Behind the Exclusive Brethren

Behind the Exclusive Brethren
Book cover
AuthorMichael Bachelard
LanguageEnglish
SubjectExclusive Brethren
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherScribe Publications Pty Ltd.
Publication date
2008
Publication placeAustralia
Pages288
ISBN1-921372-28-1
OCLC261340893
Preceded byThe Great Land Grab 

Behind the Exclusive Brethren: Politics Persuasion and Persecution is a non-fiction book by journalist and author Michael Bachelard about the group Exclusive Brethren, focusing on the sect in Australia. It was published in 2008 by Scribe Publications Pty Ltd. Bachelard first became interested in the organisation while a journalist for The Age, after finding out that prior to the 2007 Australian federal election the Exclusive Brethren organisation in Australia had close access to John Howard. He spent two years researching the group, focusing on its history, influence in Australia, and ties to the Liberal Party of Australia and to Howard. The book gives a historical background of the group's origins 200 years ago in Ireland under John Nelson Darby. Since 2002, Bruce Hales served as the international leader and "Elect Vessel" of the organisation, which has 15,000 members in Australia and 43,000 total globally. The author describes the beliefs and practices and doctrine of the organisation, including some of its more controversial methodology including excommunication of former members from their family still within the group. Daniel Hales, brother of the organisation's worldwide leader Bruce Hales, described the book as part of a trend of what he said were lies told about his group by critics and disaffected former members.

The book was a bestseller in Australia, and in November 2008 it hit number 8 on a list of top ten best-selling books in the country in political and social science books according to data from Nielsen BookScan.[1] The book received positive reception in books reviews and media coverage. The Sunday Age called it a "sober" and "well-argued" expose.[2] The Sydney Morning Herald, called the book an "exhaustive study of the Exclusive Brethren in Australia".[3] GayNZ.com characterised Behind the Exclusive Brethren as a "comprehensive reference work on the sect".[4] Media/Culture Reviews noted, "The expose is written in a calm, clear style and the chapters relating to the broken families are deeply moving and respectful."[5]

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