New Book Exposes Cultic Like Practices of the Trinity Foundation and Its Leader, Ole Anthony

A former member of the Dallas-based Trinity Foundation, Wendy J. Duncan, has written a book telling her experience with that organization and describing the cultic nature of the group and its charismatic leader, Ole Anthony. I Can’t Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult, (VM Life Resources Publishing, May 2006) is a first-person account of Duncan’s involvement in and dramatic separation from Trinity Foundation. The book describes the abusive practices and strange beliefs that define the Trinity Foundation as a cult, as well as the author’s struggle to return to psychological wholeness after she left. Insights from Dr. Margaret Singer and other researchers who have explored the cult phenomenon, are included in this fascinating book.

I Can’t Hear God Anymore also contains a detailed portrait of Ole Anthony’s psychology and background, which Duncan spent months researching. Ole Anthony is a well-known figure in media and religious circles, first gaining notoriety when he assisted Dianne Sawyer in her exposé of Robert Tilton and two other Dallas-based televangelists, W. V. Grant and Larry Lea for the ABC news magazine PrimeTime Live. Since that time, Ole Anthony has been involved in investigations of numerous religious figures, working with programs such as NBC Dateline and 60 Minutes.

Anthony and his group, the Trinity Foundation, have been lauded in US News & World Report, The LA Times Magazine, and most recently, The New Yorker. Ole Anthony has been a near-ubiquitous commentator on all things religious for both local and national media outlets, but there is more here than meets the eye. Though Anthony can be charming and persuasive, Duncan’s book raises questions about his willingness to be accountable for his own practices. In short, who is watching the watchdog?

Reviews:
“This book provides a fascinating and compelling narrative of one woman's journey through religious terrain that few (thankfully) have experienced. It is at times both insightful and frightening. The author writes with clarity and conviction. Her underlying message is one of warning: not all religion is benign."
Ronald Enroth, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology, Westmont College
Author, Churches That Abuse

"I Can’t Hear God Anymore is an extremely well-written, sensitive and insightful accounting of the author’s experience in an abusive religious group. Her courageous journey through understanding thought reform techniques and the recovery process serves as an encouragement to ex-members who are struggling to get their identity and life back. I highly recommend this book to recovering former cult members and their families.”

Carol Giambalvo, President of ReFocus (a support and referral network for former members of abusive groups.
Author, Exit Counseling: Family Interventions for Cult-Affected Loved Ones


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