Table Of ContentThe Rhetoric of Religious
‘Cults’
Terms of Use and Abuse
Annabelle Mooney
The Rhetoric of Religious ‘Cults’
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The Rhetoric of Religious
‘Cults’
Terms of Use and Abuse
Annabelle Mooney
Centre for Language and Communication Research
Cardiff University, UK
© Annabelle Mooney 2005
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2005 978-1-4039-4285-2
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First published in 2005 by
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mooney,Annabelle,1974–
The rhetoric of religious ‘cults’:terms of use and abuse / Annabelle
Mooney.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.Cults.I.Title.
BP603.M664 2005
209—dc22 2005042521
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05
‘For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our
business’
T.S. Eliot, ‘East Coker’ in The Four Quartets
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
1 Introduction 1
Outline 3
Why this matters 5
2 The ‘Cults’ and the Canons 10
Which ‘cults’ and which texts? 10
Framework 15
Rhetorical canons 18
3 The Church of Scientology 41
Background 41
‘The Story of Dianetics and Scientology’ 43
Conclusion 71
4 The Jehovah’s Witnesses 72
Background 72
A Book for All People 75
Conclusion 103
5 The Family 105
Background 105
‘The Big Lie! – Exposed!’ 109
Conclusion 128
6 Is ‘Cult’ Language Distinctive? 129
Memory 130
Delivery 137
Arrangement 140
Invention 144
Style 147
7 ‘Cults’: What They Are 155
Definition of ‘cult’ 155
Definition part II 162
vii
viii Contents
8 Cults, Cults Everywhere? 169
Memory 169
Delivery 170
Arrangement 171
Invention 172
Style 174
Conclusion: McKinsey as Cult? 177
Notes 182
Bibliography 191
Index 205
Acknowledgements
I should like to thank The Watch Tower and Bible Tract Society who
generously granted permission to use extracts from A Book for All People.
Likewise, thanks to World Services, for kindly granting permission to use
extracts from ‘The Big Lie! – Exposed!’ by David Berg, first published
in 1977. Thanks also to Faber and Faber (UK) and Harcourt Inc (USA)
forpermission to quote an excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s ‘East Coker’ (in Four
Quartets, © 1940 by T.S. Eliot and renewed in 1968 by Esme Valerie Eliot).
In London, Catalyst, Deo Gloria Outreach, and INFORM, all provided
access to their extensive collection of materials which was so very valu-
able in the early stages of this research, as well as providing agreat vari-
ety of personal contacts and seminars. Maintaining such records might
usually be a thankless task; it is extremely important and it is done with
dedication and expertise.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any
have been inadvertently overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to
make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.
There are a great number of people who deserve thanks and without
whom this book would not have been written. I mention specifically
those involved for extensive periods; though my thanks go to everyone
who engaged with me about these issues. The initial (and major) part of
this work took place in Glasgow. Professor Christian Kay and
Dr Catherine Emmott have been tireless in their support as have all at
Department of English Language at the University of Glasgow. I should
also like to thank Professor Rom Harré and Dr John Corbett for their
extremely incisive and valuable comments. My colleagues at the School
of Law, especially Professor McLean and Ms McGuire were of supreme
importance in many ways. Jill Lake’s initial enthusiasm for the project
and her subsequent patience are very much appreciated. In addition,
I should like to thank Professor Theo van Leeuwen, Dr Miriam Young,
Ms Isobel Scott, Dr Betsy Evans, Dr Noel Heather, and my colleagues at
Cardiff University. Special thanks are due to Dr Christopher Marlow for
careful reading of the MS while in preparation (and general handholding).
Naturally all errors are my own.
This is for my family.
ix
Description:The Rhetoric of Religious Cults takes as its departure point the notion that 'cults' have a distinctive language and way of recruiting members. First outlining a rhetorical framework, which encompasses contemporary discourse analysis, the persuasive texts of three movements - Scientology, Jehovah's
