Charts of Cults, Sects, and Religious Movements (Zondervancharts) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

House goes over 19 different quasi-Christian religions and, although I have not read very much yet, initial appearances show that he appears to have done a very nice job. He lists the different viewpoints of these religions and then contrasts them with "Orthodox" Christianity. He uses original sources to support himself so that it's not just his opinion, but rather the opinion of the group's leaders. Certainly some may come in and disagree about certain nuances regarding the way he lays out the orthodox position (i.e. a Catholic or Greek Orthodox layperson may not see eye-to-eye on salvation and justification through faith alone), but House gives verses from the Bible to support himself. He also uses expert resources to check his work and make sure his arguments were not faulty. I will keep this reference near-by, and when I have a question about a particular group's teaching, I will be sure to see what this has to say.

I do have two complaints: First, the book is so big (350 pages, 8.5 x 11 format) and, with the pages getting flipped back and forth, I'm scared the spine may not hold out. I'm wondering why the publisher didn't use a metal ring spine to make it easier to lay the book flat and help it withstand the constant paging back and forth. Also, what about the Boston (discipleship) movement? I would have liked material on this growing group. However, I can't lessen my recommendation of the book despite my complaints.

I just started Ministry School and we were given a World Religions assignment for a presentation within two weeks of starting classes. I could not find any comprehensive information on Alamo Christian Ministries. I searched on the internet, even went to the website however, I was still information deficient. I found this book when I googled Tony Alamo and Alamo Christian Ministries. I looked inside the book on this website, ordered it, read it, created my presentation and it went extremely well because I was sufficiently prepared. As of yesterday, another student has asked me to use the text for their presentation which is coming up. I really liked the book. I highly recommend it.

This is well done and very handy.
It is much needed to have a consider ready reference or two on these groups.
Below is my response to several here. I post it as one response.
It responds to several, but much used objections to the positions the author holds to:

B Robert,
Condescending, snarky jab.
Well, the UPC is JUST as rigid in their interpretation of their Oneness of God/'Jesus Only'/modalistic doctrine as Trinitarians.
The objection is to the term cult, under a negative definition.
Well, since House is Evangelical, your definition of what doctrines 'should' be/not be included is irrelevant.
Your smear is ludicrous. Rigidity is not in every doctrine, but in the essentials, mainly. Lots of room otherwise in Christianity.
Moses said the tests of a true or false prophet is do they have a 100% accurate prophecy record and do they teach the biblical-defined true doctrine of God. (Deut 13 & 18)
JESUS said we "must worship" God the Father, who is "spirit", "in truth" (John 4:23-24).
Jesu said: "Unless you beleive that I am [or I AM, or if you want, I am who I claim to be], you will die in your sins."
Paul said there's "a different gospel" and "ANOTHER Jesus" which damns:

"But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."
- 2 Cor 11:3-4,13-15 ESV

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."
- Gal 1:6-9 ESV

Bad ol' Moses, Paul & Jesus. How "rigid" of them!
Hypocrites!
Sounds blasphemous to me.
You use your own emotions & biases and adopt a worldly leftist smear term in the place of logic & the Bible.
"Typical of" people like you - either leftist, or adopting leftist dialectic.
Also, you 'bore false witness' against another.
Are YOU a hypocrite?
There's nothing hypocritical about categorizing the UPC as a heretical church, which is what is meant by the Christian usage of the word here.
Not talking psychological/behavioral, but doctrinal.
You placed quotation marks around "Christians". How typical and anti-biblical of you.

Your post, in reply to an earlier post on May 29, 2012 9:20:09 PM PDT
You edited this post
HarryRfromNE says:
Joseph, That is correct. 'John the Third' doesn't even make coherent sense in what he wrote. What I could understand was poor, at best.
TRINITY in the BIBLE:

The Trinity:
There are three Persons:
*Matt 28:19
In only ONE true God who exists, Yahweh Elohim:
* Deut 6:4-5, Isa 43-47, James 2:19
These three Persons who are the ONE God are:
* God the Father- John 4:23-24, Rom 1:7
* God the Son, Jesus- John 1:1-14; 8:58; 20:28
* God the Holy Spirit- Acts 5:3-4, 2 Cor 3:17

The TRINITY in CHURCH HISTORY:
The Roman Catholic Church did NOT invent the Trinity. There was a council convened (Nicaea) & church leaders discussed different ideas and officially wrote to counter a doctrine like the one from Jehovah's Witnesses that came INTO the outward church. If U knew history well, You would also see that the word Trinity can be documented back to *150-175* AD (Theophilus), "one God UNCREATED" to *170-180* AD (Athenagoras), NOT that the Father was once a man who BECAME one of MANY Gods & wasn't always a God (LDS/'Mormon' Church).
Also, Tertulian, c. *213*, that the Three are "three coherent PERSONS", "are one essence" (NOT being) in unity of substance, NOT singularity of number". They are "of ONE substance...ONE God", who are "under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", (Against Praxeas). From "God in Three Persons", Cal Beisner, pp 52-58.
Church father, Gregory of Nyssa in his "On The TRINITY", argued all 3 are God & have the same divine nature as God, but NOT 3 GODS, as LDS Church teaches (Ensign 3/2008, p 68):
"Then truth fights on our side, for we show both publicly to all men, and privately to those who converse with us, that we ANATHEMATIZE [DAMN] ANY man who says that there are THREE Gods, and hold him to be NOT even a Christian."
It goes back WAY before Constantine & Nicaea in the 300s. The Trinity was NOT *invented* at Nicaea, or by the Roman Catholic Church.
Both the Bible and church history shows there are 3 Divine and simultaneously existing Persons (each with mind, emotion, intellect and will, as well as all 3 speak), who are all designated as God, and there's only one God.
The Trinity is the best explanation - and biblical.
Truly:
"Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD [Yahweh] Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is NO other."
- Deut. 4:39 NKJV

See also my response to B Robert's nonsensical smearing, as well.