Customer Reviews

Out of the Cults and Into the Church: Understanding and Encouraging Ex-Cultists

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book addresses the common problems encountered by individuals who are coming out of cults, or controlling or abusive groups, looking for a more healthy belief system, and how the church can reach out and minister to them. Those exiting such groups go through predictable stages of grieving as they assess their losses--their friends and sometimes their family, their identity, their sense of purpose, their understanding of everything that is right and true, and in fact their entire belief system, all of which can leave deep psychological wounds. Janis Hutchison addresses these losses and their effects in chapters on understanding the trauma and understanding cult losses. The author also describes the process of coming to grips with and moving beyond the deception which the former member has experienced, a process which she calls divorcing deadly doctrines. Hutchison further addresses the steps necessary to make the transition from false teaching to the truth of the gospel of grace. Highly recommended.

Janis Hutchinson has done Christians and ex-cultists all a favor in describing the lengthy adjustments to life and Christianity after leaving a cult--invaluable information for pastors and evangelists.

Written with empathy (Hutchinson is a former Mormon), she helps Christians understand why it takes so long to leave a cult behind and fully embrace Christianity. She also gives suggestions at the end of every chapter in supporting and mentoring former cult members on their way out. (Hutchinson highly recommends support groups.)

Yes, the word "cult" may be provocative, but that is the only detraction I might find in this much-needed volume.

A friend recommended Out of the Cults and Into The Church, when I left Mormonism. Overall, it was a great book! But there was one chapter in particular, about Loss of Roots, Story and Identity. (Not sure I have that exactly right, but it was something close to that), and that chapter was a turning point in my recovery. It was extremely powerful...beyond painful...and so very healing. This chapter showed me what I had lost, (my identity), and helped me to recognize and accept that loss, to grieve the loss, and then to begin re-defining myself. Thank you Janis!

I got this book as a gift from someone. Sadly this book takes position of a pro-christian author, so it is written only for people who are in one sect of the christian cult who is unsatisfied with the dogma they preach, and wants to go to another sect they find more approval of. This isn't for people outside of the christian bubble, so I suppose this can be looked upon as a good book only by a select few. As an independent reviewer, I give this a poor rating. Let me know when your space god appears in the land of reality Janis, for billions of people are still waiting for that, in order to comfortably let go of their own humanistic philosophies and in return bow down and serve a greater (male) being.

The term "cult," in the sense that it is used by Protestant fundamentalists, conveys no defensible, definable meaning. It is merely a pejorative word, explosive and with four letters.

Janis Hutchinson never offers a satisfying, historically justifiable definiton of the word that lies at the absolute heart of her book, and it's all downhill from there. This book has the appearance of cogency, but not the substance.