Let's Talk About Sects

In 2011, an 18-year-old Liz Cameron joined a Bible study group she only knew as ‘Sarang Church'. Over the coming months, she lost more and more of her life and identity to the group that eventually revealed it was part of a larger South Korean organisation called Providence or JMS – which she was told not to google. Liz managed to find her way out of her indoctrination with the help of her family, and has just released her memoir about her experiences, Cult Bride: How I was brainwashed – and how I broke free.Links:Cult Bride: How I was brainwashed – and how I broke free — by Liz Cameron, Hardie Grant Publishing, June 2025liztheformer — Liz Cameron's TikTok channelThe Cult Next Door — 7News Spotlight episode, 2 July 2023In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal — Netflix documentary about Providence/JMS, 2023Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups — Parliament of Victoria, open for submissions until 31 July 2025 and due to deliver findings in September 2026You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Parliament of Victoria has launched an Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups, which is open for submissions until 31 July 2025. If you or anyone you know has been involved with a cult that has a presence in Victoria, Australia, you're highly encouraged to make a submission. There's also an anonymous questionnaire option available for those who might not wish to make a full submission.Ryan and Catherine Carey are two former members of the Geelong Revival Centre who – along with a working group of other cult survivors – have been at the forefront in instigating this inquiry. They secured the support of Victoria's Labor State Member for Geelong and Parliamentary Secretary for First Peoples Christine Couzens, and Victorian Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny, who launched the Inquiry in April 2025. It's due to deliver its findings in September 2026.Links:Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups — Parliament of Victoria, open for submissions until 31 July 2025 and due to deliver findings in September 2026Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder podcastStop Religious Coercion Australia — websitem Facebook group, TikTok and InstagramVictorian Cult Survivors Network — Facebook groupYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Falun Gong is familiar to many as a spiritual exercise movement, and a sect that has been persecuted by the People's Republic of China. In Sydney you'll often see practitioners demonstrating by Town Hall with flyers sharing stories of organ harvesting of wrongfully imprisoned members. But former devotees have come forward with stories of coercion and abuse, alleging that in one thing the CCP is correct: Falun Gong is a socially harmful cult.Full research sources listed here.Links:“I am the only one propagating true Dharma”: Li Hongzhi's Self-Presentation as Buddha and Greater — by James R. Lewis, ColomboArts Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol II, Issue 2, 2017The life and times of Li Hongzhi: ‘Falun Gong' and Religious Biography — by Benjamin Penny, The China Quarterly 175, 643–661, 2003The power of Falun Gong — By Eric Campbell and Hagar Cohen, Foreign Correspondent-Background Briefing, ABC, 21 July 2020Shen Yun: The Dark Side of a Dance Troupe — The Daily, New York Times Podcasts, 3 April 2025Facebook bans ads from The Epoch Times after huge pro-Trump buy — by Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins, NBC News, 23 August 2019This Pro-Trump YouTube Network Sprang Up Just After He Lost — by Craig Silverman, BuzzFeed News, 8 January 2021A key source for Covid-skeptic movements, the Epoch Times yearns for a global audience — by Alessio Perrone & Darren Loucaides, coda, 10 March 2022DoJ accuses far-right Epoch Times of being money-laundering operation — by Richard Luscombe, The Guardian, 4 June 2024Behind the Pageantry of Shen Yun, Untreated Injuries and Emotional Abuse — by Nicole Hong & Michael Rothfeld, The New York Times, 15 August 2024Stepping Into the Uncanny, Unsettling World of Shen Yun — by Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 19 March 2019Their posters are everywhere, but behind Shen Yun lies a darker story — by Anthony Segaert, The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 February 2025Consider supporting Decult in NZ Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of updates to Child Safety Standards emerging from Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Mirriam Francis wrote to Victoria's Commission for Children and Young People outlining the ways in which she sees Scientology teachings and practices to be violating these standards. While concepts of religious freedom and choice can muddy the waters of certain discussions around coercive organisations, Mirriam sees the regulations and laws to protect children as a key lens through which such practices need to be viewed and pursued. She speaks from personal experience that spans three countries.Links:Child Safe Standards — Commission for Children and Young People Victoria (you can raise a concern here); Queensland Family & Child Commission (you can raise a concern here)Child Safe Scheme — NSW Office of the Children's Guardian (you can raise a concern here)Australian Child Safe Standards – A State By State Guide 2024 — Safe Space LegalRage Against the Dark Arts — Mirriam Francis' SubstackThetans in Young Bodies — Season 2, Episode 1 of Leah Remini's Scientology and the Aftermath in which Mirriam Francis featuresReport of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology — by Kevin Victor Anderson, Q.C., the State of Victoria, Australia, 1965The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma — by Bessel van der Kolk, Penguin, 2015Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice — by Judith Lewis Herman, Basic Books, 2023Dianetics excerpt re: 7-year-old child responding to kiss from adult maleA Children of God message to members mentioning their "friends in Scientology"Introduction to Scientology Ethics High CrimesYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maria Esguerra escaped the Children of God at the age of 22 with her two children who have disabilities. Maria's firsthand experience drives her passion to support fellow survivors of cults and institutions, advocating for specialised understanding, interventions and access to governmental schemes such as Redress. Maria has actively engaged in media and advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people escaping coercive environments. She founded a support group for second and multi-generational survivors (also referred to as SGAs or MGAs) from all cults. It addresses the devastating impacts from these groups, including abuse, denial of basic rights and forced labour. Maria is also a psychologist and the founder of Assessable.Links:Maria Esguerra — LinktreeMaria Esguerra — Director at AssessableDecult profile — Maria's information at the recent Decult ConferenceI lived under the so-called 'law of love' and it was terrifying – cult survivor — by Ryan Boswell, 1News, 17 October 2024CIFS Australia — Cult Information & Family SupportThe Olive Leaf NetworkEscaping Utopia — by Janja Lalich & Karla McLaren, Routledge, 2017The Strange Situation Experiment — more about Mary Ainsworth's work on attachment theoryErikson's stages of psychosocial development — more about Erik Erikson's workMake it Meaningful: How to find purpose in life and work — by Debbie Haski-Leventhal, Simon & Schuster, 2023Walking Free from the Trauma of Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse: A Workbook for Recovery and Growth — by Gillie Jenkinson, Routledge, 2023Stop Religious Coercion Australia — Advocacy group started by a former Geelong Revival Centre memberWriting to Reckon — Gerette Buglion's workshops, retreats, journal, and moreYou can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's book Do As I Say is available on audiobook. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerette Buglion holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education, and earned her ‘Master's Degree' in cult awareness education from the school of life. She emerged from her 18-year cult odyssey in 2014 at age 52, and asked herself, "How did I, an educated, caring mother, wife, and business owner become that lost and for that long?" Gerette then set to work studying cultic dynamics, while reclaiming her autonomy with the help of a supportive family, therapy, and countless hours immersed in nature and writing.Gerette's memoir An Everyday Cult was published in 2021, and followed by her second book, Writing to Reckon Journal – for Survivors of Spiritual, Religious, and Cultic Abuse. She is the founder of Living Cult Free, a nonprofit supporting the creative expression of survivor stories and empowering advocacy through education.Links:Gerette Buglion — Gerette's websiteAn Everyday Cult — by Gerette Buglion, 2021Writing to Reckon Journal — by Gerette Buglion, 2023 (PDF version for US$5 here)Writing to Reckon — Gerette's workshops, retreats, journal, and moreLiving Cult Free — 501c3 nonprofit empowering and educating cult survivors and advocatesLiving Cult Free: the podcastDr Dan Siegel — executive director of the Mindsight Institute and founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLAGentle Souls Revolution — Esther Friedman's websiteFaith Jones — author of I Own Me and Sex Cult NunBeth Matanaer — Finding the Path Within You (or as Beth says, "You are your own expert")You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ewan Whyte's feature essay, ‘The Cult That Raised Me' – about the United States based Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College – includes the introduction, “When I was 11, my parents sent me to Grenville Christian College, a prestigious Anglican boarding school in Brockville. It turned out to be a perverse fundamentalist cult that brainwashed, abused and terrorized students. For decades, the school tried to intimidate us into silence. It didn't work.”Ewan Whyte is a writer, art and cultural critic. He has written for the Globe & Mail and the Literary Review of Canada. He is the author of Desire Lines: Essays on Art Poetry & Culture, Shifting Paradigms: Essays on Art and Culture and Entrainment, a book of poetry, and a translation of the rude ancient Roman poet Catullus. His feature essay 'The Cult that Raised Me' was a finalist for a National Magazine Award. Ewan's upcoming book, Mothers of Invention: Essays on the Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College, will be released in June and is available for preorder now. In advance of its release, Ewan shared some of his research and thoughts about these two organisations.You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Mothers of Invention: Essays on the Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College — by Ewan Whyte, Wolsak & Wynn, 2025The Cult That Raised Me — by Ewan Whyte, Toronto Life, 5 January 2021I-Team: Former Members Of Cape Religious Group Allege Emotional Abuse, 'People Don't Realize The Mind Control' — WBZ News, 4 November 2021Aaron Bushnell: Friends struggle to comprehend US airman's Gaza protest death — by Kayla Epstein & Angelica Casas, BBC News, 3 March 2024 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When asked about the Hare Krishnas, most people will conjure images of dancing, chanting people with colourful robes and joyful dispositions. Members of the general public, whom Hare Krishnas refer to as 'karmis', may have encountered devotees through their vegetarian food offerings at music festivals or city restaurants. Their anti-LGBTQI+ and patriarchal beliefs, as well as the darker aspects of their history – including horrifying stories of abuse, and even murders – come as a surprise to many.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the USA — by Ramai Swami, 27 September 2021Authoritarian Culture and Child Abuse in ISKCON — by Nori J. Muster, Cultic Studies Review, 3(1), 2004Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON complaint — Plaintiffs' original petition in the Dallas lawsuit, Surrealist.org, filed 25 October 2001How I Once Was a Hare Krishna… — by Christopher Fici, Medium, 7 January 2023Holy Cow, Swami — documentary by Jacob Young, 1996History — ISKCON Child Protection Office, accessed January 2025Child Abuse in the Hare Krishna Movement: 1971-1986 — by E. Burke Rochford, Jr. with Jennifer Heinlein, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 6, #1, June 1998Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON Timeline — Surrealist.org (Nori Muster's website), accessed January 2025Tortured Souls — by Mark Donald, Dallas Observer, 6 December 2001Dial Om for Murder — by John Hubner & Lindsey Gruson, Rolling Stone, Issue 497, 1987Religion: Control Stressed at Krishna Children's School — by Eleanor Blau, The New York Times, 25 November 1973Why ISKCON Needs to be on Guard Against “Cultic Behavior” — by Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON News, 26 July 2024The Krishna Cult — by Paul Ford, Mad After Krishna, 1994 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When asked about the Hare Krishnas, most people will conjure images of dancing, chanting people with colourful robes and joyful dispositions. Members of the general public, whom Hare Krishnas refer to as 'karmis', may have encountered devotees through their vegetarian food offerings at music festivals or city restaurants. Their anti-LGBTQI+ and patriarchal beliefs, as well as the darker aspects of their history – including horrifying stories of abuse, and even murders – come as a surprise to many.Part 2 is already available to Patreon supporters, and will be released on the main feed on Wednesday 19 February. Full research sources listed here.Links:Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the USA — by Ramai Swami, 27 September 2021Authoritarian Culture and Child Abuse in ISKCON — by Nori J. Muster, Cultic Studies Review, 3(1), 2004Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON complaint — Plaintiffs' original petition in the Dallas lawsuit, Surrealist.org, filed 25 October 2001How I Once Was a Hare Krishna… — by Christopher Fici, Medium, 7 January 2023Holy Cow, Swami — documentary by Jacob Young, 1996History — ISKCON Child Protection Office, accessed January 2025Child Abuse in the Hare Krishna Movement: 1971-1986 — by E. Burke Rochford, Jr. with Jennifer Heinlein, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 6, #1, June 1998Children of ISKCON vs. ISKCON Timeline — Surrealist.org (Nori Muster's website), accessed January 2025Tortured Souls — by Mark Donald, Dallas Observer, 6 December 2001Dial Om for Murder — by John Hubner & Lindsey Gruson, Rolling Stone, Issue 497, 1987Religion: Control Stressed at Krishna Children's School — by Eleanor Blau, The New York Times, 25 November 1973Why ISKCON Needs to be on Guard Against “Cultic Behavior” — by Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON News, 26 July 2024The Krishna Cult — by Paul Ford, Mad After Krishna, 1994 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's Talk About Sects did a deep dive episode about the Two by Twos, also known as The Truth, in October 2020. In the years since we recorded, huge numbers of followers in the USA in particular have left as more and more allegations of child sexual abuse have been made against workers, and the FBI is currently investigating the organisation.It was never Abbi and Mike Prussack's intention to become involved in advocacy work, but once the couple became aware of the extent of the abuse and how it was concealed, there didn't seem to be an option other than putting the real truth out into the world and attempting to create some transparency where there was none before. Abbi and Mike have been releasing information that the Two by Twos have kept hidden for decades, and Abbi co-founded a not-for-profit called Voices for the Truth to help provide education and resources to victim-survivors of the organisation.You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Voices for the Truth — victim-survivor-led NFP co-founded by AbbiSeeking Victim Information in 2x2 Investigation — FBI page with links to form to submit tipsVoices for the Truth RAINN Hotline: 928-756-8654 (US only)Ex-2x2 Support Group on Facebook — this group membership is limited to ex-members or those who are in the process of leavingEx-2x2 Support Group on YouTube2x2 Church Updates — current events pageOur 2x2 Story — Mike & Abbi's TikTokKyle Hanks' YouTube — channel discussing many aspects of 2x2 lifeTimeline of events and publicly named perpetrators since the release of the Dean Bruer letterBridges and Balm — Survivor care organisation with funding available internationally to help with therapeutic carePreserving the Truth — by Cherie Kropp-Ehrig, Clarion Call Publishing, 2022 (also on Amazon)Telling the Truth — Cherie Kropp-Ehrig's informational websiteWith thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Baker's Pray Harder podcast for LiSTNR's Secrets We Keep series delves into the world of the Geelong Revival Centre, which Richard describes as “one of Australia's most extreme” Pentecostal churches. The GRC has the same roots as the Revival Fellowship, and its pastor was a man named Noel Hollins who died in April 2024 after 65 years in leadership. Pray Harder shares some shocking stories of a number of former members, and it's a vital listen.You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.With thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects.Links:Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder podcastStop Religious Coercion Australia — Facebook pageSouthern Ocean Media — Richard Baker's production companyIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Melbourne you might have picked up a book or a comic from a Jesus Christian outside Flinders Street Station, or you could have seen their religious graffiti messages along Sydney's railway lines. But while they portray themselves as an altruistic Christian community living life by faith and rejecting the money motivation of work, former members have been shunned and demonised, and parents tell heartbreaking stories of losing their relationship with their child after they have joined the Jesus Christians.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.With thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects.Links:JC History 1981 - 1996 — Jesus Christians official website, accessed December 2024Australians find godliness in latrines and sewers of Madras — by Tim McGirk, The Independent, 25 June 1994Kidneys for Jesus — Jon Ronson's 2003 documentaryComments on Kidneys for Jesus — The Jesus Christians' response to Jon Ronson's documentary, accessed December 2024Blood sacrifice and Blood sacrifice (part two) — by Jon Ronson, The Guardian, 6 April 2002Kicked Out — by Alan, Making it Real, June 2013Why did we leave the Jesus Christians, led by Dave McKay? — by Sue, Making it Real, undatedThe Rise and Fall of the Jesus Christians — by Ross, Making it Real, 2013Australian Christian group fights claim it was linked to leader of Kenya starvation massacre doomsday cult — by Elle Hardy, The Guardian, 28 November 2023The Guardian's Shakahola Article by Elle Hardy | The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly — the Jesus Christians' commentary on The Guardian article, undated Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The media coverage of the Jesus Christians tends to outweigh their size. Most people who have heard of them recognise the name ‘The Kidney Cult', derived from an initiative where numerous members have donated one of their kidneys to a stranger. What may be surprising is that the person who first suggested that name was the Jesus Christians' founder himself, Dave Mckay.Part 2 is already available to Patreon supporters, and will be released on the main feed on Wednesday 25 December. Happy holidays all!Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.With thanks to The Finance and Property Survival Guide, presenting partner of Let's Talk About Sects.Links:JC History 1981 - 1996 — Jesus Christians official website, accessed December 2024Australians find godliness in latrines and sewers of Madras — by Tim McGirk, The Independent, 25 June 1994Kidneys for Jesus — Jon Ronson's 2003 documentaryComments on Kidneys for Jesus — The Jesus Christians' response to Jon Ronson's documentary, accessed December 2024Blood sacrifice and Blood sacrifice (part two) — by Jon Ronson, The Guardian, 6 April 2002Why did we leave the Jesus Christians, led by Dave McKay? — by Sue, Making it Real, undatedThe Rise and Fall of the Jesus Christians — by Ross, Making it Real, 2013Australian Christian group fights claim it was linked to leader of Kenya starvation massacre doomsday cult — by Elle Hardy, The Guardian, 28 November 2023The Guardian's Shakahola Article by Elle Hardy | The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly — the Jesus Christians' commentary on The Guardian article, undated Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah moderated a panel discussion at the recent Decult conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, entitled 'A new media narrative: Survivor-focussed cult reporting'. The panel featured MISA survivor Bec Sonkkila, documentary filmmaker Natalie Malcon, RNZ investigative reporter Anusha Bradley, and media law Professor Ursula Cheer. This bonus episode is a recording of the session, courtesy of Decult, and you can access a package of recordings from the entire conference at decult.net/tickets.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation or merch purchase.Links:Decult conference — online session recording package available from the Decult websiteTantric yoga guru Gregorian Bivolaru charged with human trafficking — AAP article in The Guardian for further reading about MISA, 29 November 2023If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Revival Fellowship is a Pentecostal Australian sect that believes in Bible Numerics, a thoroughly debunked theory about numerical patterns found within the Bible. It also teaches British Israelism, generally considered to be unscientific and ahistorical and by some as a justification for racism. The Fellowship would say its teachings are in line with 'complementarianism', though women have no place in the hierarchy or leadership of the organisation. Over the years since it formed from a schism with Revival Centres International in the 1990s, the offshoot (as well as the RCI itself) has faced numerous accusations from former members that it operates as a cult.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Heart of Fire: The Story of Australian Pentecostalism — by Barry Chant, House of Tabor, 1984The British-Israel Myth - Christian Identity and the Lost Tribes of Israel — by Nick Greer, 2004Revival Stories & Document Archive — “a historical document archive and collection of stories of members and former members of the Revival Centres groups of churches”, accessed October 2024An Open Letter from Paul Longfield (son of Lloyd Longfield) — 27 November 1988 letter and undated letterForum for ex-members of Revival Churches — accessed September/October 2024Revival On the Air Today — Revival Fellowships podcast featuring interviews with John & Janet Kuhlmann in 2019Leaving a Revival Church Is Hard, but It's Worth It — by Mark Darbyshire, Medium, 20 July 2022The link between gender inequality and violence against women — Our Watch, accessed October 2024Letter to the Adelaide Revival Fellowship — by Jean and Frank O'Flaherty, 20 January 1998Ivan Panin and Friends — Australian National University webpage that includes links to Panin's Panic, the program created by Brendan McKay in 1997Papua New Guinean revivalist churches push dangerous campaign for 'faith-healing' of AIDS — by Liam Cochrane, ABC News, 22 July 2014 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AJ was sent to the Running River school in around 2007, to attend kindergarten when she was five or six years old. The school was headed up by longtime Divine Madness community member Nancy Monson, and founder Marc ‘Yo' Tizer didn't have a whole lot to do with it. AJ stayed in the school up until sixth grade, when a new teacher became concerned and shared with parents some of the things he had found out. As soon as AJ's parents realised the serious deficits in her education, along with some other worrying details, they pulled her from Running River. The school shut down soon afterwards, around 2014.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation or merch purchase.Links:Running River — archived snapshot of the school website from 5 April 2005Inner Journey Wilderness Camps — archived snapshot of the 'Summer overnight camps for girls' website from 11 March 2022If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Tabitha Chapman is the founder of The Freedom Train Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides crucial services for individuals exiting cults or coercive environments. One initiative of the project is International Cult Awareness Month (ICAM) which just concluded its third annual instalment in August 2024 with a focus on policy and cults. In this episode, Tabitha shares some highlights of ICAM, thoughts on policy, and how we can all help to effect change.Tabitha's personal journey and struggle within NXIVM deeply influenced her resolve to create a support system for others facing similar situations. Her firsthand experience provided unique insights into the needs of victims of coercive control and cultic abuse. This drives the mission and services of The Freedom Train Project.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation or merch purchase.Links:The Freedom Train ProjectICAM 2024 WebinarsIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com). Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Caroline Ansley is the founder of Centrepoint Restoration Project, a website that serves as a connection point, archive of information and safe landing space for former children of New Zealand's notorious Centrepoint cult – with which Caroline has personal experience. She is also a General Practitioner, with over 20 years' clinical experience in community medicine, and 10 years' experience working in clinical leadership in the Canterbury Health System. As Senior Clinical Editor of Canterbury and West Coast Community Healthpathways, Dr Ansley is uniquely positioned to help health practitioners navigate the complexities around healthcare when it comes to current and former cult members.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation or merch purchase.Links:Centrepoint Restoration ProjectCult Chat podcast — with Dr Caroline Ansley, Lindy Jacomb and Liz GregoryDecult Conference — 19-20 October 2024 in ChristchurchHeaven and Hell – The Centrepoint Story — Warner Bros., 2021An Open Letter Calling for Restorative Justice for the Children of Centrepoint Community — 2021HealthPathways: A Canterbury tale - From paper tiger in Christchurch to asset in consult rooms globally — by Fiona Cassie, New Zealand Doctor, 18 August 2023Olive Leaf NetworkGloriavale Leavers' Support Trust Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may recall the name ‘Esther Rockett' from episode 2, season 3 of this podcast, which was all about Universal Medicine – Serge Benhayon's esoteric healing cult in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Esther has been blogging about the more alarming elements of Serge's ‘modalities' since 2012, and he sued her for defamation in 2015. The case went to trial in 2018, and in an incredible David and Goliath tale, Esther's defence proved that the bulk of the defamatory claims found to have been conveyed in her writings were true. Esther's new book 'Universal Predator' is out now and it's all about this battle. It is riveting reading.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation or merch purchase.Links:Universal Predator — by Esther Rockett, 2024Esther Rockett's official websiteUniversal Medicine Cult Exposed and Universal Medicine Accountability — Esther Rockett's blogsBenhayon v Rockett (No 8) [2019] NSWSC 169 — Supreme Court New South Wales judgement, 6 December 2018With thanks to our episode sponsor, The Finance and Property Survival Guide podcast. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, or with the International Cultic Studies Association. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tore Klevjer has been involved with the volunteer charity organisation Cult Information and Family Support (CIFS) since its very formation almost three decades ago, in 1996. Avid listeners of this podcast will know that the end of every episode mentions CIFS. We're lucky in Australia to have this incredibly dedicated group of volunteers who support those impacted by cults and offer a variety of assistance to both former members and the loved ones of those affected. Find out what CIFS does, what it sees as the biggest obstacles facing leavers, how to support its work, and what drives Tore to keep at it after all these years.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation or merch purchase.Links:Cult Information and Family Support — official websiteStarting Out in Mainstream America — by Livia Bardin (available for free online via the ICSA)With thanks to our episode sponsor, The Finance and Property Survival Guide podcast. If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, or with the International Cultic Studies Association.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cecilia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner are the director/producer/editor team behind the award-winning Escaping Twin Flames, a three-part documentary series for Netflix about Twin Flames Universe – a cult you may remember from season 5. This powerhouse duo has turned their talents to investigating high-control groups over their last couple of projects, with Cecilia and Inbal also behind the Starz series Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult. Their filmmaking takes a trauma-informed approach with deep care for its subjects, and they share more about this as well as what they found out about Twin Flames for this interview episode.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation.Links:Escaping Twin Flames — Netflix, 2023What "Escaping Twin Flames" teaches us about the anti-trans nature of a supposedly loving cult — by Melanie McFarland, Salon, 11 November 2023Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult — website for the docuseries including resources for cult survivors and loved onesBrave Miss World — website for the documentary film where rape survivors can also share their storiesThis YouTube School Promised True Love. Students Say They Got Exploited Instead — by Sarah Berman, VICE, 6 February 2020Accused Cult Leader Threatened Ex-Members After VICE Investigation — by Sarah Berman, VICE, 12 March 2020Cecilia Peck's Instagram, X, Facebook and LinkedInIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, or with the International Cultic Studies Association.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For his 2017 PhD, John Hunter put forward a hypothesis that offers insights into both the “transformational” experiences associated with large group awareness training (LGAT) participation and the common claims of psychological harm and problematic behaviour associated with participation. Dr Hunter presented his work at the 2023 International Cultic Studies Association conference, and for this episode, he breaks down some of his findings – including where LGATs may or may not intersect with cults and cult-like behaviour.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation. Links:John Hunter PhD websiteStress-induced hypomania in healthy participants: the allostatic “manic-defence hypothesis” — Dr John Hunter's 2017 PhD DissertationRational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (Dr Albert Ellis)Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (Dr Aaron T. Beck)Robert J. Lifton's Eight Criteria for Thought ReformThe Book of est — Kirkus Reviews'We're Gonna Tear You Down and Put You Back Together" — by Mark Brewer, Psychology Today, August 1975Mindbreakers — by Roland Howard, The Daily Mail, 23 July 2001Cults in Our Midst — by Margaret Singer, 1995Psychiatric disturbances associated with Erhard Seminars Training — by L. L. Glass, M. A. Kirsch & F. N. Parris, American Journal of Psychiatry, 1977Psychological effects of participation in a large group awareness training — by Fisher, J. D., Silver, R. C., Chinsky, J. M., Goff, B., Klar, Y., & Zagieboylo, C., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1989The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion — by Richard E. Petty & John T. Cacioppo, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology Vol 19, 1986Thinking, Fast and Slow — by Daniel Kahneman, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping — Fishbowl Films, 2024 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little update from Sarah about what to expect with Let's Talk About Sects now that we're winding up the sixth season of the show. Don't worry, we're not going anywhere! But there are a few small changes to make sure that this project remains sustainable.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/ltaspodhttps://www.ltaspod.com/supporters Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of season 5, we looked into a Boulder, Colorado community then known as Divine Madness and led by Marc Tizer, usually referred to as 'Yo'. Its members were recognised for some amazing results in ultramarathons. At the time of researching that episode, updates about the current status of the group were hard to come by.Deru Youmans came across a listing for 'The Retreat' in the Gila National Forest on the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) website, and it sounded amazing. Their recent experience in this remote community had them very concerned for others who might come across a similar listing in the future.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Links:Teachings of Value — website for The Retreat and other current activities of Marc Tizer's group once known as Divine MadnessScenic, secluded farm in the Gila National Forest — WWOOF listing for The RetreatHighland Intentional Community — Foundation for Intentional Community listing for the group's Boulder, Colorado farmA Running Club Is 100 Miles Outside of the Mainstream — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 28 July 1997 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Emma Lehman is the creator of the independent podcast Gooned, which dives into the Troubled Teen Industry or TTI – a network of for-profit congregate care facilities for youth ranging from wilderness programs to therapeutic boarding schools. In the podcast, Emma interviews survivors, parents, staff members, experts and activists.Across the USA, young people are funnelled into this $23 billion industry not only by their caregivers but by government agencies. While these places advertise themselves as solutions to everything from troublesome conduct to mental illness, Emma shares through Gooned that they are ground zero for emotional, physical, and psychological abuse with lasting traumatic impacts on the teens they say they serve. And a number of the dubious and damaging methods many of them use can draw a straight line to a cult.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Links:Gooned — podcast, website and TikTokUnsilenced — US non profit organisation that serves past, present, and future victims of institutional child abuseEmma Lehman — Emma's website where you can find out more about her work Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Palmer created Avatar after his presidency of the Church of Scientology's Elmira Mission ended in the mid-1980s, as a result of legal proceedings around trademark infringement. Avatar says that it aims to create an 'enlightened planetary consciousness' or EPC through its courses, which are expensive and numerous. Former students say they have been left with massive debts as a result of their attendance.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now, and you can order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Head here to enter our competition to win a pair of ATH-SQ1TW Wireless Earbuds!Links:Who is Harry Palmer? — archived founder bio on former Avatar website, May 2006Living Deliberately: The Discovery and Development of Avatar — by Harry Palmer, Star's Edge International, 1994Harry Palmer's Scientology Mission, Star's Edge, and Avatar — special report series by Lisa Bennett, Elmira Star-Gazette, 2-7 February 1988We'd like to welcome you to 'enlightenment' — by Russell Blackstock, NZ Herald, 17 August 2014Interview with Margie - Ex-Scientology / Avatar | The Origins of the Avatar Course - Part 1 and Part 2 — Avatar Uncovered YouTube channel, 15 & 19 January 2018Avatar Uncovered — website maintained by former Avatar Master Amanda Reed, accessed January 2024An Interview With Harry Palmer — by Matt Ding, HP Magazine, 1996, interview excerpt archived from About Harry Palmer websiteAvatar: Scientology-style sect causes concern in Netherlands — by Anna Holligan, BBC News, 31 March 2018 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas Parsons joined the Twelve Tribes community in Hiddenite, North Carolina in April 2019, and left in November 2021. With Hiddenite being the unofficial headquarters of the organisation, he had direct contact with a number of senior leaders of the Tribes. Following last week's live episode release, this conversation with Thomas provides an interesting insight into some of the more recent developments in the communities, as well as a more recent personal experience there.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:The Twelve Tribes LTAS episode page with a full list of resources is hereCult Information and Family Support (CIFS) — Australian volunteer-run support serviceICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — cult info since 1979 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded live at Woodford Folk Festival on 1 January 2024. Many people in the audience would have come across the Twelve Tribes previously at that very festival, as they used to build a big Common Ground cafe by the lake where tens of thousands of festival-goers ate and drank over the years.Numerous wonderful people have devoted themselves to the communities and the lifestyle of the Twelve Tribes. Thousands of fantastic individuals and families are truly dedicated to a way of life that in certain respects has a lot to offer. Their positive experiences, however, don't negate the stories of those who have come out with less positive things to say. And it's important to understand why there have been numerous stories with similar themes of harm that have come out of this group over the decades since they formed.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:The Restoration of All Things — a history on the Twelve Tribes' official website, dated 14 January 2021Our Child Training Manual — Twelve Tribes text, 2000Châm: The Proverbial Lesson to the Whole World — Twelve Tribes teaching, 19 March 2005Châm and Servitude — Twelve Tribes teaching, 19 March 1991Homosexuals and Lesbians — Twelve Tribes teaching, 3 July 1990Lying — Twelve Tribes teaching, 29 November 1998Twelve Tribes Teachings — links to teachings not meant for the public, compiled by the Question 12 Tribes blog, 1977-2008Taking Moral Responsibility for Your Children (An Introduction to Effective and Defective Parenting) — Twelve Tribes teaching, 8 July 2004Children of the Tribes — by Julia Scheeres, Pacific Standard Magazine, 1 September 2015“They are evil”: Ex-Twelve Tribes members describe child abuse, control inside religious cult — by Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 3 March 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matson Browning is a law enforcement officer who, along with his wife Tawni, spent years undercover infiltrating various hate groups to research and report on the rise of hate crimes and white supremacy in the United States. Together they wrote the book The Hate Next Door: Undercover Within the New Face of White Supremacy, which was published in July 2023.What others dismissed as fringe groups, Matson quickly recognised as large and interconnected organisations permeating every facet of American society, effectively spreading their dangerous and repugnant rhetoric at unprecedented speeds. Now, with the violent polarisation in our communities and an increase in hate crimes, the threat posed by these toxic organisations feels as acute as ever.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Matt & Tawni Browning — Matson and Tawni's websiteThe Hate Next Door: Undercover Within the New Face of White Supremacy  — by Matson & Tawni Browning, Sourcebooks, 2023If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yaakov Aharon and Shula Kirovsky's lives in Sydney's famous beach suburb of Bondi were lived largely separate from mainstream society, within the Chassidic sect of Chabad. Their families' lifestyles were a world away from the fashionable bikini and boardshorts-wearing demographics usually associated with the area. Though Yaakov disconnected himself from the sect's beliefs while he was still quite young, as a teenager he remained keen to join the Israel Defence Forces. Shula disengaged from her religious upbringing at the age of 19, when she was told it was time for her to get married.Today, both Shula and Yaakov are involved with the Tzedek Collective, an anti-Zionist Jewish group currently attending Sydney's pro-Palestine rallies every Sunday in Hyde Park and calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. For this episode, they share a selection of their experiences, including some of the things that changed their perspectives from the ideology they were brought up to believe in.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:Tzedek Collective — website, Facebook, Twitter/X, InstagramThe Shock Doctrine — by Naomi Klein, Penguin Books, 2007 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Bernstein is an LA-based therapist who has specialized in cult intervention and re-acclimation for over 30 years. She serves on the advisory board of the International Cultic Studies Association and has worked with the Department of Justice providing support to cult survivors. Over the years she has made many media appearances as a cult expert and is also the host of IndoctriNATION, a weekly podcast covering cults, manipulators, and protecting yourself from systems of control, where she has interviewed hundreds of cult survivors, journalists, and experts.In this episode, Rachel speaks about some of her therapeutic approaches to those who are in cults or have exited them and offers some advice to loved ones on how they may be able to reach someone who has become enmeshed in one of these organisations.Episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.Links:IndoctriNATION podcast — Rachel Bernstein's podcastRachel Bernstein Therapy — Rachel's website which includes webinars and video lecturesNow I Know — by Rachel Bernstein, Mascot Books, 2015Unique Ways to Reach Out to Loved Ones in Cultic Groups — by Rachel Bernstein, ICSA Today Vol. 12, No. 1, 2021If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xenos was originally set up as a leaderless group that rejected the structures and trappings of mainstream churches. Springing forth from the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, it focused on meeting in people's homes and embracing members from the youth counter-cultures. So why does the church's own website admit to a history that involves cult-like behaviour? And how did it come to face allegations of manipulation and control that have been made by people who joined and left in completely different decades? Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Links:History of Dwell — Dwell website, accessed September 2023Coming Home: The Jesus People Movement In the Midwest And Their Attempts To Escape Fundamentalism — by Benjamin Williamson, Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2021An Organic Deception: The Xenos / Dwell Heresy Briefly Examined — by Reverend Rafael D Martinez, Director, Spiritwatch Ministries, undated, accessed September 2023Spiritwatch Response — by Dennis McCallum, Dwell website, undated, accessed September 2023Xenos critics say church is controlling — by Danae King, The Columbus Dispatch, 26 November 2018Dwell Community Church, Xenos Christian Fellowship: exploring how well-meaning individuals cause significant abuse through religious dogmatism — by Katie M. Reinaker, March 2022Inside the Megachurch That Has Ex-Members Screaming Cult — by Emily Shugerman, The Daily Beast, 21 May 2022Dwell's Response to The Daily Beast — by James M. Rochford, Dwell website, accessed September 2023‘It's really tragic': Former members speak out against Columbus church — by Jamie Ostroff, NBC4, 21 February 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xenos was originally set up as a leaderless group that rejected the structures and trappings of mainstream churches. Springing forth from the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, it focused on meeting in people's homes and embracing members from the youth counter-cultures. So why does the church's own website admit to a history that involves cult-like behaviour? And how did it come to face allegations of manipulation and control that have been made by people who joined and left in completely different decades? Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Links:History of Dwell — Dwell website, accessed September 2023Coming Home: The Jesus People Movement In the Midwest And Their Attempts To Escape Fundamentalism — by Benjamin Williamson, Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2021An Organic Deception: The Xenos / Dwell Heresy Briefly Examined — by Reverend Rafael D Martinez, Director, Spiritwatch Ministries, undated, accessed September 2023Spiritwatch Response — by Dennis McCallum, Dwell website, undated, accessed September 2023Xenos critics say church is controlling — by Danae King, The Columbus Dispatch, 26 November 2018Dwell Community Church, Xenos Christian Fellowship: exploring how well-meaning individuals cause significant abuse through religious dogmatism — by Katie M. Reinaker, March 2022Inside the Megachurch That Has Ex-Members Screaming Cult — by Emily Shugerman, The Daily Beast, 21 May 2022Dwell's Response to The Daily Beast — by James M. Rochford, Dwell website, accessed September 2023‘It's really tragic': Former members speak out against Columbus church — by Jamie Ostroff, NBC4, 21 February 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In many ways, this theatre troupe and Fourth Way school became the most secretive this podcast has looked into yet. Most members didn't know each other's jobs, marital status, or even surnames. They didn't see each other outside of what they referred to as ‘the work', they didn't know the classes they were going to each week had anything to do with the teachings of Russian philosophers, and they didn't tell anyone outside what it was they were attending two nights each week. Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now, and you can order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here.  With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 6 of Let's Talk About Sects. Head here to enter our competition to win a pair of ATH-SQ1TW Wireless Earbuds!Links:Theater group, cult or stage? — by Jack Brooks, The San Francisco Progress, 22 December 1978Strange School — by Michael Taylor and Bernard Weiner, The San Francisco Chronicle, 23 December 1978‘Theater of All Possibilities' deserves a second look — by Jack Brooks, The San Francisco Progress, 10 January 1979My Life in a Cult — by Spencer L. Schneider, The East Hampton Star Magazine, 16 December 2019Manhattan Cult Story — Spencer Schneider's blog ‘Exposing the Sharon Gans Cult'Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival — by Spencer Schneider, Arcade Publishing, 2022Seeing Into the Heart of Things — Bette Leahy's blog about OSGThe Gentle Souls Revolution — Esther Friedman's blog about ‘The School'The Gentle Souls Revolution — by Esther Friedman, GSR Healing Arts, 2023A Safety Guide For Gentle Souls w/Esther Friedman — IndoctriNation podcast with Rachel Bernstein, 30 August 2022 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Pledger was raised in the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, and after completing his homeschool education, attended Bob Jones University. He is the creator of the limited podcast Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult. His podcast explores the school's history, the psychology of fundamentalism, the criteria for cults, and survivors' experiences.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia (via www.cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via www.icsahome.com).If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at www.iasp.info.Links:Surviving Bob Jones University: A Christian Cult — Andrew Pledger's podcastAndrew's LinktreeReligious Trauma is Trauma — a fine art photo series by Andrew PledgerIndoctriNation podcast — with Rachel Bernstein Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah is a cult survivor, domestic violence survivor, and a survivor of trafficking and modern slavery. She wouldn't have been able to name these things as she was experiencing them, or even for some time in the aftermath. Like many cult survivors, Sarah can draw a line between the coercive behaviours that she experienced in the high-demand organisation she was brought up in, KwaSizabantu, and the coercive behaviours of those who abused and exploited her later in life.Now Sarah uses her experiences to advocate for change. She is a fierce defender of the rights of others and has recently launched Survivor Connections, a resource she built alongside survivors for others who have experienced exploitation to assist them with all the things she wishes she knew earlier on.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:Survivor ConnectionsAustralian Federal Police — link to report human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices (including forced marriage), or phone 131 AFP (131237)Mission of Malice: My Exodus from KwaSizabantu – by Erika Bornman, Penguin Random House South Africa, August 2021If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Merchasin spent many years as an employment lawyer. She has also been a partner in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and director of Morgan Lewis Resources. She has conducted dozens of workplace investigations and taught investigative techniques to human resource professionals at many Fortune 50 companies. She has since joined McAllister Olivarius, where she heads up a practice covering sexual misconduct in religious, faith-based and spiritual communities.Later in her career, Carol Merchasin was asked to take her investigative background and use it to investigate sexual abuse within various Buddhist and yoga communities. The response she received was one of open hostility – certain religious leaders were not interested in investigating or ensuring their members were safe. This led Carol to the realisation that corporate America, a segment of society not necessarily known for its high moral and ethical standards, was doing far better than religious America when it came to stamping out abuse.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:McAllister OlivariusBuddhist center in Eugene sued over rape accusation against master guru — by April Ehrlich, OPB, 19 April 2023Halifax Shambhala leader accused of sexually assaulting cook at Chilean dinner — by Brett Bundale, CBC, 11 July 2018Argentina Arrests Yoga Sex Abusive Teacher, 84 – Will US Follow Suit With Swami, 72? — by Frank Parlato, Frank Report, 15 November 2022If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Kendall spent the ages of 9-19 in The Move of God, Sam Fife's apocalyptic cult. Today, she devotes her time to working on policy changes that will help former cult members and children in high-demand organisations. For International Cult Awareness Month 2023, she updates us about her work with Counter Cult Coalition and the work of others in the counter-cult space.Full episode page here. You can buy Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album Nobody Joins a Cult here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now.If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention.Links:Counter Cult Coalition – Facebook page Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guinevere Turner grew up in The Lyman Family, a group she now understands was a cult, but at the time was the only family she knew. Guinevere has recently released her memoir When the World Didn't End. In it, she recounts her childhood experiences, including the abusive family situation she found herself in when she was pulled out of the cult. She spoke with Sarah about her book, as well as the work she's doing now to help others who have exited cults.Full episode page here. You can buy Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album Nobody Joins a Cult here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:When the World Didn't End — (via Amazon) by Guinevere Turner, Penguin Random House, May 2023When the World Didn't End — (via the publisher) by Guinevere Turner, Penguin Random House, May 2023My Childhood in a Cult — by Guinevere Turner, The New Yorker, 29 April 2019The Lalich CenterIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com and The Lalich Center.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gloriavale Christian Community has been in the news recently in New Zealand for court cases around labour and servitude, and there are further cases happening as well. To understand more about the history of the organisation, you can listen to our 2-part episode about the group. Rosanna Overcomer recently celebrated 10 years out of Gloriavale, at the end of March 2023, and shares some of her story and the work she does now to help support others.Full episode page here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Links:The Gloriavale Leavers' Support TrustThe Olive Leave Network — Lindy Jacomb's new organisationThe Lalich CenterIf you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with, or donate to, Cult Information and Family Support if you're in Australia, and you can find resources outside of Australia at icsahome.com.If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Divine Madness Running Club boasted some spectacular results in ultramarathons and became known for their excellent support teams and low-impact style of running. But the Boulder, Colorado based group was also notorious for their strange ways, whereby members were expected to follow the directions of their teacher in all aspects of their lives. Full research sources listed here. You can pre-order Joe Gould's LTAS soundtrack album here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show!Links:A Leader's Long, Strange Trip — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 28 July 1997The Long, Strange Trip of a Running Guru — by Bruce Schoenfeld, Sports Illustrated, 4 August 2003A Divine Madness? — by Andrew Murr, Newsweek, 17 August 1997Community or Cult? — by Clay Evans, Daily Camera, 5 October 1997My spiritual odyssey: A work in progress — blog by Alexander Cassady, undatedRun Ragged — by Clay Evans, Daily Camera, 7 March 200442 Miles to Enlightenment — by Daniel Glick, Women Outside, Fall 1999Running Like Hell — by Michael Finkel, Women's Sports and Fitness, Nov/Dec 1999ULTRARUNNING; Runner's Death Places Sport Under Scrutiny — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 7 March 2004A Spiritual Community in Reserve Is Also An Ultramarathon Powerhouse — by Leslie Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 21 May 2006 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carolyn Millemon learned about a form of meditation called ‘Ascending' at a weekend workshop in Western Australia when she was 21. A couple of years later, in North Carolina, she decided to dedicate her life to the teachings. A decade later, some of the behaviours of her own teachers weren't sitting so well with her.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show!Links:MSI and the Ishayas — posts by user ‘scribe' archived from now defunct FACTNet forum, late 2004 to early 2005The Ishaya's Ascension — by MSI, Sedona Journal, May 1997First Thunder: An Adventure of Discovery — by MSI, 1996Group Claims TM Movement is a Cult — by Phil McCombs, The Washington Post, 2 July 1987Para — by R. Vaughn Abrams, Seven Suns Publications, 1986, The University of Sydney Rare Books & Special Collections listingThe Society for Ascension — North Carolina Secretary of State listing, accessed March 2023The Bright Path Ishayas + Maharishi Krishnananda — Cult Education Institute forum, includes post by user ‘FlatEarthRound' which shares an email circulated to teachers in 2008, posted 19 July 2020the bright path — Cult Education Institute forum posts from 2009The Bright Path — official websiteThe Lineage — page on The Ishayas' Ascension website, accessed March 2023 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Klein's story is featured on the podcast Inside the Tribe, and Matt sat down with LTAS for a chat about what he learned from his time in the Twelve Tribes, and what he thinks society could be doing about organisations like this.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:Inside the Tribe — podcast by Tim Elliott and Camille Bianchi featuring Matt's story and those of the other people he mentionsI Catch Killers with Gary Jubelin — podcast mentioned by Matt, who will feature on an upcoming episodeCult Information and Family Support (CIFS) — Australian volunteer-run support service Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brisbane Christian Fellowship sounds like a fairly innocuous name for a church. But the BCF and its network of organisations across Australia have been the subject of a Four Corners investigation and a detailed book, speaking with former members who have numerous stories of families being torn apart as a result of their involvement. Author Morag Zwartz wrote that this ‘church' “is every bit as pernicious and harmful as the Exclusive Brethren.” Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show!Links:Apostles of Fear: A Church Cult Exposed — by Morag Zwartz, Parenesis Publishing, 2008Who Are the Brisbane Christian Fellowship? — by David Holden, Aletheia Publishing, September 2008 (3rd Ed.)Open Letter to Melbourne Christian Fellowship (MCF) — blog by Paul ‘Kovaks', accessed January 2023Issues Arising from Four Corners Investigation into Latter Rain Movement — Immanuel Website Article by Brian Rensford, undatedThe God of Broken Hearts — Four Corners, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 23 June 2008Streetcar Forum — Support forum for those affected by “the teachings and behaviours of RFI leaders”, accessed January & February 2023Melbourne Christian Fellowship – Why I Left It. — by Roger Williams, 27 June 2008The Brisbane Christian Fellowship – A Government Sponsored Cult — by Chrys Stevenson, Gladly the Cross-Eyed Bear blog, 30 April 2010Fired pastor sues church — by Toni Mcrae, The Courier Mail, 27 March 2010 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MOVE Philadelphia made headlines in 1978, when police and MOVE members ended up in a prolonged siege and a gunfire exchange that left a police officer dead. They hit the headlines again in 1985, when a confrontation with the authorities became even more deadly after an explosive device was dropped on their property. The events led many to understand the organisation as a Black liberation group who were the victims of a racist system. The latter is hardly debatable, but credible stories from a multitude of former members portray MOVE as never truly being about Black liberation at all. Instead, they characterise it as a cult. Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Links:What the survivors of MOVE deserve — by Kevin Price, Leaving MOVE blog, 22 October 2021Help Maria Start Over After MOVE — GoFundMe fundraiser for Maria Hardy, formerly Maria Africa, to help with general life expensesHelp June (Pixie) and kids resettle in hiding — GoFundMe fundraiser for June Stokes, formerly Pixie Africa, and her children to help with general life expensesThe Invention of John Africa — by Kevin Price, Leaving MOVE blog, 15 September 2021Move: An American Religion — by Richard Kent Evans, Oxford University Press, 2020Who was John Africa? — by Craig R. McCoy, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 12 January 1986 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a group in regional Queensland that claims to have no name. Members meet in each other's homes on Wednesdays and Sundays. They don't have any of their beliefs written down, though they do sing hymns from a particular hymn book. A lot of what they follow sounds incredibly similar to a group that also claimed to have no name but was often referred to as the Two by Twos or The Truth. This one doesn't have pairs of ‘workers' who travel around and stay with community members, however. That job was left up to its founder, a man named Robert Barlow. If you're a member or former member of Bob Barlow's 'church' who would like to get in touch with Candice Curran, you can email survivingthetruth@outlook.com.au. Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:Two by Twos / The Truth — sources for previous LTAS episode about the Two by Twos / The Truth available here, October 2020Family history research service — Queensland Government, searched November 2022David's Rape of Bathsheba and Murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12) — The Theology of Work Project (TOW), accessed November 2022If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, contact Cult Information and Family Support in Australia, or the International Cultic Studies Association outside of Australia. If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Credits:Written and hosted by Sarah SteelMusic by Joe GouldEdited by Matt Brazel Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniella Mestyanek Young was born into the Children of God, as was her mother before her. She left as a teenager and put herself through school and university, then decided to join the military. Her fantastic book Uncultured explores many of the parallels between the cult and the armed forces. The New York Times called it, “A painful and propulsive memoir delivered in the honest tones of a woman who didn't always think she'd live to tell her story."You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show!Links:Uncultured — by Daniella Mestyanek Young, Macmillan, 2022Daniella Mestyanek Young — official websiteDaniella's Twitter, Instagram and LinkedInLost In Translation — Daniella's TEDx Tacoma talk, 20 December 2018 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people around the world would have come across the food produced by the Twelve Tribes through their Common Ground market stalls and bakeries or their Yellow Deli cafes. A post from 2011 on the popular Weekend Notes website says, “The Common Ground Café has had its share of media-related controversy as it is run by a religious community, whose mysteriously stand-offish ways freak some people out. Do not be deterred by that, as no one will try to convert you and the food is truly delicious. If you are curious, just ask them.”It might be worth listening to award-winning journalist Tim Elliott's new podcast, Inside the Tribe, before you follow this advice.Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:Inside the Tribe — podcast by Camille Bianchi and Tim Elliott, out Monday 28 November 2022Have a tip or information about Twelve Tribes? You can email ITT at insidethetribepod@gmail.comThe great escape — by Tim Elliott, The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 April 2007Sect woos recruits among the fairy floss at Easter Show — by Tim Elliott, The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 March 2008Secrets of the family — by Tim Elliott, The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 December 2013Common Ground Café — review by Nekoburro, Weekend Notes, 21 February 2011Farewell to the Father — by Tim Elliott, Picador Australia, 2016 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Logos Foundation was often described as ‘mysterious' in media coverage, but became a part of the religious right that published full page newspaper advertisements encouraging the electorate to vote on ‘moral' issues at Queensland state elections in the late 1980s. Its embrace of the Shepherding Movement led many to consider it incredibly cult-like, and certain facets of the religious right today can trace a direct lineage to its teachings. Founder Howard Carter's hard-line approach to sinful behaviour would prove to be hypocrisy-ridden for almost the entire time his organisation existed.Guest: Esther (not her real name) Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:The Logos Foundation: The Rise and Fall of Christian Reconstructionism in Australia — by John Harrison, University of Queensland, 2006Sex Scandal Divides The Bible Belt — by Greg Roberts, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 1990The Promised Land — by Melanie Myers, Kill Your Darlings, 12 November 2018The Story — by David P. B. Orton, Lifemessenger, date unknownGod in the Suburbs and Beyond: The Emergence of an Australian Megachurch and Denomination — by PhD thesis by Sam Hey, Griffith University, 2011The Shepherding Movement: Controversy and Charismatic Ecclesiology — by S. David Moore, Bloomsbury Academic, 2003 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anke Richter is an international journalist and author based in NZ. Over time she's found herself covering more and more cults, to the point where she recently published her first book about the subject: ‘Cult Trip'. Anke is also a member and co-founder of FACT Aotearoa (Fight Against Conspiracy Theories). Full research sources listed here. You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. Thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 at Audio-Technica's Australian store for 10% off and to support the show! Links:Cult Trip: Inside the World of Coercion and Control — by Anke Richter, HarperCollins, 2022FACT Aotearoa — Fighting Against Conspiracy Theories (New Zealand) official websiteankerichter.net — Anke Richter's official websiteRabbit Hole Resistance — Facebook groupBert's Labyrinth — by Anke Richter, North & South, September 2015Fire and Fury — documentary by Paula Penfold & Louisa Cleave, Stuff Circuit, August 2022Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism — by Amanda Montell, HarperCollins, 2021Departures — by Anke Richter, New Zealand Geographic, Issue 155, Jan-Feb 2019 Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathleen Oh is a rare breed: a wellness coach who is cynical about wellness and the coaching industry. She works with clients across integration and psychedelics education. Kathleen is trained in Internal Family Systems (also known as IFS Informed or IFSCA), which is a trauma-informed approach, and comes from a background of trauma herself. Kathleen was once an anti-vaxxer, and her community embraced all kinds of magical thinking and conspiracy theories. Over time, she realised that her own coaching may have involved undue influence, and through the words of a dear friend she recognised that a lot of her perspectives were rooted in white privilege.You can support us on Patreon or Acast+, with a one-off donation, or grab some merch. Sarah Steel's debut book Do As I Say is available on audiobook now. With thanks to Audio-Technica, presenting partner for season 5 of Let's Talk About Sects. Use promo code LTAS10 for 10% off their Australian store, and to support the show. Links:Coach Kathleen Oh — Kathleen's websiteOh My Heart — Kathleen's Substack (we spoke about her Psychedelics, Cults and Predators article in particular, from 13 July 2022)The Real Coach Oh — Kathleen's InstagramPsychedelics, Politics and Predators with Kathleen Oh — Free Your Inner Guru podcast episode, 28 March 2022Cover Story: Power Trip — New York Magazine podcast series from Lily Kay Ross and David Nickles about the psychedelic underground, November 2021Dr Janja Lalich's websiteTake Back Your Life Recovery — Dr Janja Lalich's courses that Kathleen mentionedGerette Buglion's website#igotout — Gerette Buglion and Lisa (anonymous activist)'s movement for cult survivorsLaura Tucker's website — host of the Free Your Inner Guru podcast Subscribe and support the production of this independent podcast, and you can access early + ad-free episodes at https://plus.acast.com/s/lets-talk-about-sects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.