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227:"has no pretensions towards being learned or scholarly", Freckelton nonetheless lauded the book as a high-quality treatise on the topic appropriate for both general and specialist audiences. He was particularly predisposed to the book's usefulness to attorneys or psychologists with clients in or at risk of joining cults, and recommended they recommend the book to such clients.
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The book opens with a discussion of the definition of cults and the reasons people join them, conceptualised as finding their current lifestyles unsatisfactory: "it’s too restrictive, it’s not restrictive or pious enough, it doesn’t seem to offer solutions for a chaotic and dangerous world, it
172:
doesn’t let them have enough sex with aliens". It describes typical beliefs of cults as a mash-up of "Eastern mysticism, the
Christian Bible, the imminent apocalypse, aliens in UFOs and rampant, unbridled horniness". The book discusses internationally known groups such as the
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praised the book as "a sullen reminder of why sometimes good people do very bad things", but found the sarcastic sense of humour held the potential for offence. Other positive reviews were published at
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201:, David Free described Thornely as "a piss-taker of rare boldness" and an important deconstruction of cults, using humour as a tool to attack their foundations. Thomas Van Essen at
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Thornely first started writing and speaking on cults in 1985, as a spur-of-the-moment decision after needing a subject for a talk. She would later become the host of the podcast
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184:. The last chapter, written in a more serious register, suggests questions that may help readers decide if they themselves are in a cult.
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In addition to general audience reception, a scholarly review was published in the academic journal
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in 2017, which lent the book its name. She describes cults as the "juiciest" type of
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story, with the book being written in a conversational, even jovial style.
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516:"Zealot – A Book About Cults by Jo Thornely: Hachette Book Review"
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is a 2019 non-fiction book by
Australian writer and podcaster
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316:"Book review of Zealot: A Book About Cults by Jo Thornely"
123:. The book addresses and describes high-profile religious
180:, as well as some known primarily in Australia, such as
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Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll
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New religious movements and cults in popular culture
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210:and the publishing division of ArtsHub Australia.
287:"Why are we so fascinated with stories of cults?"
195:received generally positive reviews. Writing for
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489:"Having a good laugh at the fanatics' expense"
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997:The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions
651:Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare
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465:. Sydney: Hachette Australia. p. 59.
415:. Sydney: Hachette Australia. p. ix.
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883:From the Ashes: Making Sense of Waco
732:Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia
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370:Freckelton, Ian (20 February 2020).
261:"Book Review: Zealot by Jo Thornely"
27:2019 non-fiction book by Jo Thornely
911:The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation
567:Books about new religious movements
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24:
1025:How the Millennium Comes Violently
1018:Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion
976:The Politics of Religious Apostasy
314:Van Essen, Thomas (16 June 2019).
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159:was published 26 February 2019 by
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841:Getting It: The Psychology of est
781:Modern Paganism in World Cultures
767:Persuasions of the Witch's Craft
637:The Mystical Geography of Quebec
461:Thornely, Jo (26 January 2019).
436:Thornely, Jo (26 January 2019).
411:Thornely, Jo (26 January 2019).
139:in an irreverent comedic style.
855:Contemporary Religious Satanism
514:Bradley, Dave (22 March 2019).
376:Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
259:Mayer, Erich (24 April 2019).
216:Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
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1:
942:Books critical of Scientology
862:The Order of the Solar Temple
788:Never Again the Burning Times
630:A Republic of Mind and Spirit
388:10.1080/13218719.2020.1727646
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1066:Australian non-fiction books
869:Les Mythes du Temple Solaire
486:Free, David (2 March 2019).
372:"Zealot: A Book about Cults"
341:"Zealot: A book about cults"
291:Special Broadcasting Service
285:Heath, Nicola (1 May 2019).
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962:Controversial New Religions
935:Criticism and controversies
897:Sex, Slander, and Salvation
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31:Zealot: A Book About Cults
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1004:Zealot: A Book About Cults
609:The Myth of Disenchantment
573:General and historiography
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413:Zealot: A Book About Cults
193:Zealot: A Book About Cults
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116:Zealot: A Book About Cults
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890:The Making of a Moonie
711:A Community of Witches
658:Misunderstanding Cults
718:Drawing Down the Moon
616:The Occult: A History
595:Nature Religion Today
753:Mastering Witchcraft
693:Mystics and Messiahs
644:A Course in Miracles
948:Apocalypse Observed
774:Her Hidden Children
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969:Cults in Our Midst
686:The New Vigilantes
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223:. Commenting that
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57:Hachette Australia
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955:Gods of the Blood
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725:Living Witchcraft
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588:The Darkened Room
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876:Scientology
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121:Jo Thornely
48:Jo Thornely
18:Jo Thornely
1055:Categories
243:References
182:The Family
153:true crime
143:Background
188:Reception
178:Jim Jones
76:Australia
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231:See also
167:Synopsis
127:such as
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176:run by
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149:Zealot
135:, and
131:, the
108:299.93
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325:3 May
296:3 May
270:3 May
125:cults
81:Pages
527:2021
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467:ISBN
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