Examining Cults with Jason Hensley, PhD

The stories of cults have been burned into our national consciousness. From statements like “don’t drink the Kool-Aid” or remembrances of Waco, many of us have seen cults end in tragic ways. Despite a knowledge of cults having entered into our culture, we continue to harbor many misconceptions about them. We don’t understand why a man like Jim Jones, with his bent on “revolutionary suicide,” was able to hold such a sway over people. We see cult members as “brainwashed” and sometimes refer to them as “sheep.” Nevertheless, cults continue to exist and continue to bring people into their ranks. Why? And how can this be stopped? This series will examine cults in general and probe deep into specific case studies like Jonestown, Waco and a more modern cult, NXIVM.

Jason Hensley, PhD (Holocaust and genocide studies), DMin (biblical studies), teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a higher-education ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations and the award-winning author of 12 books. 

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

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