J. Gordon Melton

Reverend James Gordon Melton, Ph.D. is an academic listed as an "expert" on The Family International by said group.

Melton has been called a "cult apologist" by many, as he often works for such groups (including criminal groups like Aum Shinrikyo) through cult-funded research projects and books or as an expert witness.

Melton has also earned a reputation in some circles for largely discounting the testimony of former cult members.

In 1986, however, J. Gordon Melton wrote the following regarding The Family International, or the Children of God as they were then known:

"The sexual manipulation in the Children of God has been so thoroughly documented that it is doubtful whether the organization can ever, in spite of whatever future reforms it might initiate, regain any respectable place in the larger religious community." — J. Gordon Melton, "Encyclopedic Handbook of Cults in America" pg.158 (1986). ISBN 0-8240-9036-5

More information

• J. Gordon Melton: Why he is considered a cult apologist — Apologetics Index