Religious Extremism

A mother. A doomsday prophet. Two dead children. A trail of bodies across two states. Lori Vallow Daybell was once a beauty queen, devoted mother, and lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. By 2025, she had been convicted by multiple juries in two states for crimes connected to the deaths of her children, Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, the death of her husband Charles Vallow, the death of Tammy Daybell, and the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux. This carefully researched true-crime account reconstructs the case from the public record: police ...

This gripping audiobook is a strong choice alongside books about high-demand religion, overcoming odds, and finding inner strength in impossible situations."—Booklist (Starred Review) This program is read by the author. “Today it hit me when he hit me, blood shaking in my brain. Maybe there...

Jonathan Grisham takes you on an unflinching journey through the oppressive world of the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) movement. This isn't just a memoir—it's a lifeline. Grisham exposes the emotional manipulation, ideological rigidity, and psychological warfare that define this religious institution. But this book is more than an exposé; it's a toolkit for resistance. Grisham equips you with the intellectual and emotional resources to question, challenge, and liberate yourself from religious extremism. From the stifling homogeneity of the IFB's curriculum to its damning stance ...

In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, J. M. Berger offers a nuanced introduction to extremist movements, explaining what extremism is, how extremist ideologies are constructed, and why extremism can escalate into violence. 

The instant New York Times bestselling author of the “raw and revealing” (Interview magazine) Bad Mormon, and star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City anddocumentary series Surviving Mormonism, returns with a hilarious and candid national bestseller about life and love as a former...

Bloomsbury presents Money, Lies, and God by Katherine Stewart, read by Patricia Rodriguez. INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS From the acclaimed author of The Power Worshippers, “an indispensable citizen’s guide to the anti-democratic MAGA...

John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907) was a Scottish evangelist and “faith healer” who migrated to the United States from Australia in the late 1800s. Dowie was referred to by critics of his time as a “confidence man”, a person who appealed to the confidence of victims using deception to convince or persuade them out of money or into submission. In the case of Dowie’s Christian Catholic Church cult following, commonly referred to as “Zionites” or “Dowieites”, both money and power were gained.

The "unputdownable" (Dave Eggers, National Book award finalist) story of the most infamous American con man you've never heard of: James Strang, self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, "perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City" (Kirkus) A New York...

In the vein of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy comes a young woman’s memoir chronicling her harrowing journey from despair to salvation that showcases the depths and resilience of the human spirit and empowers readers on their own paths toward healing, forgiveness, and redemption. Carrie...

*** The book includes versions in three languages: English, Hebrew, and Persian. ״It began in the shelter inside our home, sitting with my children as sirens wailed and explosions echoed - dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles flying toward us, some falling not far away, others intercepted in the sky above. Why do they hate us so much? That question led to an intense journey of investigation and to Double-Edged Sword.״ This book follows the path of a single mortar shell that returned to the land where it was made - carrying within it the untold story of a region shaped by power, faith, and...

Braverman Shaw—"Bravo" to his friends—always knew his father had secrets. But not until Dexter Shaw dies does Bravo discover that his father belonged to the Order of Gnostic Observatines, a hidden sect long believed to be extinct. For centuries, the Order has guarded a lost Testament that...

A mother. A camera. A family brand. A closed door. Ruby Franke built an audience by turning motherhood into content. As the face of the family YouTube channel 8 Passengers, she presented a home defined by faith, discipline, order, and moral certainty. Millions watched. Some admired her. Some worried. Few could see what was happening once the cameras moved away. In 2023, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested after one of Ruby’s children escaped Hildebrandt’s Utah home and sought help from a neighbour. The criminal case that followed exposed severe abuse, a controlling belief ...

Why do we believe in the views of a political party or leader? How can we better understand vaccine hesitancy or denial of climate change science? What drives extremist or conspiracist beliefs? This vital and timely new text provides a compelling survey of the science behind how people form...

Gaza. For months, the name has dominated every headline and news broadcast. But what do we truly know about life there, beyond the slogans and reports of war? — The most profound and honest answer isn't in the news; it's in the life story of someone who grew up there. This is the story of Ayman Abu Soobuch, born in 1977 in Khan Yunis, in the very heart of the Gaza Strip. He grew up as the third child of a Muslim family, living near monsters like Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Yahya Ayyash. But a single, transformative moment changed the course of his life. In his gripping story, he ...

God at War explores the dark attraction between religion and warfare. Virtually every religious tradition leaves behind it a bloody trail of stories, legends, and images of war, and most wars call upon the divine for blessings in battle. This book finds the connection between religion and warfare in the alternative realities created in the human imagination in response to crises both personal and social. 

Abraham Khan is a Muslim who dreams of changing the world. He's liberal, pro-Western, and determined to speak out against the extremists who have hijacked his religion. That makes him a target, and the consequences hit him fast and hard - an armed fanatic smashes into his home one evening, trying to kill him. He survives the harrowing attempt, just barely. Maya Raines is the special operative brought in to protect Abraham. She is tough and committed. The very best at what she does. But Abraham is no ordinary principal - he will not hide, and he will not stay silent. 

In November 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in Israel after the fifth election in less than four years. Propped up by a bloc of far-right and ultra-religious parties, Netanyahu's government is the most extreme administration in Israeli history. It has pushed Israeli society to...

When LIAM TOWNSEND disappeared after abandoning his car a year ago, the police put it down to suicide. Then a year later the body of a woman is found in a shallow grave nearby and her DNA matches that which was found on the passenger seat of LIAM’s car. VALERIE GARDNER was a close friend of LIAM’s and walks into the Lytham office of PI STEPHANIE MARSHALL asking if she can find LIAM. STEPHANIE agrees but has no idea about the ulterior motive VALERIE has for finding LIAM and just how many people that will involve, including GRANT WILDE, who works for VALERIE and with whom STEPHANIE starts...

Set in rural Oklahoma, Into Captivity They Will Go tells the story of Caleb Gunter, a boy whose mother has convinced him he is the second coming of Jesus Christ and that together they are destined to lead the chosen into the Kingdom of Heaven. Believing the Seven Seals detailed in Revelation have been opened, he and his mother flee their home to join a tongue-speaking evangelical church and to prepare for the end of the world. But after tragedy ensues, Caleb must rebuild his life without the only support he has ever known - his mother and the church.

Islam has been the subject of so much misunderstanding and misrepresentation. Muslims and non-Muslims have both contributed to the distortion of almost all aspects of this religion. Jihad is one Islamic concept whose Qur’anic meaning has, at times, been manipulated deliberately and, at others, been misunderstood due to ignorance.One source of distorting jihad is the use of inauthentic sources of Islamic teaching. Another is the influence that half-educated and manipulative Muslim scholars have had on unsuspecting, ill-informed followers. A third source, which dates to the early days of ...