Jeff Popple reviews three books about cults, religion, and conspiracies. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
Holy Woman by Louise Omer
Scribe, $29.99
Louise Omer was an Australian Pentecostal preacher and faithful wife until her marriage collapsed and she began to question her beliefs. Overcome by uncertainty about her future direction, Louise decided to leave her home and set out on a journey of discovery to find how a woman can exist in a patriarchal religion and whether a woman can be holy. Alternating between her life in Adelaide before her decision, and her subsequent pilgrimage to religious centres around the world, Holy Woman is an intriguing combination of memoir, travel writing, history, and feminist theology. An interesting and thought-provoking book.
The Last Days by Ali Millar
Ebury, $35
Ali Millar’s The Last Days is also a fascinating memoir of growing up in a strong religious environment. Ali was born into the Jehovah’s Witnesses in a town on the Scottish Borders and her childhood revolved around regular meetings in the Kingdom Hall and waiting for Armageddon. As she grew older, she began to question her cloistered world and the ways of the Witnesses, particularly their control over the most intimate aspects of her life. Her concerns intensified after her marriage and the birth of her daughter, and she started her quest to escape the life she was born into. A revealing read.
Conspiracy by Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge
Wildfire, $32.99
Providing a lighter view of life, although concerning in its own way, is Conspiracy by Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge. Taking as its starting point the conspiracies that led to the 2021 attack on the US Capitol Building, Conspiracy takes the reader on a fascinating, insightful, and often amusing journey through conspiracy theories over time. From medieval conspiracies about Jewish ritualistic killings to the Kennedy assassination to the disappearance of Harold Holt and the anti-vax movement, Phillips and Elledge examine the origins of these conspiracies and explain why they are not true. Clear and logical, it should be compulsory reading for all social media users.
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