The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions

The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions
Book cover, 2001 ed.
Author	Ron Rhodes
Language	English
Subject	Cults, New religious movements
Publisher	Zondervan
Publication date	September 1, 2001
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	400 pp
ISBN	978-0-310-23217-9

The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions: The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response is a Christian countercult non-fiction book about cults and new religious movements by Ron Rhodes. The book was published by Zondervan on September 1, 2001. The book defines cults and new religions by examining case studies of twelve groups chosen by Rhodes.^[1] The book includes a foreword by Lee Strobel, author of the book The Case for Christ.^[2]

Reception

In a review, John Moryl writes that the book addresses the topic of cults from the viewpoint of an evangelical Christian. Moryl questioned Rhodes's inclusion of certain groups in the book, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarian Universalism, and Freemasonry, and attributed this to a unique evangelical perspective.^[1]

The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions has been used as a reference work in Christian college courses at Emmanuel Bible College,^[3] Lincoln Christian College and Seminary,^[4] and the University of Valley Forge, formerly Valley Forge Christian College.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Moryl, John (October 1, 2001). Library Journal. Yeshiva University, New York City: Reed Business Information, Inc. pp. Review, The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions.
^ Rhodes, Ron (2001). The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions. Zondervan. pp. Foreword. ISBN 978-0-310-23217-9.
^ Anderson, Jamie (Winter 2007). "GR212AA New Religions" (PDF). Emmanuel Bible College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
^ AP604, "Defending Christian Faith", PH487, "Philosophy of Religion", Lincoln Christian College and Seminary,
^ Marino, Bruce R. (Fall 2005). "PHIB 631/THEB 628 APOLOGETICS" (PDF). Valley Forge Christian College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2022-08-15.

External links

Ron Rhodes official website

v t e Opposition to new religious movements
Concepts	Anti-cult movement Christian countercult movement Cult Deprogramming Doomsday cult Freedom of religion Heresy Heterodox teaching Mind control New religious movement
Secular groups	APA Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Methods of Persuasion and Control Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons Cult Awareness Network Cult Information Centre Cultists Anonymous International Cultic Studies Association The Family Survival Trust Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales People's Organised Workshop on Ersatz Religion
Secular individuals	Jean-Marie Abgrall John Gordon Clark Steve Eichel Martin Faiers Leon Festinger Carol Giambalvo Steven Hassan Ian Haworth Galen Kelly Stephen A. Kent Masaki Kito Janja Lalich Michael Langone Saul V. Levine Casey McCann Jesse S. Miller Sayuri Ogawa Ted Patrick Tsutsumi Sakamoto Rick Ross Chris Shelton Margaret Singer Eito Suzuki Alain Vivien Cyril Vosper Louis Jolyon West Lawrence Wollersheim
Religious groups	Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry Christian Research Institute Dialog Center International Dialogue Ireland Evangelical Ministries to New Religions Institute for Religious Research Personal Freedom Outreach Midwest Christian Outreach New England Institute of Religious Research Reachout Trust Spiritual Counterfeits Project Watchman Fellowship Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center
Religious individuals	Johannes Aagaard Graham Baldwin Robert M. Bowman Jr. Harold Busséll Gérard Dagon Maurice Davis Alexander Dvorkin Ronald Enroth Mike Garde Robin Garbose Norman Geisler Jan Groenveld Hank Hanegraaff Reinhart Hummel Roger Ikor Bob Larson Paul R. Martin Walter Ralston Martin Robert Passantino
Governmental organizations	610 Office European Federation of Centres of Research and Information on Sectarianism Centre contre les manipulations mentales Union nationale des associations de défense des familles et de l'individu MIVILUDES Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France
Individuals in government	Nicolas About Serge Blisko Georges Fenech Ford Greene Stephen Mutch Catherine Picard Kenneth Robinson Paul Rose Tom Sackville Nick Xenophon
Historical events	About–Picard law Anti-Mormonism Assassination of Shinzo Abe Governmental lists of cults and sects Mass suicide of Heaven's Gate Jason Scott case Persecution of Baháʼís Persecution of Falun Gong Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses The Prohibited and Unlawful Societies and Associations Act Tokyo subway sarin attack Waco siege
Publications	All Gods Children (book) Another Gospel Bounded Choice Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control Captive Hearts, Captive Minds The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions Churches That Abuse Combating Cult Mind Control Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion Cults in Our Midst Cults of Unreason Deadly Cults The Incendiaries The Kingdom of the Cults The Making of a Moonie Misunderstanding Cults The New Vigilantes: Deprogrammers, Anti-Cultists, and the New Religions On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left Recovery from Cults Snapping: America's Epidemic of Sudden Personality Change Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism Twisted Scriptures When Prophecy Fails The Wrong Way Home Zealot: A Book About Cults

v t e New religious movements
Major groups	Adi Dharm/Brahmoism Adventism CoG7 SDA Aetherius Society Ahmadiyya Lahore Ahmadiyya Ananda Marga Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis Anthroposophy Antoinism Armstrongism Bábism Baháʼí Faith Bible Students/Jehovah's Witnesses Black Hebrew Israelites Brahma Kumaris Branch Davidians Brotherhood of the Cross and Star Caodaism Chabad Noahidism Charismatic Christianity Pentecostal (Oneness) Charismatic Neo-charismatic Chinese salvationist religions Chinmaya Mission Christadelphians Christian Science Church of Divine Science Church of Scientology Church of the Guanche People Creativity Discordianism Falun Gong The Family International Friends of Man Fourth Way Fung Loy Kok Goddess Godianism Heaven's Gate Humanistic Judaism Iglesia ni Cristo International Peace Mission movement ISKCON Invitation to Life Jewish Renewal Kingdom of Jesus Christ Kopimism Latter Day Saints/Mormonism Maha Bodhi Society Messianic Judaism Modern paganism Druidry Heathenry Rodnovery Moorish Science Temple of America Nation of Islam New Acropolis New Apostolic Church The New Church New Confucianism New Kadampa Tradition New Thought Religious Science Unity Church Nuwaubian Nation Oomoto Opus Dei Peoples Temple Pilgrims of Arès The Process Church Raëlism Rajneesh movement Ramakrishna Mission Rastafari Risshō Kōsei Kai Sahaja Yoga Sant Mat Radha Soami Santa Muerte Santo Daime Satanism LaVeyan Church of Satan Temple of Set The Satanic Temple Theistic Joy of Satan Ministries Sathya Sai Baba Shakers Shambhala Buddhism Shri Ram Chandra Mission Soka Gakkai Spiritualism Spiritism Sukyo Mahikari Tenrikyo Thelema Theosophy Theosophical Society Transcendental Meditation True Buddha School Twelve Tribes communities Unarius Academy of Science Unification Church Unitarian Universalist Association United Submitters International Universal Church of the Kingdom of God Universal White Brotherhood Vipassana movement Eastern Lightning The Way International Weixinjiao Wicca Word of Faith World Mission Society Church of God
Notable figures	Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Noble Drew Ali Marshall Applewhite Herbert W. Armstrong Shoko Asahara Sri Aurobindo Báb Sathya Sai Baba Baháʼu'lláh Alice Bailey Chinmayananda Saraswati David Berg Helena Blavatsky Sri Chinmoy Aleister Crowley Mary Baker Eddy Josemaría Escrivá Louis Farrakhan Charles Fillmore Kelsang Gyatso Hak Ja Han L. Ron Hubbard Li Hongzhi David Koresh Anton LaVey Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi Lu Sheng-yen Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Meher Baba Nikkyō Niwano Sun Myung Moon Elijah Muhammad Nakayama Miki A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Phineas Parkhurst Quimby Raël Rajneesh Ramakrishna Prem Rawat Helena Roerich Charles Taze Russell Joseph Franklin Rutherford Ahn Sahng-hong Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar Menachem Mendel Schneerson Shiv Dayal Singh Joseph Smith Nirmala Srivastava Emanuel Swedenborg Rudolf Steiner Joseph W. Tkach Chögyam Trungpa Ellen G. White
By region	Pacific Northwest
Concepts	African-initiated church Buddhist modernism Chabad messianism Christian denomination Classifications of religious movements Conspiracy theories Cult Cybersectarianism Doomsday cult Heresy Hindu reform movements In-group favoritism Japanese new religions Neoshamanism New Age Open-source religion Polytheistic reconstructionism Prosperity theology Religious conversion Religious syncretism Schism Sect Self religion Spiritual evolution UFO religion
Public education	CESNUR INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements) World Religions and Spirituality Project
Scholarship	Academic study of new religious movements Anthropology of religion History of religion Journal of Contemporary Religion Nova Religio Philosophy of religion Psychology of religion Religious studies Sociology of religion When Prophecy Fails
Opposition	Anti-cult movement Christian countercult movement Anti-Mormonism Persecution of Ahmadis Persecution of Baháʼís Persecution of Falun Gong Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Persecution of Rastafari Religious discrimination against modern pagans
Lists	Academic study In popular culture New religious movements

v t e Books about new religious movements
General and historiography	Occult America The Darkened Room Nature Religion Today The Triumph of the Moon The Myth of Disenchantment The Occult: A History Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll A Republic of Mind and Spirit A Course in Miracles Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare Misunderstanding Cults The New Believers Another Gospel Pagan Theology The New Vigilantes Mystics and Messiahs
Modern paganism and magic	A Community of Witches Drawing Down the Moon Living Witchcraft Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia Witching Culture Dreaming the Dark Mastering Witchcraft The Satanic Witch Persuasions of the Witch's Craft Her Hidden Children Modern Paganism in World Cultures Never Again the Burning Times The Wiccan Web
Specific groups	Aliens Adored A Field Guide to Otherkin The Book of est Doomsday Cult Getting It: The Psychology of est Underground Contemporary Religious Satanism The Order of the Solar Temple Les Mythes du Temple Solaire Scientology From the Ashes: Making Sense of Waco The Making of a Moonie Sex, Slander, and Salvation Werner Erhard The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation Sacred Journeys
Criticism and controversies	Books critical of Scientology Gods of the Blood The Politics of Religious Apostasy Bounded Choice All Gods Children The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions Zealot: A Book About Cults Cult Controversies Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion How the Millennium Comes Violently