Deadly Cults
Encyclopedia
Deadly Cults: The Crimes of True Believers is a book on the subject of cult
s by Robert L. Snow. It was published November 30, 2003 by Praeger Publishers in hardcover format. Snow, a retired police
captain and former commander of the homicide
branch of the Indianapolis Police Department
, has authored several other books on crime
including SWAT Teams and Technology and Law Enforcement.
Snow primarily relied on published material for reference, but also includes quotes from witnesses and experts. The book includes nine chapters and is structured by type of group. Snow discusses how individuals are led to conform to the "rules" of the groups, and a chapter of the book includes advice on how to avoid joining them. Deadly Cults received a positive review in Booklist
, and a reviewer for Library Journal
said it "belongs in all public libraries".
captain. He served as commander of the homicide
branch of the Indianapolis Police Department
. Snow is the author of several other books on crime
including: Sex Crimes Investigation, Murder 101, Stopping a Stalker, Family Abuse, SWAT Teams, Technology and Law Enforcement, and The Militia Threat.
", "Millenial Cults", "New Age Cults
", "UFO Cults
", "Doomsday Cults
", and "Suicide Cults
". Snow primarily relies on published material for references as opposed to first-hand reporting. The majority of the book's references are secondary sources including magazines and newspaper articles, though Snow does also include quotes from experts and witnesses.
Groups including the Branch Davidians, Church Universal and Triumphant
, the Church of Satan
, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, the Peoples Temple
, Heaven's Gate
, and the Unification Church
are discussed in the book. Snow recounts results from a study of 353 former members of 48 cults in the United States, who recounted experiences after leaving their respective groups. After leaving the groups, 23 percent of former members stated they had attempted suicide
, 63 percent had suicidal ideation
, and 93 percent had experienced anxiety attacks. Snow devotes a chapter to deprogramming
and advice on how individuals can avoid joining these groups from the outset.
, and described it as an "insightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders". A review in Reference & Research Book News commented that Snow: "does not bother with groups that are demonized as cults merely because they diverge from someone else's idea of truth or proper deportment, but focuses on those that are responsible for major crimes such as murder and torture". The book received a positive review in Library Journal
, and Michael Sawyer wrote: "Well written and researched, this book belongs in all public libraries and should be considered in academic libraries where there is an interest in cult history."
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s by Robert L. Snow. It was published November 30, 2003 by Praeger Publishers in hardcover format. Snow, a retired police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
captain and former commander of the homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
branch of the Indianapolis Police Department
Indianapolis Police Department
The Indianapolis Police Department was the principal law enforcement agency of Indianapolis, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Indianapolis and Director of Public Safety...
, has authored several other books on crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
including SWAT Teams and Technology and Law Enforcement.
Snow primarily relied on published material for reference, but also includes quotes from witnesses and experts. The book includes nine chapters and is structured by type of group. Snow discusses how individuals are led to conform to the "rules" of the groups, and a chapter of the book includes advice on how to avoid joining them. Deadly Cults received a positive review in Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
, and a reviewer for Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
said it "belongs in all public libraries".
Author
Robert L. Snow is a retired policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
captain. He served as commander of the homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
branch of the Indianapolis Police Department
Indianapolis Police Department
The Indianapolis Police Department was the principal law enforcement agency of Indianapolis, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Indianapolis and Director of Public Safety...
. Snow is the author of several other books on crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
including: Sex Crimes Investigation, Murder 101, Stopping a Stalker, Family Abuse, SWAT Teams, Technology and Law Enforcement, and The Militia Threat.
Contents
In the book's nine chapters, Snow presents case studies of controversial groups and movements and outlines how individuals are led to follow the "rules" of these organizations. The chapters are structured by the types of groups, such as "Religious Cults", "Occult CultsOccult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
", "Millenial Cults", "New Age Cults
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
", "UFO Cults
UFO religion
UFO religion is an informal term used to describe a religion that equates UFO occupants with gods or other semi-divine beings. Typically, the UFO occupants are held to be extraterrestials and that humanity either currently is, or eventually will become, part of a preexisting extraterrestrial...
", "Doomsday Cults
Doomsday cult
Doomsday cult is an expression used to describe groups who believe in Apocalypticism and Millenarianism, and can refer both to groups that prophesy catastrophe and destruction, and to those that attempt to bring it about...
", and "Suicide Cults
Cult suicide
A cult suicide is a term used to describe the mass suicide by the members of groups that have been considered cults. In some cases, all or nearly all members have committed suicide at the same time and place. Groups that have committed such mass suicides and that have been called cults include...
". Snow primarily relies on published material for references as opposed to first-hand reporting. The majority of the book's references are secondary sources including magazines and newspaper articles, though Snow does also include quotes from experts and witnesses.
Groups including the Branch Davidians, Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...
, the Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, the Peoples Temple
Peoples Temple
Peoples Temple was a religious organization founded in 1955 by Jim Jones that, by the mid-1970s, included over a dozen locations in California including its headquarters in San Francisco...
, Heaven's Gate
Heaven's Gate (religious group)
Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles...
, and the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
are discussed in the book. Snow recounts results from a study of 353 former members of 48 cults in the United States, who recounted experiences after leaving their respective groups. After leaving the groups, 23 percent of former members stated they had attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, 63 percent had suicidal ideation
Suicidal ideation
Suicidal ideation is a common medical term for thoughts about suicide, which may be as detailed as a formulated plan, without the suicidal act itself. Although most people who undergo suicidal ideation do not commit suicide, some go on to make suicide attempts...
, and 93 percent had experienced anxiety attacks. Snow devotes a chapter to deprogramming
Deprogramming
Deprogramming refers to actions that attempt to force a person to abandon allegiance to a religious, political, economic, or social group. Methods and practices may involve kidnapping and coercion...
and advice on how individuals can avoid joining these groups from the outset.
Reception
David Pitt wrote favorably of the book in a review in BooklistBooklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
, and described it as an "insightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders". A review in Reference & Research Book News commented that Snow: "does not bother with groups that are demonized as cults merely because they diverge from someone else's idea of truth or proper deportment, but focuses on those that are responsible for major crimes such as murder and torture". The book received a positive review in Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, and Michael Sawyer wrote: "Well written and researched, this book belongs in all public libraries and should be considered in academic libraries where there is an interest in cult history."