel.

Divide: Cults divide the loyalty of believers. Each cult believes that it has exclusive revelation and understanding of God that ensures its followers are either exclusively God's people or are somehow more blessed than others. Cults always seek to divide believers against each other based on the previous three marks. Thus cults are, by their very nature, divisive.

Each of these four marks receives a good deal of attention within the presentation. Each one is proven to be true within the belief systems of several different cults including the Seventh Day Adventists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, The Moonies, and Oneness Pentecostals (or the Jesus-Only Movement). Each receives the attention of a large group of highly-regarded Christian apologists. Those who were consulted in the making of this film are:

* Dr. James R. White, Alpha & Omega Ministries
* Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Knox Theological Seminary
* Dr. R. Fowler White, Knox Theological Seminary
* James Walker, Watchman Fellowship
* David Henke, Watchman Fellowship
* Dr. Steve Cowan, Apologetics Resource Center
* Craig Branch, Apologetics Resource Center
* Clete Hux, Apologetics Resource Center
* Jerry Johnson, The Apologetics Group

As with the previous DVDs released by The Apologetics Group, Marks of a Cult is well-researched, well-made and the facts presented are well-documented. This is a rational, measured, convicting examination of the marks of a cult as they stand against the claims of Scripture. It clocks in at almost two hours which is just enough time to do justice to the topic. It moves quickly and should easily capture the attention of adults and teens. In fact, my only disappointment was in the bonus features which included nothing more than a list of recommended websites and a second list of recommended books dealing with each of the cults. Nevertheless, that is but a small complaint and I am glad to recommend this DVD to you. It would be a valuable addition to any personal or church library.