The Penguin Book of Cults, 9780143138693
Paperback
Two millennia of chilling cult history, secrets, and spectacular violence.

The Penguin Book of Cults

$43.36

  • Paperback

    320 pages

  • Release Date

    31 December 2098

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Summary

A chilling documentary history of the most notorious cults of the past two thousand years, from the Celtic druids whose ritual sacrifices inspired the folk horror film The Wicker Man all the way up to the Peoples Temple and Heaven’s Gate.

The word “cult” conjures images of people in thrall to a charismatic leader who extracts obedience through lies and threats, and of apocalyptic prophecies, ritual sacrifices, sexual perversion, and mass suicide. The Penguin Book of Cults…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9780143138693
ISBN-10:0143138693
Author:Joseph P. Laycock
Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd
Imprint:Penguin Classics
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:320
Release Date:31 December 2098
Weight:500g
Dimensions:198mm x 129mm x 35mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

“Penguin’s exquisitely curated series of anthologies takes a turn for the sinister with this collection gathering the best of 2,000 years’ worth of writing about cults… . You’re not likely to find a more comprehensive study of cults anywhere.” —The Seattle Times

About The Author

Joseph P. Laycock

Joseph P. Laycock (editor) is an associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University; coeditor of Nova Religio, the premier journal for the study of new religious movements; the author of several books about new religious movements, possession and exorcism, and moral panic; and the editor of The Penguin Book of Exorcisms. He has written for Quartz and The New Republic and been featured on the television documentary series Mysteries Decoded and The History Channel’s Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid and The UnXplained with William Shatner.

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