Salvation and Suicide, Revised Edition

Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and Jonestown

By: David Chidester

Narrated by: Steven Roy Grimsley

Re-issued in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the mass suicides at Jonestown, this revised edition of David Chidester's path-breaking book features a new prologue that considers the meaning of the tragedy for a post-Waco, post-9/11 world. For Chidester, Jonestown recalls the American religious commitment to redemptive sacrifice, which for Jim Jones meant saving his followers from the evils of capitalist society.

©1988, 2003 David Chidester (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"This ambitious and courageous book is a benchmark of theology by which questions about the meaningful history of the Peoples Temple may be measured." ( Journal of the American Academy of Religion)

"Fascinating.... Perhaps this book will bring a sense of humanity, and of respect, for the dreams and ambitions of the people who died at Jonestown." ( San Francisco Chronicle)

"An impressive tour de force." ( Religious Studies Review)

A Comprehensive Account, But

This is a well researched account of the life of Jim Jones, and the tragic events leading up to the murder and suicide of 918 people, on November 18, 1978, in Jonestown, Guyana.

However, I was disappointed by the mispronunciation of Debra Blakey’s married name by the narrator. He repeated said “Blakley”, thus indicating an error in David Chidester’s manuscript.

If the author cannot accurately record the name of a key character in this sad tale, what other errors might have been made that cannot be so easily caught.

This is how history becomes distorted, and rendered inaccurate for future generations. I was 16 at the time, and fully understand the impact “Jonestown” has had on the American psyche.

43 years have passed, but we must never forget what happened. Always, think for yourself!
Read, research, and never accept one narrative as the complete truth. Remain diligent!