''The Kingdom of the Cults'', first published in 1965, is a reference book of the Christian countercult movement in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

, written by

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

minister and counter-cultist

Walter Ralston Martin Walter Ralston Martin (September 10, 1928 – June 26, 1989) was an American Baptist Christian minister and author who founded the Christian Research Institute in 1960 as a parachurch ministry specializing as a clearing-house of information ...

.Michael J. McManus, "Eulogy for the godfather of the anti-cult movement", obituary in '' The Free Lance-Star'', Fredericksburg, VA, 26 August 1989
p. 8
As of 2019, the book is in its sixth updated edition (hardback ).

Summary

Martin examines a large number of new religious movements; included are major groups such as

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

, Jehovah's Witnesses,

Armstrongism Armstrongism is the teachings and doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong while leader of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). His teachings are professed by him and his followers to be the restored true Gospel of the Bible. Armstrong said they were reve ...

Theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...

, the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

Unitarian Universalism Unitarian Universalism (UU) is a liberal religion characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists assert no creed, but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth, guided by ...

, Scientology, as well as minor groups including various

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

and groups based on

Eastern religions The Eastern religions are the religions which originated in East, South and Southeast Asia and thus have dissimilarities with Western, African and Iranian religions. This includes the East Asian religions such as Confucianism, Taoism, Chi ...

. The beliefs of other world religions such as

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

are also discussed. In coverage of the Evangelical-Adventist controversy, the book partially rehabilitated the reputation of Seventh Day Adventist christianity. He covers each group's history and teachings, and contrasts them with those of mainstream Christianity. In contrast to accepted definition, Martin defines "a

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. Thi ...

" as "a group of people gathered about a specific person—or person's misinterpretation of the Bible," while admitting that in spite of "distorting Scripture" such groups' teachings may contain "considerable truths" that have Biblical support but have become de-emphasized by mainstream Christianity, such as

divine healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

and

prophecy In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a '' prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or pr ...

Influence and reception

By 1989, ''The Kingdom of the Cults'' had sold over 500,000 copies and was one of the ten best-selling American spiritual books. The book has been described as being regarded by evangelicals as "the authoritative reference work on major cult systems for nearly 40 years." However, it has been criticized by members of some of the groups it discusses, particularly

Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, upset that their faith should be labeled a "cult". There have been several editions over the years with some changes. In the 1985 edition the

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...

was not mentioned, and in the 2003 edition it was put back in a chapter on

itself. After Martin's death, a revised and expanded edition was issued that listed Ravi K. Zacharias as co-author.worldcat.org entry
/ref>

References

*. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kingdom of the Cults 1965 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Books critical of Mormonism Christian countercult movement-related books English-language books