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Another Gospel (book)
Encyclopedia
Another Gospel: Cults, Alternative Religions, and the New Age Movement is a non-fiction
book discussing cult
s, new religious movement
s, and the New Age
movement, written by Ruth A. Tucker. The book was published in 1989 by Zondervan
, a Christian publishing house. Another edition was released by the same publisher in 2004.
with a PhD
from Northern Illinois University
. Tucker has taught alternative religions at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Her book Daughters of the Church was published in 1987. In 2000, Tucker was a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary
. Tucker authored the book Walking Away from Faith in 2002.
in the New Testament
, in which he refers to heretical teachings of his day as "another gospel", one that cannot save.
, Seventh-day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses
, Christian Science
, New Thought
and Unity
, the Worldwide Church of God
, the Way International, the Children of God, the Unification Church
, Hare Krishnas, Bahá'ís, and Scientology
. Other groups, including Rosicrucianism and Swedenborgianism, are described in appendices. Tucker discusses some of the controversies as related to these groups, while adding that frequently new religions maintain an "ability to reach out and meet the needs of people who are suffering and dejected."
Tucker writes about the New Age movement, "The most popular and widely publicized new religion in recent years has been the New Age movement, a difficult-to-define variety of mystical, spiritualistic, and occultic groups that above all else are not new. From channeling crystals to harmonic convergence, celebrities and ordinary citizens have been captivated by this increasingly popular religious trend." Tucker asks: "Is New Age merely an age-old form of the occult that will taper off in popularity as the fad loses its luster, or is it truly a movement that has only barely begun to make its all-encompassing mark on the world?" and warns that "every individual concerned about maintaining traditional Christian values should be apprehensive about the potential negative effect the New Age may have on the coming generations."
In discussion of the Unification Church, Tucker writes that the organization has used controversial recruitment tactics which subsequently resulted in college students dropping out of universities in order to join it. "The recruitment strategy of the Unification Church was widely criticized for utilizing tactics that sometimes were compared to brainwashing techniques," writes Tucker. Another Gospel describes how Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon
stated that he was told by Jesus Christ to complete a task in which Jesus had not succeeded, and carry out the desires of God on the earth.
Tucker discusses a perceived disparity between approaches to religious movements abroad compared to within a person's own cultural milieu. "In cross-cultural evangelism overseas, missionaries are admonished not to ridicule other religious beliefs or practices. ... Yes, these "cross-cultural" courtesies are often blatantly ignored when they pertain to situations within our own culture. We often ridicule or mock the unorthodox religious beliefs of people in our own communities, because cultists do not deserve respect," writes Tucker.
Another Gospel delves into the difficulty in defining cults. Tucker says that a cult is "a religious group that has a 'prophet'-founder called of God to give a special message not found in the Bible itself". She comments on the defining characteristics utilized by sociologists, who "have tended to define cults more in terms of lifestyle, proselytizing practices, and authoritarian leadership, rather than in terms of belief or by any standard of orthodoxy". According to Tucker cults often have a "prophet-founder" who serves as a "legalistic, authoritarian leader". In her given definition of a cult, Tucker writes, "In deference to this charismatic leader ... the style of leadership is authoritarian and there is frequently an exlusivistic outlook supported by a legalistic lifestyle and persecution mentality. ... It is the attribute of a prophet-founder that very distinctly separates cults from denominations."
According to the description of the book from the publisher, Tucker "explains how ... alternative religious movements appear to meet people's needs." Tucker concludes that "the increase in cult membership is a direct result of a failure on the part of the church."
Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
, reviewins Another Gospel for the Christian Research Journal, commented: "Although Tucker is at her best in recounting the histories of the religions she surveys, at places she is not critical enough of the historical accounts that have been published by the cults themselves." Bowman's review concluded, "... Ruth Tucker's Another Gospel is, in several respects, the best general textbook on the cults. It is more up-to-date, more readable, and more respectful of the cults than any other such textbook. But, because it is lacking in biblical critiques of the cults (which is understandable, given the author's areas of expertise), it cannot replace those books which do provide such critiques, however much fresh treatments are needed."
A review of the book for the Journal of Christian Nursing, said that the book provides information about "what people in various cults and religious groups believe", and called the book "outstanding", and recommended it for personal libraries and church libraries. The reviewer commented: "Although designed as a reference book, it is hard to put down. I started dipping into sections that interested me, then sat down and read the whole book. In the process, I felt as if I'd taken a semester course in alternative religions."
Author M. James Penton
wrote positively of the book, in his book Apocalypse Delayed published by University of Toronto Press
. He wrote that Tucker's chapter on Jehovah's Witnesses
"is far more superior to most older books and articles produced by Catholic and Protestant critics of the Watch Tower movement."
In a discussion of the prevalence of belief in reincarnation
among adherents of various belief systems, Theology for the Community of God author Stanley J. Grenz
recommended Tucker's book "for references to the presence of this doctrine in the New Age movement".
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book discussing cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
s, new religious movement
New religious movement
A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
s, and the New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
movement, written by Ruth A. Tucker. The book was published in 1989 by Zondervan
Zondervan
Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association .- History :...
, a Christian publishing house. Another edition was released by the same publisher in 2004.
Author
Ruth A. Tucker is a former professor of missiologyMissiology
Missiology is the area of practical theology that investigates the mandate, message, and mission of the Christian church, especially the nature of missionary work...
with a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
. Tucker has taught alternative religions at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Her book Daughters of the Church was published in 1987. In 2000, Tucker was a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and closely tied to Calvin College, though each institution has its own board. Rev...
. Tucker authored the book Walking Away from Faith in 2002.
Title
The title "Another Gospel" is taken from Paul's Epistle to the GalatiansEpistle to the Galatians
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, often shortened to Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, in which he refers to heretical teachings of his day as "another gospel", one that cannot save.
Contents
Another Gospel discusses a wide range of groups, including MormonismMormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, Seventh-day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
, New Thought
New Thought
New Thought promotes the ideas that "Infinite Intelligence" or "God" is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.Although New Thought is neither...
and Unity
Unity Church
Unity, known informally as Unity Church, is a religious movement within the wider New Thought movement and is best known to many through its Daily Word devotional publication...
, the Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
, the Way International, the Children of God, the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
, Hare Krishnas, Bahá'ís, and Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
. Other groups, including Rosicrucianism and Swedenborgianism, are described in appendices. Tucker discusses some of the controversies as related to these groups, while adding that frequently new religions maintain an "ability to reach out and meet the needs of people who are suffering and dejected."
Tucker writes about the New Age movement, "The most popular and widely publicized new religion in recent years has been the New Age movement, a difficult-to-define variety of mystical, spiritualistic, and occultic groups that above all else are not new. From channeling crystals to harmonic convergence, celebrities and ordinary citizens have been captivated by this increasingly popular religious trend." Tucker asks: "Is New Age merely an age-old form of the occult that will taper off in popularity as the fad loses its luster, or is it truly a movement that has only barely begun to make its all-encompassing mark on the world?" and warns that "every individual concerned about maintaining traditional Christian values should be apprehensive about the potential negative effect the New Age may have on the coming generations."
In discussion of the Unification Church, Tucker writes that the organization has used controversial recruitment tactics which subsequently resulted in college students dropping out of universities in order to join it. "The recruitment strategy of the Unification Church was widely criticized for utilizing tactics that sometimes were compared to brainwashing techniques," writes Tucker. Another Gospel describes how Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
stated that he was told by Jesus Christ to complete a task in which Jesus had not succeeded, and carry out the desires of God on the earth.
Tucker discusses a perceived disparity between approaches to religious movements abroad compared to within a person's own cultural milieu. "In cross-cultural evangelism overseas, missionaries are admonished not to ridicule other religious beliefs or practices. ... Yes, these "cross-cultural" courtesies are often blatantly ignored when they pertain to situations within our own culture. We often ridicule or mock the unorthodox religious beliefs of people in our own communities, because cultists do not deserve respect," writes Tucker.
Another Gospel delves into the difficulty in defining cults. Tucker says that a cult is "a religious group that has a 'prophet'-founder called of God to give a special message not found in the Bible itself". She comments on the defining characteristics utilized by sociologists, who "have tended to define cults more in terms of lifestyle, proselytizing practices, and authoritarian leadership, rather than in terms of belief or by any standard of orthodoxy". According to Tucker cults often have a "prophet-founder" who serves as a "legalistic, authoritarian leader". In her given definition of a cult, Tucker writes, "In deference to this charismatic leader ... the style of leadership is authoritarian and there is frequently an exlusivistic outlook supported by a legalistic lifestyle and persecution mentality. ... It is the attribute of a prophet-founder that very distinctly separates cults from denominations."
According to the description of the book from the publisher, Tucker "explains how ... alternative religious movements appear to meet people's needs." Tucker concludes that "the increase in cult membership is a direct result of a failure on the part of the church."
Reception
Charles H. Lippy, writing in Modern American Popular Religion: A Critical Assessment and Annotated Bibliography, stated that Another Gospel is written "from a decidedly conservative Christian perspective", and although Tucker "does not ridicule the groups she seeks to expose ... it is clear that [she] does not see the groups she studies as legitimate religious alternatives."Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
Robert M. Bowman Jr. , Director of Research at the Institute for Religious Research, is an American Evangelical Christian theologian specializing in the study of apologetics.-Biography:...
, reviewins Another Gospel for the Christian Research Journal, commented: "Although Tucker is at her best in recounting the histories of the religions she surveys, at places she is not critical enough of the historical accounts that have been published by the cults themselves." Bowman's review concluded, "... Ruth Tucker's Another Gospel is, in several respects, the best general textbook on the cults. It is more up-to-date, more readable, and more respectful of the cults than any other such textbook. But, because it is lacking in biblical critiques of the cults (which is understandable, given the author's areas of expertise), it cannot replace those books which do provide such critiques, however much fresh treatments are needed."
A review of the book for the Journal of Christian Nursing, said that the book provides information about "what people in various cults and religious groups believe", and called the book "outstanding", and recommended it for personal libraries and church libraries. The reviewer commented: "Although designed as a reference book, it is hard to put down. I started dipping into sections that interested me, then sat down and read the whole book. In the process, I felt as if I'd taken a semester course in alternative religions."
Author M. James Penton
James Penton
James Penton is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.Born in April 1932, Penton was raised as a fourth-generation Jehovah's Witness. He gradually came to disagree with the teachings of the religion during the 1970s and was eventually...
wrote positively of the book, in his book Apocalypse Delayed published by University of Toronto Press
University of Toronto Press
University of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
. He wrote that Tucker's chapter on Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
"is far more superior to most older books and articles produced by Catholic and Protestant critics of the Watch Tower movement."
In a discussion of the prevalence of belief in reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
among adherents of various belief systems, Theology for the Community of God author Stanley J. Grenz
Stanley Grenz
Stanley James Grenz was an American Christian theologian and ethicist in the Baptist tradition.-Early years:...
recommended Tucker's book "for references to the presence of this doctrine in the New Age movement".
Awards and recognition
| Year | Organization | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Evangelical Christian Publishers Association The is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide... |
Christian Book Award | Finalist |
See also
- Christian countercult movementChristian countercult movementThe Christian countercult movement is a social movement of Christian ministries and individual Christian countercult activists who oppose religious sects thought to either partially abide or do not at all abide by the teachings that are written within the Bible. These religious sects are also known...
- Sola scripturaSola scripturaSola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
— belief in the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as the only infallible source of Christian teaching
External links
- Official site, publisher, ZondervanZondervanZondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association .- History :...
- Profile of author, Ruth A. Tucker, InterVarsity Press.