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by Jim Valekis (Author)
Have you ever wondered if your own faith community might be more cult-like than Christ-like?
Jim Valekis has. He spent 40 years in religious communities, where he served alongside dedicated believers who faithfully pursued God-and yet also witnessed leadership and teachings that hindered rather than helped the spread of God's Word. His shocking discovery: when culture becomes the lens through which you view Christ, cult-like thinking can take root and infiltrate even the most earnest Christian community.
This powerful and raw memoir reveals how Valekis navigated four different "cult"ures: the Greek Orthodox tradition, Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, American Evangelicalism, and-the worst-his own personal struggle with his preferred world view.
More than a narrative of one man's experience, The Christian in the Cult offers tools for spiritual discernment while providing hope for those wounded by religious authority. The author's honest spiritual journey culminates in a profound understanding of God's faithfulness, which transforms how believers engage with their faith communities and share the Gospel.
With equal parts caution and urgent call to action, Valekis will help you recognize when religious culture obscures Christ's message, develop discernment to navigate faith communities wisely, and discover the freedom we can only find when we are truly living in Christ.
What others are saying about this book:
"Millions of religious believers will clearly recognize the spiritual journey narrated by Jim Valekis in this powerful story. A son of the Greek Orthodox Church finds himself in Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, which eventually takes him into more traditional Christianity and out again. Where he ends up at the end of this fascinating pilgrimage will be a big surprise. But Valekis astutely narrates his journey and brings readers along with him to a spiritual destination that includes the whole world. In a religious and political landscape that has become a culture war of all against all, Valekis's final message of oneness and wholeness in Christ is a welcome antidote."─Andrew Manis, Emeritus Professor of History, Middle Georgia State University, Macon, Georgia.
About the Author:
Jim Valekis was born in Alabama with a "bouzouki" on his knee. His Greco-American parents raised their family as part of a thriving Greek Orthodox community in Birmingham. As a teenager captivated by the radio teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong, Valekis defied his roots and eventually followed a call to pastor in the Worldwide Church of God. When the former cult transitioned into Evangelicalism, Jim followed, continuing to pastor in Grace Communion International. Most recently Valekis co-founded the vision for the Tipp Center, a faith-based business and resource hub, where he is the chaplain. Jim holds a master's degree in Biblical Studies from Earlham School of Religion. He enjoys hanging out with his wife Becky, biking, painting, and sharing (especially over Greek comfort food) how his new theological understanding connects back in profound ways with the ancient Trinitarian fabric of his Orthodox upbringing, a relational Christ-centered fabric expansive enough to include every human being.
