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 The
Boston Movement: Critical
Perspectives on the
International Churches of
Christ, 2nd revised edition.
Carol Giambalvo, & Herbert
Rosedale. American Family
Foundation, Bonita Springs,
FL, 1997, 230 pages.
As a family therapist who is
often invited into a family
at the point where the child
is cut off from family
connection and as a mother
of a daughter who was
involved in a cult during
and after college, The
Boston Movement, edited by
Carol Giambalvo and Herbert
Rosedale is an invaluable
resource for therapists and
families. Divided into four
parts, in Part I, the reader
is introduced into the
development and evolution of
a group from benign and
well-intentioned beginnings
to deception using “the
enthusiasm of people
desiring noble ends to
justify unethical means of
achieving ends that aren’t
so noble” (p.vi).
Part II, in which Former
Members Tell Their Stories,
rings with the sincerity of
truth and much familiarity.
Chapter 3 of this section
begins with A Mental Health
Approach by Lorna and
William Goldberg, clinical
social workers who have been
“working with families of
current and former members
of cults and destructive
groups since the 1970’s.” In
two sentences, they capture
the critical issue: “Our
concern about these groups
is aroused not because of
the beliefs or doctrines. We
focus on the unfair and
manipulative recruitment
techniques that induce fear
and guilt and narrow the
options of those recruited.
Once recruits become
involved with the group,
they develop a fear of
leaving..they equate leaving
with being condemned to
Hell” (p. 41). They
summarize key issues such as
the vulnerability of young
people in this life stage
and how joining a Bible
study group on campus
appears to be a “safe and
enriching way to make
friends…becoming more
involved because they had
difficulty saying no
(asserting themselves) to a
religious group..they did
not recognize the extent to
which they were being
manipulated” (p. 42).
This chapter is followed by
four stories as told to the
Goldbergs by former members.
The stories demonstrate the
process of outreach,
induction, involvement,
quest, questions, loss of
personal freedom and group
pressure into behaviors and
mind sets that become
increasingly destructive.
Each story is all the more
poignant because the voice
is first person and
disarmingly candid.
This theme continues in
Section III with four more
first person stories. Mary,
speaking in Chapter 8,
states, “It was often
preached that part of being
our best for God was to
imitate those who were more
spiritual..to speak with
authority..ultimately, this
translated into my judging
others as if I were Jesus
myself, viewing everyone
outside the Church as not
saved, deceiving and
manipulating unsuspecting
people, being totally
submissive and obedient to
leaders, and disassociating
myself from my family
and...from my husband" (p.
84). After leaving, she
writes: "Picture the most
important person in your
life, and know that this
group has the power to
destroy even such a
relationship" (p. 95).
The last section of the book
is superb. Carol Giambalvo,
a thought reform consultant
and exit counselor, takes
the reader through an
exiting process with a
client named David. This,
alone, is worth the price of
the book. She deals with the
daunting task of identifying
and naming Robert J.
Lifton’s eight psychological
themes identified as
ideological totalism. By
systematically choosing
examples from the previous
cases, she leads the reader
through an integrative
process. Step by step, she
identifies, explicates, and
explains concepts and
ramifications. This chapter
makes clear the critical and
complex fact that for an
exit to be successful, the
individual has to have the
benefit of an exiting
process that can deal with
and undo the myriad dynamics
that lead to personality
change and its
ramifications.
The second, revised edition
of this book includes two
chapters on important
research studies. Dr. Flavil
Yeakley reports on his work
in which he used the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) to demonstrate a
marked, perceived
convergence among members
toward the leader’s
personality type. AFF’s Dr.
Michael Langone describes a
study in which the
perceptions of group
psychological abuse of
former ICC members were
compared to mainstream
groups.
In a field where truth
telling and articulating
reality is a difficult
process, the presentation of
these stories from the
perspectives of mental
health practitioners, former
cult members, and family
members is a triumph!
Faye L. Snider, MSW, BCD
Newton, MA
Cultic Studies Journal, Vol.
15, No. 1, 1998
Book
Review |
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Adams, Donna L.: "Brief Report: Perceived Psychological Abuse and the Cincinnati Church of Christ"
Anderson, David- profile
Awesome Families: The Promise of Healing Relationships in the International Churches of Christ - book review by Janja Lalich, Ph.D.
Boston Movement - book review
CultsOnCampus
Dance-Away Zone
Discipleship Publications International
Discipling Dilemma
Ex Church of Christ - link
ex-cult Resource Center
Giambalvo, Carol: "Boston Movement: Critical Perspectives on the ICC"
Huber, John Thomas II: "I Found Freedom"
Kelly, Kathy: "The Making of a Disciple in the International Churches of Christ" - abstract
Langone, Michael, Ph.D.: "An Investigation of a Reputedly Psychologically Abusive Group That Targets College Students
Langone, Michael, Ph.D.: "Boston Church of Christ Movement Study"
Langone, Michael, Ph.D.: "What You Might Want To Know About ICC
New Covenant Publications
Qin Wang: The International Churches of Christ
Reveal
Spiritual Abuse resources
Triumphing Over London Cults
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