Hassan’s “authority” does not come from academia but from his past as a “cult” member and a deprogrammer.
Featured Global
Aurobindo, India, and Artificial Intelligence
France and India vow to cooperate in AI. The thought of the visionary spiritual leader may offer guidance in the forthcoming “AI-yuga.”
The Truth, Please, About Steven Hassan. 2. “Cults,” “Cults” Everywhere!
From members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to supporters of Donald Trump, all groups Hassan dislikes are identified as “cults.”
The Truth, Please, About Steven Hassan. 1. The “BITE Model” as Pseudoscience
The American anti-cultist’s ideology is just the old, discredited “brainwashing” ideology under a new name.
Walking Toward the Hereafter: Rediscovering Maurice Chabas, Painter of the Invisible
Why I fell in love with a little-known artist (and member of the Theosophical Society) who was once at the crossroads of Paris’ esoteric life.
The Coming of the Digital Gods: Can You Really Get Your Religion from the Web?
A new book edited by Michele Olzi explores the Internet’s invented religions and asks whether they are here to stay.
The Prophet in the Cave: Rediscovering David Lazzaretti’s Forgotten Followers in the Sabina
The most significant Italian new religious movement of the 19th century did not exist only in Tuscany. A book reconstructs his history in the Sabina region.
A New Book on Gerald Gardner: The Wizard of Odd Who Invented Wicca (Sort Of)
John Callow does not ignore Gardner’s shortcomings but restores his complexity, generosity, and crucial role in the creation of a new global religion.
Wifredo Lam: Raising Orishas at MoMA
In the New York exhibition, the Cuban artist returns in full spiritual force, his canvases pulsing with Santería, Vodun, and the whispered knowledge of Lydia Cabrera.
“Secrets in Contact”: When Secrets Become Bridges
A welcome antidote to modern “secretophobia,” even if its final chapter stumbles into the very polemics the rest of the book transcends.