Hi everyone and thank you for posting the link to my blog, Rocky.
Undertow is my memoir and I'm happy to say it's nearing publication! Some of you know that I was in the Second Corps (with LCM), held leadership positions with my then-husband (another Second Corps grad that Wierwille ordained), and was invited to be a member the biblical research team at HQ 1984-1986.
My experiences reveal a side of the story about TWI that not many are familiar with. I hope the book adds something helpful to the ongoing conversation about TWI, its roots, the fundamentalism it promotes, its problems, the idealism so many of us had when we joined it, and the broader, disturbing topic of high-control "religious" groups in general.
Here is one promotional blurb from among others that will appear in the book.
Charlene Edge’s personal story, Undertow, is a wake-up call to moderate Christians (and everyone else) about the dangers of the respectable-looking kind of fundamentalism that conducts Bible study but in reality twists Scripture to produce self-serving doctrines, demands obedience to a cult-of-personality leader, warps believers’ personal identities, and potentially damages members’ long-term welfare. With non-profit status, such cults are here to stay. Read Undertow and be warned.
Hi again, I thought these blurbs would interest readers at this site. They are from former Way followers who also wrote books about The Way.
In Undertow, Charlene Edge manages to bring to life the inexorable, age-old struggle of light triumphing over darkness, of the search for truth in the misty range of a “false prophet’s” deception which she encountered firsthand as a research assistant in The Way International. While she was promised liberty, she found herself a “servant of corruption.” (2 Peter 2:19). Ms. Edge’s heartfelt and earnest journey will leave you in awe of what the human spirit can conquer when it launches out in the search for truth. Well-written, compelling and inspiring.
— Kristen Skedgell, author of Losing the Way
A tenderly written, intensely personal narrative about being swallowed alive by a cult. Charlene Edge’s encounters with the abusive Victor Paul Wierwille and her firsthand observation of how The Way’s Research Department twisted the Scriptures are enlightening and chilling.
— Karl Kahler, author of The Cult That Snapped: A Journey Into The Way International
Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International is my memoir that will be out this November. Check my website (now being updated) next week for ordering information. http://charleneedge.com
Meanwhile, I thought I'd share my joy over a few more endorsements for Undertow:
“A magnificently written life story that sheds light on the enticing ways of cult recruitment and indoctrination that engender conformity, obedience, and loss of self. Nevertheless, thankfully, the seed of doubt grows, as the author strives for acceptance through hard work and deep faith. Edge’s prose captures the essence of cult life and the personal devastation of having to acknowledge not only corruption and plagiarized teachings but also a “sex ring” at the top levels of leadership. An important and must-read book – more gripping than a mystery. Undertow will sweep you away.”
— Janja Lalich, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Sociology, author, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships
“In Undertow Charlene Edge has written a brilliant and engrossing warning to the future by dissecting the past. There are really two books here: one is on a cult called The Way (one of the largest fundamentalist cults in America with about 40,000 followers [in its heyday]). The second book is an examination of the dynamic of all personality, religious, and political cults. By looking (from a heart-wrenching insider’s point of view) at a misuse of power in one specific group, Edge has written a book that unpacks a far greater truth. What she exposes to bright liberating daylight is just how our political and religious worlds actually function based on the mesmerizing enticement of belonging to an “in”-group. This is a brilliantly written and timely warning against falling into the trap of thinking we're the self-proclaimed “chosen” (be that religious or secular, left or right) as we exclude the feared ‘Other.’”
— Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back and New York Times best-selling author of Keeping Faith
“Charlene Edge writes with clarity and sensitivity. This memoir on her experiences in The Way International will help readers understand the subtleties and complexities of cultic groups.”
“Undertow is a cautionary tale for all young people, especially those who are preparing to leave their familiar surroundings to go to college, join the Armed Forces, or move to start a new job. However, the same warning applies to anyone at any age who is going through any life change, such as the loss of a job, a divorce, or the death of a loved one. The names of high-control groups like The Way will be different, their teachings will vary, but the basic techniques of recruiting and mind control are the same. The extreme difficulty in leaving these organizations is evident in Charlene Edge’s story.”
— Marjorie Patton, parent of an ex Way Corps member who received successful exit counseling before Corps graduation.
“This is a very personal and eye-opening exposé of the hidden world of life in a destructive group. It took great personal courage and strength for Charlene to break away and build a new life for herself and daughter. A must read!”
— PatrickRyan, graduate of Maharishi International University, cult intervention specialist since 1984 at Intervention 101.com, contributing author in Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse, edited by Michael Langone, PhD.
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penworks
Hi everyone and thank you for posting the link to my blog, Rocky.
Undertow is my memoir and I'm happy to say it's nearing publication! Some of you know that I was in the Second Corps (with LCM), held leadership positions with my then-husband (another Second Corps grad that Wierwille ordained), and was invited to be a member the biblical research team at HQ 1984-1986.
My experiences reveal a side of the story about TWI that not many are familiar with. I hope the book adds something helpful to the ongoing conversation about TWI, its roots, the fundamentalism it promotes, its problems, the idealism so many of us had when we joined it, and the broader, disturbing topic of high-control "religious" groups in general.
Here is one promotional blurb from among others that will appear in the book.
Charlene Edge’s personal story, Undertow, is a wake-up call to moderate Christians (and everyone else) about the dangers of the respectable-looking kind of fundamentalism that conducts Bible study but in reality twists Scripture to produce self-serving doctrines, demands obedience to a cult-of-personality leader, warps believers’ personal identities, and potentially damages members’ long-term welfare. With non-profit status, such cults are here to stay. Read Undertow and be warned.
~ Julia Scheeres, author of Jesus Land
Cheers,
Penworks (Charlene L. Edge)
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penworks
Hi again, I thought these blurbs would interest readers at this site. They are from former Way followers who also wrote books about The Way.
In Undertow, Charlene Edge manages to bring to life the inexorable, age-old struggle of light triumphing over darkness, of the search for truth in the misty range of a “false prophet’s” deception which she encountered firsthand as a research assistant in The Way International. While she was promised liberty, she found herself a “servant of corruption.” (2 Peter 2:19). Ms. Edge’s heartfelt and earnest journey will leave you in awe of what the human spirit can conquer when it launches out in the search for truth. Well-written, compelling and inspiring.
— Kristen Skedgell, author of Losing the Way
A tenderly written, intensely personal narrative about being swallowed alive by a cult. Charlene Edge’s encounters with the abusive Victor Paul Wierwille and her firsthand observation of how The Way’s Research Department twisted the Scriptures are enlightening and chilling.
— Karl Kahler, author of The Cult That Snapped: A Journey Into The Way International
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penworks
Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International is my memoir that will be out this November. Check my website (now being updated) next week for ordering information. http://charleneedge.com
Meanwhile, I thought I'd share my joy over a few more endorsements for Undertow:
“A magnificently written life story that sheds light on the enticing ways of cult recruitment and indoctrination that engender conformity, obedience, and loss of self. Nevertheless, thankfully, the seed of doubt grows, as the author strives for acceptance through hard work and deep faith. Edge’s prose captures the essence of cult life and the personal devastation of having to acknowledge not only corruption and plagiarized teachings but also a “sex ring” at the top levels of leadership. An important and must-read book – more gripping than a mystery. Undertow will sweep you away.”
— Janja Lalich, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Sociology, author, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships
“In Undertow Charlene Edge has written a brilliant and engrossing warning to the future by dissecting the past. There are really two books here: one is on a cult called The Way (one of the largest fundamentalist cults in America with about 40,000 followers [in its heyday]). The second book is an examination of the dynamic of all personality, religious, and political cults. By looking (from a heart-wrenching insider’s point of view) at a misuse of power in one specific group, Edge has written a book that unpacks a far greater truth. What she exposes to bright liberating daylight is just how our political and religious worlds actually function based on the mesmerizing enticement of belonging to an “in”-group. This is a brilliantly written and timely warning against falling into the trap of thinking we're the self-proclaimed “chosen” (be that religious or secular, left or right) as we exclude the feared ‘Other.’”
— Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back and New York Times best-selling author of Keeping Faith
“Charlene Edge writes with clarity and sensitivity. This memoir on her experiences in The Way International will help readers understand the subtleties and complexities of cultic groups.”
— Michael D. Langone, Ph.D., Executive Director of the International Cultic Studies Association, Editor of Cultic Studies Review, ICSA Today’s Editor-in-Chief, and Editor of Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse.
“Undertow is a cautionary tale for all young people, especially those who are preparing to leave their familiar surroundings to go to college, join the Armed Forces, or move to start a new job. However, the same warning applies to anyone at any age who is going through any life change, such as the loss of a job, a divorce, or the death of a loved one. The names of high-control groups like The Way will be different, their teachings will vary, but the basic techniques of recruiting and mind control are the same. The extreme difficulty in leaving these organizations is evident in Charlene Edge’s story.”
— Marjorie Patton, parent of an ex Way Corps member who received successful exit counseling before Corps graduation.
“This is a very personal and eye-opening exposé of the hidden world of life in a destructive group. It took great personal courage and strength for Charlene to break away and build a new life for herself and daughter. A must read!”
— Patrick Ryan, graduate of Maharishi International University, cult intervention specialist since 1984 at Intervention 101.com, contributing author in Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse, edited by Michael Langone, PhD.
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JayDee
Congratulations! Can't wait to read it!
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penworks
This is your invitation to visit my UPDATED website with lots of information about my book. Hope you enjoy! Undertow's webpage is live!
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