Category Archives: Books, Resources

Books, Resources for learning about religious cults

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

The Illusion(s)

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   Before we turn to our subject of “Illusion(s)”, I must share some thoughts. Today is April 9, 2011. In looking back, April 9, 2008 was a pivotal day in my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). That Wednesday evening after a church service, I was summoned into a meeting in a small office on WOFF property. That meeting lasted from just after 9:00PM until around midnight. In attendance were GS, LS, RF, JF, BC, AK, my wife and myself. It also included a cameo appearance from Jane Whaley. Her part was screaming and pointing her finger at me as she proclaimed that I was “full of the unclean”! She then turned to my wife and declared that she “allow(ed) him to be so…” On that cue, my wife turned and took up the screaming fit toward me. At that moment, she took on a piece of the WOFF modus operandi. Results of that meeting included, but, were not limited to me losing my job and the accessories that went along with the position. The relationship with my wife also took a fatal turn that night. It was coincidentally our 20th wedding anniversary. WOFF members do not celebrate that, so it was not on the discussion list for the evening. One of the biggest shocks of the whole evening was that those in attendance other than me considered the events that transpired as NORMAL! That is what jolted me into doubting that WOFF-ways were God’s ways.

    At this time, my life is in yet another transition. Life issues have come and gone, battles not related to WOFF have come and been won. Some battles have been lost. Other battles are ongoing. (Jane talks a lot about “battles”…) The tone of this blog is in transition, as well. The main subjects have moved from retelling only my experiences to including resource material that helps explain what I went through and how WOFF compares to other groups labeled as cults. I have begun to read material written by cult experts and survivors of other groups. I have found that my experiences are not abnormal compared to other survivors or other groups. Several survivors of other cult groups have contacted me to confirm that their experiences have been very similar. Readers have come, consumed several posts and then moved on to other concerns in their life. Some only read enough to confirm their own suspensions that Jane and her group are “bad” and should be avoided. Others continue to read to learn just why things were/are not healthy.  

  Admittedly, the subject matter of cults has lasting appeal for only a certain group of folks who have been touched in some way by the behaviors, methods and outcomes of either their own involvement or a loved one’s involvement. I would like to think that it is forever settled in my mind and heart that Jane Whaley and her WOFF-ways were/are dangerous. There is nothing else to prove in my thinking. WOFF is what it is and the years I lived in that group cannot be changed or restored. Lives have been forever altered as me and others have lost pieces of our beings to the group called Word of Faith Fellowship in Spindale, NC. How could all this take place? One tool used to accomplish these things was/is by illusions.   Continue reading The Illusion(s) →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

“Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (3)

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    This is the third post in a series which will highlight the insights found in the book by Len Oakes while comparing his observations and conclusions to my personal experience inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). This work by Len Oakes titled, “Prophetic Charisma” – The Psychology of Revolutionary Religious Personalities (copyright ©1997 by Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, ISBN 0-8156-2700-9) has captured my attention. We closed the last post in this series promising to review the traits and behaviors learned by Oakes about those who have this “prophetic charisma” and compare them to my understanding, experience and knowledge of Jane Whaley, leader of WOFF.

   It is at this point, I will admit several thoughts and concerns. When I first heard of this book and ordered it, my excitement was off the meter. As I began reading this work, my expectations have been realized and more. Yes, I have been awed at the accuracy of this work by a man, who to my knowledge has never met or heard of Jane Whaley. While at the same time I have felt a degree of validation and/or vindication, even though that comes with a certain and definite note of sadness.  Oakes gives some direction in the Introduction that has led me to realize that this series will not only be about Jane Whaley and how she compares to the observations of Oakes. Oakes writes, “Because we cannot really understand the prophet without understanding something of the followers and the particular bond they share with their leader, discussions are presented in chapters 7 and 8 of the followers and their quest, and also of charismatic rituals.” (page 22) In order to present a more complete picture of my time at WOFF and what I observed, I will be reviewing the insights of Oakes about followers in later posts and comparing to my thoughts, feeling and resulting experience. The thought of doing this gave me some apprehension at first. But, I will attempt to share all as we go through the highlights of this work by Oakes. This attempt coupled with the quandary that there is so much valuable insight in the book; I am realizing there is no way to share all of it. Let me encourage you to find your own copy and read it at your pace. Amazon.com was my source for the book.

    Oakes gives some understanding as to where his observations and analysis led him. The results gave him, “…first, a more finely grained description of the basic behaviors of the leaders—that is, a list of specific traits unlikely o be measured by a standardized psychological test –and , second a developmental sequence of life stages—a kind of “natural history of prophetic development”—that accounts for development of these traits and behaviors.” (page 12) In truth, I am not sure how many posts it will take to cover these traits. But, we will list them and give my experiences within WOFF and see if Jane displayed these traits. Next, we will share about the “life stages” and compare them to what Jane has revealed about herself as she loved/loves to tell her story to her faithful WOFF members. I should be able to recall most of it as I heard it many times.

    Continue reading “Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (3) →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

“Recovery From Cults”- Langone – Definition of a Cult

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       In the book, “Recovery From Cults” – Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse– Edited by Michael Langone- (copyright © 1993 American Family Foundation – ISBN 0-393-31321-2), we find a definition of a “cult” that is worth noting. It is derived by the author from two sources. The first source is from a conference in 1986 sponsored by the American Family Foundation, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Johnson Foundation. Next, he uses some concepts from the work of Singer and Ofshe as mentioned in previous posts. Here is the definition:

    “A cult is a group or movement that, to a significant degree, (a) exhibits great or excessive devotion to some person, idea, or thing, (b) uses a thought-reform program to persuade, control, or socialize member (i.e. to integrate them into the group’s unique pattern of relationships, beliefs, values, and practices), (c) systematically induces states of psychological dependence in members, (d) exploit’s members to advance the leadership’s goals, and (e) causes psychological harm to members, their families, and the community.” (page 5)  

   Langone goes on to write that, “Of course, some groups that cause concern do not meet all the definitional criteria, while others become more or less cultic over time…Not all destructive groups are cults, although all cults, as defined here, will tend to be destructive.” (page 5) Why do I use this definition as a resource? Because in my estimation, it helps clarify what some may consider as grey areas or what could be called a clouded perspective. Some may see my perspective as skewed. When in reality, I have been open to debate on the facts and existing knowledge of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). After being under the teachings of Jane Whaley for a time frame of sixteen years, I left the group in 2008. Since then, many questions have been raised in my mind when reflecting on my experiences and firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of WOFF. This blog documents my search for answers.

Continue reading “Recovery From Cults”- Langone – Definition of a Cult →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

“Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (2)

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   This is the second post in a series which will highlight the insights found in the book by Len Oakes while comparing his observations and conclusions to my personal experience inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). This work by Len Oakes titled, “Prophetic Charisma” – The Psychology of Revolutionary Religious Personalities (copyright ©1997 by Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, ISBN 0-8156-2700-9) has captured my attention. While I hope to find answers to certain questions which have been generated over the last three or more years, I also am excited about the additional inspiration which I anticipate from studying this material.

   The first post served as an introduction to Dr. Len Oakes, to the concept of “Prophetic Charisma”, the idea of a “prophet” as well as the notion that despite the many differences of those who live as a “prophet”, there are many similarities. Dr. Oakes believes that these similarities can be observed and conclusions drawn to help us not only understand the person as a “prophet”, but the followers and even society as a whole. I must admit that the prospect of learning from this book and the subsequent studies it will lead to, seem very intriguing.

   Dr. Oakes shares that his study involved three phases. “The first began in 1972 when I attended an encounter group run by a charismatic psychotherapist.” (page 3) Oakes “was twenty-four years old” at the time and he was so impressed he moved into the leaders home with a small group of other “followers”. “The relationship ended in 1975 when I moved on…Three years later this leader founded a rural commune. In 1980 I visited this community… At the time, I was enrolled to study psychology at the local university. During my visit, the leader invited me to join his group and to document its history, adding, “This will be the greatest social laboratory in the world. There is enough research to be done here to keep you busy the rest of your life”. (page 3-4) So began a ten year stay inside that group for Oakes. He married there and his children were born inside that group. He counted himself as “an inside outsider in the community.” “There were times when I defended the group passionately to outside critics, and other occasions when I flatly opposed the leader’s directives.” (page 4)

   Continue reading “Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (2) →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

“Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (1)

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   This work by Len Oakes titled, “Prophetic Charisma” – The Psychology of Revolutionary Religious Personalities (copyright ©1997 by Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, ISBN 0-8156-2700-9) has captured my attention. This book may be the source of several posts as we work through the research and conclusions of Dr. Oakes. The following is a short biography that would have been current as of the date of publishing. As a note, with a little research, I did find an address and telephone number for Dr. Oakes in Australia; however, they have not been verified.

“Len Oakes is a senior consultant psychologist with the Cairnmiller Institute of Melbourne, Australia, and completed his doctoral dissertation on the psychology of charisma at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is a member of the Australian Psychology Society, the New Zealand Psychological Society, and the International Society for Hypnosis and has published articles on communal studies, the psychology of religion, and the counseling issues associated with new religious movements. He is the editor of the journal Psychotherapy in Australia.”

   The foreword was written by Sarah Hamilton-Byrne. She wrote a book titled, “Unseen, Unheard, Unknown: My Life Inside the Family of Anne Hamilton-Byrne”. (link to more about the her book- http://www.leavingsiddhayoga.net/unseen.htm )   She explains the purpose and direction of Dr. Oakes’ work and applauds him for taking steps to explain some rather difficult questions. Since her explanation of the book is so precise, I will quote bits and pieces of the foreword with my comments interspersed, in order to set the direction of this series of posts. “In this unique contribution to our understanding of the social phenomenon of charismatic groups and those who lead them, Dr. Len Oakes explores the psychology of charisma and proposes his own theory of the five-stage life cycle of two types of prophets – the messianic and the charismatic – from their primitive narcissistic beginnings to their ultimately inevitable implosion or demise.” (page xi)

     Continue reading “Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (1) →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Uncategorized

Thoughts on Thought Reform – From Another Source

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    The resource text for a previous post titled-  “Dr. Margaret Singer – Voice for the Cult Survivor”  found here: https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=3789  was taken from this book:  “Recovery From Cults” – Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse– Edited by Michael Langone- (copyright © 1993 American Family Foundation – ISBN 0-393-31321-2). As I have continued reading this work, I found another reference that I viewed as worth sharing. There are so many resources mentioned in this book, I can see several posts reviewing the material found inside this book.

    In the “Introduction”, Langone outlines the purpose of this book. He mentions that it “does not aim to be an overview of the cult phenomenon… Instead, the book tries to illuminate general principles pertinent to understanding conversion, post-cult problems, and post-cult recovery. It also describes practical techniques for facilitating recovery from cultic involvements.”(page 1) I see this book taking a while to read and digest. 

    In this post, I will take definitions for “a thought reform program” found in this resource text and compare my experience from my time in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Jane Whaley is the leader of WOFF. I spent sixteen years either directly or indirectly under her teachings. My time in that group came to a close in July 2008. Since that time, I have been searching for answers to many questions about my time there, my reasons for being involved in that group and the lasting effects of being a part of  WOFF.  So far, questions have been more numerous than the answers. We move forward.

Continue reading Thoughts on Thought Reform – From Another Source →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Anne Frank Remembered

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   This film recently came to my attention and caused me to reconsider several questions and points which have been considered previously in posts on this blog. The film, “Anne Frank Remembered” was written and directed by Jon Blair. (© The Jon Blair Film Company Ltd. 1995, in association with the BBC and the Disney Channel, part of the Sony Picture Classics collection) The documentary is a moving account of the life and death of Anne Frank as told by her writings and several survivors as well as footage of her father, Otto Frank.

   My earliest memories of learning about Anne Frank were from a play that my elementary class attended in Abingdon, VA. This may have been in the seventh or eighth grade. I don’t remember much about that evening, but I came away with a sense that there was a lot more to the story than could be portrayed on stage. There were terms used and concepts portrayed that I knew nothing about. What I have learned since then as well as in this film confirmed those thoughts.

   Before I go further, let me acknowledge that the direction I am headed in this post will be doubted by some and scoffed by others. Members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) of which I was a part of for many years, will no doubt mock and scoff at many of my observations and conclusions. I would/will not be surprised since when I was in that group, my reactions to such conclusions would have been the same. This is only confirmed in my thinking by the continued cooperation between the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) group and WOFF. From a connection with Leigh Valentine, WOFF has become a part of CUFI and has displayed their “Holocaust Museum” exhibit at a few CUFI conferences.

   Continue reading Anne Frank Remembered →