Kingdom of the Cults Handbook , livre ebook

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276 pages

English

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False religions abound in the US and beyond, and Christians need information they can trust. Since the 1960s, The Kingdom of the Cults has been a trustworthy, well-researched resource on this topic for pastors, lay leaders, and other Christians. The Kingdom of the Cults Handbook takes that same, reliable information and pares it down into a more concise and simplified format. It's perfect for everyone from Christian teachers and ministry leaders to those who just want to better understand the religion of their neighbors. Covering everything from established religions like Islam and Buddhism to shifting trends in Mormonism, Scientology, and Wicca, this book will answer your questions and help you understand and communicate the key differences between true Christianity and other belief systems.

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	07 janvier 2020
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781493421817
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	3 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0576€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Cover
Half Title Page
Other Books by Walter Martin
The Kingdom of the Cults
The Kingdom of the Cults Study Guide
The Kingdom of the Occult
Through the Windows of Heaven: 100 Powerful Stories and Teachings from Walter Martin, the Original Bible Answer Man
The Christian and the Cults
Christian Science
Essential Christianity
Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God
Jehovah of the Watchtower
Jehovah’s Witnesses
The Maze of Mormonism
Mormonism
New Age Cults
The New Cults
The Riddle of Reincarnation
The Rise of the Cults
Screwtape Writes Again
Walter Martin Speaks Out on the Cults
Walter Martin’s Cults Reference Bible
Title Page
Copyright Page
Copyright © 2019 by The Estate of Walter Martin
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2181-7
This volume is an abridgment with Jill Martin Rische of The Kingdom of the Cults sixth edition.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations identified B S B are from the Berean Study Bible, (BSB) © 2016, 2018, 2019 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible.
Scripture quotations identified E S V are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016
Scripture quotations identified N A S B are from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations identified N I V are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Scripture quotations identified N K J V are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified R S V are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Cover design by LOOK Design Studio
Contents
Back Cover 1
Half Title Page 2
Other Books by Walter Martin 3
Title Page 4
Copyright Page 5
Preface 8
Acknowledgments 10
1. The Kingdom of the Cults 11
2. Scaling the Language Barrier 23
3. The Psychological Structure of Cultism 35
4. Jehovah’s Witnesses 51
5. Christian Science 89
6. Mormonism 121
7. Spiritism—The Cult of Antiquity 159
8. The Theosophical Society 171
9. Buddhism—Classical and Zen 189
10. The Bahá’í Faith 207
11. The Unity School of Christianity 219
12. Armstrongism, the Worldwide Church of God, and Grace Communion International 237
13. The Unification Church 257
14. Scientology 271
15. Eastern Religions 293
16. Islam—The Message of Muhammad 305
17. The Jesus of the Cults 321
18. Cult Evangelism—Mission Field on Your Doorstep 335
Appendix A: The Satanic Temple (TST) 355
Appendix B: New Age Spirituality—The Age of Aquarius 375
Answers to Chapter Questions 409
Index 431
About the Authors 445
Back Cover 446
Preface
S ince the very first publication of The Kingdom of the Cults in 1965, many readers have requested a handbook-style mini-version of the original volume, suitable for times of sharing their faith, for a Bible study, or as a supplement for students and instructors. June 26, 2019, marks the thirtieth anniversary of my father’s new life with the Lord, and it seems like the perfect time to introduce something special.
The new abridged edition of Walter Martin’s classic work conveys his unique theological insights and key historical facts in a clear, concise way. It is meant to engage both loyal supporters and a new audience searching for accuracy in a quick-answer format. Each chapter includes central beliefs, provides specific biblical answers to doctrine, and concludes with an Explore element and a Discuss section that summarizes the reading material in a question-and-answer format. In addition to this, a Dig Deeper Study Guide is available at waltermartin.com.
In the case of the appendices, two new topics have been introduced that rely on Walter Martin’s theological exposition of Satanism and the Pantheistic New Age. Historical elements were added in order to present a strong defense against the emergence of two particularly strong aggressors against the Church of Jesus Christ.
I would like to include a special thanks to all those involved in bringing this volume from idea to realization; to those who continue to “put up a good fight for the faith,” as my father would always say; and to everyone worldwide who read and taught The Kingdom of the Cults in an effort to educate others to take a stand. Your love and support mean a great deal to me and to my family.
Fifty-four years after its first publication, The Kingdom of the Cults still meets the urgent need of the Church to obey the Scriptural injunction to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Walter Martin once wrote that we have no time to sit on the sidelines as evil invades the Church and pervades the world. “We have had enough of ‘just be positive and preach the Gospel’ or ‘Don’t offend people by defending your Christian faith or criticizing false teachings; God will protect the church.’ Throughout history, every time the Church has failed to defend the faith, false doctrines and heretical teachings have plagued us. Only the church militant can become the church triumphant. The challenge is here; the time is now!”
Jill Martin Rische April 12, 2019
Acknowledgments
S pecial thanks are due Dr. Martin’s widow, Darlene Martin, for her faithfulness in preserving her husband’s classic text on American cults and to researcher-author Kurt Van Gorden for his invaluable expertise.
1 The Kingdom of the Cults

Quick Facts on the Kingdom of the Cults The term cult is not derogatory but descriptive of religious groups that differ in belief or practice from culturally accepted norms. Theologically, a cult is a group of people gathered around someone’s interpretation of the Bible. All doctrine must be weighed against Divine revelation, the Word of God. Cults are a challenge to the Church to affirm the great principles and foundations of the Gospel of Christ, and to make them meaningful to the present generation.
Historical Perspective
It has been said of the United States that it is “the great melting pot” for the people of the world. And the contents of that pot would not be complete unless it also included the religions of those masses that now make up the populace of America. This writer has spent over forty years of his life in research and fieldwork among the religions of America, and this volume, limited as it is by the vastness and complexity of the problem itself, constitutes his evaluation of that vibrant brand of religion that has come to be recognized by many as the “Kingdom of the Cults.” 1
Dr. Charles C. Braden states:
By the term cult I mean nothing derogatory to any group so classified. A cult, as I define it, is any religious group which differs significantly in one or more respects as to belief or practice from those religious groups which are regarded as the normative expressions of religion in our total culture. 2
From a theological viewpoint, the cults contain many major deviations from historical Christianity. Yet, paradoxically, they continue to insist that they are entitled to be classified as Christians.
Examples Jehovah’s Witnesses are, for the most part, followers of the interpretations of Charles T. Russell and J. F. Rutherford. The Christian Scientist of today is a disciple of Mary Baker Eddy and her interpretations of Scripture. The Mormons adhere to those interpretations found in the writings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. The Unity School of Christianity follows the theology of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.
While I am in agreement that cults represent the earnest attempt of millions of people to find the fulfillment of deep and legitimate needs of the human spirit that most have not found in established churches, I feel there is still much more to be said. 3 It has been wisely observed by someone that “a man who will not stand for something is quite likely to fall for almost anything.” So I have elected to stand on the ramparts of biblical Christianity as taught by the apostles, defended by the church fathers, rediscovered by the reformers, and embodied in what is sometimes called Reformed Theology.
It is the purpose of this book then, to evaluate the so-called cults and -isms that today are found in abundance in America and, in quite a number of cases, on the great mission fields of the world. My approach to the subject is threefold: (1) historical analysis of the salient facts connected with the rise of the cult systems; (2) theological evaluation of the major teachings of those systems; and (3) apologetic contrast from the viewpoint of biblical theology, with an emphasis upon exegesis and doctrine.
It is not my desire in any