A true crime story of faith, sex, and revenge, Jesus Freaks takes readers inside the Children of God, one of America's most notorious religious cults, and follows the heir who came back to destroy it.
In January 2005, Ricky Rodriguez, raised from birth as the "Prophet Prince" of the Children of God, killed a woman who had helped raise him. Hours later, he took his own life. Don Lattin covered the "God beat" for the San Francisco Chronicle for more than 25 years. Drawing on interviews with former members, survivors, and family insiders, and on the prophet's secret "Mo Letters," he traces the road to that tragedy.
Readers will discover:
- How David "Moses" Berg, a failed evangelist, turned 1960s Jesus freaks and hippie runaways into a worldwide movement later known as The Family International
- The truth behind "flirty fishing," the group's free-love doctrine, and the sexual abuse of children inside its communes
- Ricky's upbringing as "Davidito," the boy groomed to lead the Endtime alongside his mother and Berg's successor, Karen Zerby
- The lost generation of more than 13,000 children born into The Family, and their fight to heal and rebuild their lives after leaving
- What fringe sects reveal about fundamentalism, religious extremism, and spiritual abuse in the modern world
Jesus Freaks is essential reading for true crime fans, cult survivors, and anyone fascinated by the dark side of American religion. Lattin shows that the Children of God was not an isolated sideshow. The group grew directly out of American evangelicalism, and it exposes how charismatic leaders exploit faith, and how abuse passes from one generation to the next. Part investigative journalism and part family tragedy, this gripping, meticulously researched narrative gives a voice to the children a movement tried to silence.
Readers of Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven and Not Without My Sister by Celeste Jones, Kristina Jones, and Juliana Buhring will find Jesus Freaks a riveting and unforgettable companion.
In the tradition of Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, Don Lattin's Jesus Freaks is the story of a shocking pilgrimage of revenge that left two people dead and shed new light on The Family International, one of the most controversial religious movements to emerge from the spiritual turmoil of the sixties and seventies.
Some say The Family International—previously known as the Children of God—began with the best intentions. But their sexual and spiritual excesses soon forced them to go underground and follow a dark and dangerous path. Their charismatic leader, David "Moses" Berg, preached a radical critique of the piety and hypocrisy of mainstream Christianity. But Berg's message quickly devolved into its own web of lies. He lusted for power and unlimited access to female members of his flock—including young girls and teenagers—and became a drunken tyrant, setting up re-indoctrination camps around the world for rebellious teenagers under his control.
Thousands of children raised in The Family would defect and try to live normal lives, but the prophet's heir apparent, Ricky "Davidito" Rodriguez, was unable to either bear the excesses of the cult or fit into normal society. Sexually and emotionally abused as a child, Ricky left the fold and began a crusade to destroy the only family he ever knew, including a plot to kill his own mother.
Veteran journalist Don Lattin has written a powerful, engrossing book about this uniquely American tragedy. Jesus Freaks is a cautionary tale for those who fail to question the prophesies and proclamations of anyone who claims to speak for God.
"Don Lattin deserves enormous credit for resaerching the story of Berg and The Family."
