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216:"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
161:
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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190:, 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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173:. 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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505:"Zealot – A Book About Cults by Jo Thornely: Hachette Book Review"
108:
is a 2019 non-fiction book by
Australian writer and podcaster
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305:"Book review of Zealot: A Book About Cults by Jo Thornely"
112:. The book addresses and describes high-profile religious
169:, 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
555:
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New religious movements and cults in popular culture
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199:and the publishing division of ArtsHub Australia.
276:"Why are we so fascinated with stories of cults?"
184:received generally positive reviews. Writing for
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478:"Having a good laugh at the fanatics' expense"
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986:The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions
640:Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare
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454:. Sydney: Hachette Australia. p. 59.
404:. Sydney: Hachette Australia. p. ix.
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429:. Sydney: Hachette Australia. p. 1.
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1028:Violence and New Religious Movements
872:From the Ashes: Making Sense of Waco
721:Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia
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359:Freckelton, Ian (20 February 2020).
250:"Book Review: Zealot by Jo Thornely"
16:2019 non-fiction book by Jo Thornely
900:The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation
556:Books about new religious movements
347:
13:
1014:How the Millennium Comes Violently
1007:Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion
965:The Politics of Religious Apostasy
303:Van Essen, Thomas (16 June 2019).
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148:was published 26 February 2019 by
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1086:
830:Getting It: The Psychology of est
770:Modern Paganism in World Cultures
756:Persuasions of the Witch's Craft
626:The Mystical Geography of Quebec
450:Thornely, Jo (26 January 2019).
425:Thornely, Jo (26 January 2019).
400:Thornely, Jo (26 January 2019).
128:in an irreverent comedic style.
844:Contemporary Religious Satanism
503:Bradley, Dave (22 March 2019).
365:Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
248:Mayer, Erich (24 April 2019).
205:Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
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931:Books critical of Scientology
851:The Order of the Solar Temple
777:Never Again the Burning Times
619:A Republic of Mind and Spirit
377:10.1080/13218719.2020.1727646
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131:
1055:Australian non-fiction books
858:Les Mythes du Temple Solaire
475:Free, David (2 March 2019).
361:"Zealot: A Book about Cults"
330:"Zealot: A book about cults"
280:Special Broadcasting Service
274:Heath, Nicola (1 May 2019).
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951:Controversial New Religions
924:Criticism and controversies
886:Sex, Slander, and Salvation
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20:Zealot: A Book About Cults
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598:The Myth of Disenchantment
562:General and historiography
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427:Zealot: A Book About Cults
402:Zealot: A Book About Cults
182:Zealot: A Book About Cults
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105:Zealot: A Book About Cults
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809:A Field Guide to Otherkin
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692:Modern paganism and magic
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1070:Non-fiction crime books
591:The Triumph of the Moon
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879:The Making of a Moonie
700:A Community of Witches
647:Misunderstanding Cults
707:Drawing Down the Moon
605:The Occult: A History
584:Nature Religion Today
742:Mastering Witchcraft
682:Mystics and Messiahs
633:A Course in Miracles
937:Apocalypse Observed
763:Her Hidden Children
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1000:Cult Controversies
958:Cults in Our Midst
675:The New Vigilantes
334:Hachette Australia
212:. Commenting that
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46:Hachette Australia
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979:All Gods Children
944:Gods of the Blood
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749:The Satanic Witch
735:Dreaming the Dark
714:Living Witchcraft
654:The New Believers
577:The Darkened Room
309:Backstory Journal
254:ArtsHub Australia
192:Backstory Journal
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110:Jo Thornely
37:Jo Thornely
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232:References
171:The Family
142:true crime
132:Background
177:Reception
167:Jim Jones
65:Australia
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156:Synopsis
116:such as
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165:run by
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259:3 May
114:cults
70:Pages
516:2021
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381:PMC
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