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Link to full review “Jesus Freaks is a page-turner
and a heart-stopper, a descent into an inner circle of hell in the
guise of hippie heaven. It is also an intimate tale of a family scandal
compounded of sexual exploitation and betrayal, psychological terror,
and cold-blooded murder. Above all, Don Lattin’s gripping and
masterful book is an eye-opening account of how religious true belief
can go terribly and tragically wrong.” “Don Lattin’s analysis
of the life and death of Ricky Rodriquez is, and will remain, the definitive
account of life within the inner circle of a very abusive new religion.
Jesus Freaks recounts a religion slipping into the abusive madness
of its leader, with deadly consequences for generations…If this
tale of revenge and murder has any heroes, then they are the members
of the second generation who had the courage to leave and the conviction
to speak out. Lattin uses their accounts masterfully to analyze what
surely must be among the most compelling accounts of a harmful religion
in our times.” “…a tragic and gripping
story with powerful and chilling detail…leaves the reader disturbed
but full of insights.” “Don Lattin has written a book
that will sear its way into your mind like a late August California
sunset. As you follow the twisted lives of David Brandt Berg and the
people involved in the Children of God,you can’t help but wonder:
is this a simple tale of perverted values and pathological excess,
or is this the inevitable consequence of giving free reign to the spirit…” “…the most meticulously
researched book on The Family to date. Lattin has taken the complicated
and intentionally clouded history of The Family and distilled it into
a gripping and profound narrative.” “A must-read for anyone who
wants to better understand the potential dangers of too much power
and too much faith, this book provides an in-depth, insightful, and
often startling look at one home-grown manifestation of rigid fundamentalism
combined with righteous fanaticism. You might be asking, ‘Why
should I care about this kooky group with its perverted leader?’ Lattin
explains exactly why, letting us see how genuine believers and good
people can get caught up in reprehensible activities. In today’s
environment of religious extremism, global terrorism, and the growing
international sex trade, this is a book not to be ignored.“ “Jesus Freaks” is both
terrifying and fascinating.“ “Don Lattin has written a gripping
and masterful account of a toxic, sex-soaked cult that espoused free
love and instead spawned frightening violence. It is a spectacular
read, and with it Lattin, one of the country’s foremost religion
journalists, has shown himself to be as adept as Bugliosi and Krakauer
at plumbing the depths of group fanaticism.” Don Lattin’s pulsating page-turner
mixes religion, sex and 60s weirdness in a heady brew. His well-researched
account of The Family deftly places this new religious movement in
the mainstream of alternative American spirituality. |
Anderson
Cooper and CNN Link
to Times Book Club Link
to the
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Don Lattin and Jesus Freaks featured on ABC News. Link to “Nightline” ![]() Violent Revenge. By Jay Schadler and Karson Yiu From Nightline Jesus Freaks is the story of a January 2005 night of rage that left two people dead and shed new light on the Children of God/Family International, an evangelical sect founded by David “Moses” Berg, a self-proclaimed “Endtime Prophet.” During the spiritual counter-culture of the late 1960s, this previously unremarkable evangelist embraced a strange brew of Christian witness, radical politics, apocalyptic doom and free love. His story is told here through the eyes of Ricky “Davidito” Rodriquez, a child born into the inner sanction of the cult, which sent thousands of hippies, leftists and “Jesus freaks” on a long, strange trip into the messianic fantasy of its leader. Ricky was christened to be one of the “two witnesses” destined to sacrifice themselves and bring on the apocalyptic battles foretold in the Book of Revelation. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but with a twist. Ricky would grow up, leave the fold and denounce his estranged mother and spiritual father, making his own date with destiny. Consumed with rage, he would become the reluctant martyr for an abused army of troubled souls -- a lost generation that would return to haunt The Family International. Early Reviews "A valuable exposé, with
well-documented sources, of a fringe group that is still active worldwide," says Library
Journal. "Lattin also provides a capsule history of similar
countercultural religious movements. The book, which reads like a suspense "Eminently readable," says Booklist. "A treasure trove for those curious about aberrant cultic enterprises." "Carefully researched...a true crime tale," says Publishers Weekly. "Lattin, who covered the religion beat for the San Francisco Chronicle, offers an arresting, if uneven, account of The Family. He begins by arguing that the cult is best understood in the context of American evangelicalism, and does some strong investigation into the founder's ancestry to prove this point." "Andrea
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