About the Book:
Have you ever wondered if your own faith community might be more cult-like than Christ-like?
Jim Valekis has. He spent 40 years in religious communities, where he served alongside dedicated believers who faithfully pursued God-and yet also witnessed leadership and teachings that hindered rather than helped the spread of God's Word. His shocking discovery: when culture becomes the lens through which you view Christ, cult-like thinking can take root and infiltrate even the most earnest Christian community.
This powerful and raw memoir reveals how Valekis navigated four different "cult"ures: the Greek Orthodox tradition, Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, American Evangelicalism, and-the worst-his own personal struggle with his preferred world view.
More than a narrative of one man's experience, The Christian in the Cult offers tools for spiritual discernment while providing hope for those wounded by religious authority. The author's honest spiritual journey culminates in a profound understanding of God's faithfulness, which transforms how believers engage with their faith communities and share the Gospel.
With equal parts caution and urgent call to action, Valekis will help you recognize when religious culture obscures Christ's message, develop discernment to navigate faith communities wisely, and discover the freedom we can only find when we are truly living in Christ.
My Review:
This is an informative and thought provoking spiritual memoir. Valekis gives a good account of what it was like growing up Greek Orthodox then being part of Herbert W. Armstrong's church. He informs readers of his experiences and the beliefs he encountered. I remember reading about Herbert Armstrong, his church and then the transition made to what might be called a more evangelical belief system. Valekis takes us through that transition as well. He then explores Evangelical Christianity and the beliefs generally found there. He found cult like attitudes and developed his spirituality further. He writes he is still discovering who he is in Christ. One concept Valekis now believes is, “All of humanity has been included in what Christ has done.” (146)
While I am not so sure about Valekis' final conclusions about what it means to be in Christ, I do appreciate the information he has included in this book about the cults he has been in and his exploring the whole concept of what a cult is. It is certainly food for thought.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)
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