Mystics & Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History

by Philip Jenkins

Book Overview

In Mystics and Messiahs--the first full account of cults and anti-cult scares in American history--Philip Jenkins shows that, contrary to popular belief, cults were by no means an invention of the 1960s. In fact, most of the frightening images and stereotypes surrounding fringe religious movements are traceable to the mid-nineteenth century when Mormons, Freemasons, and even Catholics were denounced for supposed ritualistic violence, fraud, and sexual...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195127447
• ISBN13: 9780195127447
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Good read

Jenkins is a professor of history and religious studies at Penn State. Interesting book. Good book to scan rather than read cover to cover. The first issue for the author was trying to define the word "cult". He points out many established religious groups of today were considered cults (or at the very least were victims of violence) at one time such as the Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Science, Quakers and Baptists. Groups He covers almost every conceivable group. Many I had heard of (Theosophy, the KKK, Voodoo, Cannibalism, Zombies, Witchcraft and Black Muslims, Scientology, Satanism, Wicca and Neopaganism) some I even studied their teachings or attended services (such as Unity, Religious Science, Christian Science, New Age, New Thought, Spiritualism, Rosicrucian) and many I never had heard of. The author mentions one case about black Muslims. When they were sometimes sent to jail, they would ask for a copy of the Koran. The guards said, "That's what we put you in prison for, read the Bible instead". People One common aspect of all groups was the need to have a leader. He writes about leaders such as Edgar Cayce and Charles Manson. Several leaders claimed themselves as god incarnate, such as Father Divine (whose followers believed he was god). He writes about Harry Houdini, who attempted to debunk séances and mediums. Arthur Bell claimed it was American planes bombed Pearl Harbor. He was arrested for providing false information about the US war effort. Charles Coughlin, a popular Catholic priest, (the Glenn Beck of the day) had a radio program. He was anti-Semitic and pro-German. Roosevelt wanted to silence him without alienating Catholic voters. Women leaders included Mary Baker Eddy and Sister Aimee Semple McPherson. One of the female leaders said, "The next Messiah maybe a woman. Perhaps she has already been born". In 1656 Quaker James Nayler staged an entry into the city of Bristol, England mounted on a donkey, while faithful women followers threw branches in his path and cried "Hosanna to the son of David". He said he was reenacting the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He denied he was Christ, but did feel the Christ within. According to this author, former Vice President and Presidential candidate Henry Wallace referred to Nicholas Roerich as his personal guru. Roerich was involved in occult practices. However, when checking with Wikipedia, there is no reference to Roerich being involved in the occult. There is one reference to Roerich being involved in Theosophy and yoga. The same reference acknowledges Wallace's connection. Actions Author writes about groups and their unusual practices such as "speaking in tongues" a strange language unknown to linguists usually followed by someone who interprets what was said. Other ideas or concepts include "We are all divine". Some practiced nudism. Other groups felt aliens from UFO's provided them with new spiritual knowledge. Handling of snakes was als

Copiously researched, but a little too fair

I like this book a great deal; we used it in a grad. seminar in my Ph.D. work. The book is very well researched, and the author takes great pains to understand the nature of the religious groups he discusses. He reveals that too often a standard stereotype of cults has prevented the FBI and other "cult watching" groups from correctly understanding and resolving conflicts that arise in cults. My only criticism is that at times, the author is a little too fair to the cults. It is hard for him to condemn even the most destructive behavior, and it gives the book a preachy tone, as though his readers are all bigots in need of sensitivity training toward cultists. This book is leagues better, however, than your standard "anti-cult" books, though, and I can't really think of anything like it on the topic. Highly recommended.

A very good read on an important topic

Religious tolerance remains a key challenge today. Some contend that we are in a remarkable and unprecedented era of new "cults" and "heterodoxy". Jenkins' work is a timely and highly entertaining reminder that the American religious landscape has always been filled with new faiths dismissed in their time as deviant. In particular, Jenkins shows that in some instances the very religious movements that were once denounced as new faiths produce the leaders who in turn denounce the faiths that come after them. I found the work anecdotal and interesting, the kind of book one flips through back and forth rather than necessarily treating as a "novel-style" linear text.One might imagine that a work with Jenkins' theme would run a severe risk of being either a polemic or a dreary dissertation-like tome. Mystics and Messiahs evades both risks. Jenkins' writing style is highly readable, and his tone is not that of a pedantic, but of a sympathetic skeptic telling a bit of interesting popular history. The book is well documented, but there is no loss of a good read in pursuit of an "academically-refined text". America's pulsating religious need in our time is the need for tolerance (as the song says, "what's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?"). Jenkins' book illustrates the lessons from our history that past Americans' intolerance has caused us to learn, without interfering with the fact that the story of America's many faiths is a darned entertaining read.It is refreshing to see a level-headed book which is neither "XYZ Evangelist's Book of Cults" or "What Christians Fail to Get about our Wonderful New JLK Faiths". Instead, in the Dragnet parlance, it's more "just the facts", and whether one is a fervent believer or a casual skeptic, this one is a worthwhile read.

Outstanding

Philip Jenkins is one of America's best historians of religion, and also a frequent contributor to Chronicles magazine. In this work, Jenkins shows us that concern over "cults" goes back to the 1800's and that many of the allegations raised about modern cults (sex abuse, etc.) were also made about groups in the past (which as Jenkins states, doesn't mean that this is never found in certain fringe groups).Prof. Jenkins makes all sorts of interesting observations in this history of fringe groups, such as that some practices like women ministers and speaking in tongues were once considered far-out but are now considered mainstream. (Just look at the sorry state of "evangelical" Christianity in the U.S.) But the best part of this book is that it is just good history: lots of interesting facts and colorful characters.