Newsletter: It’s Not the End of the World!
Keeping Hope Alive While Looking to the Future
This week’s livestream will be tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21st, at 2-3 p.m. EDT. I welcome everyone to tune in with questions and comments! Last week’s livestream was a great success; you can see the recording here if you missed it.
In this week’s episode of Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum, “Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America,” I spoke with culture journalist and author Jane Borden. In her new book of the same title, Borden argues that cult-like ideologies helped build American institutions, economies, politics, and entertainment that prevail today. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In next week’s episode, “Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World,” I speak with award-winning journalist and author Elle Hardy, whose book of the above title chronicles the fastest growing religion in the world.
In case you missed them, I have posted a couple new opinion videos on recent news here on Substack: one on Trump’s posting of an AI-generated image of himself as the pope, the other about his criticism and threats aimed at beloved pop icon Bruce Springsteen.
I also have been busy on my Instagram (now at 135k followers!); recent posts include my reactions to @delstonejr’s post about LGBTQ rights and a post about Trump voters discovering the GOP budget plans to slash Medicaid.
Have you ever been part of a group that shaped you—positively, negatively, or perhaps both? Your experience is important. I invite you to take a few moments to complete my BITE Model of Authoritarian Control™ survey. We continue to gather firsthand insights from people across a wide spectrum—from those who found support and growth in ethical communities to those who endured manipulation in high-control groups. If you’ve been part of multiple groups, feel free to submit separate entries. Each contribution brings us closer to building a comprehensive, evidence-based resource for healing, education, and prevention. Thank you for lending your voice to this vital work.
I spoke with author and cultural journalist Jane Borden on Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum this week. Jane has written for Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post and has authored a book called “I Totally Meant To Do That.” Drawing from her background in religious studies and years of investigative reporting, Jane argues in her new book, Cults Like Us, that cult-like ideologies helped build American institutions, economies, politics, and entertainment that prevail today.
Read the blog post or listen to the podcast below:
How can you tell if that group your family member has joined is safe? Is your relationship hitting a “rough patch,” or is there actual cause for concern? With this anonymous, easy-to-use diagnostic tool, you can answer simple questions and determine if any group or relationship is beneficial or destructive, ethical or unethical, healthy or unhealthy. And now, you can share your results on your social media if you wish!
As always, please let us know what you think about these pieces or what you’d like to see us discuss in the future. Thanks so much!
