Cults, Coercion and Control - with Anke Richter

Episode 116: In this episode, we’re joined by journalist and author Anke Richter, author of the book "Cult Trip: Inside the world of Coercion and Control" and founder/director of Decult, New Zealand’s cult awareness conference. This conversation explores Anke’s work around two of New Zealand’s most notorious cults, Centrepoint and Gloriavale, as well as the wider world of sex cults, guru movements, fundamentalist Christian communities and what we call the “culty spectrum” - the blurry territory where belonging, belief, power, coercion and control intersect. We talk about the “prison of the mind,” the seductive power of charismatic leaders, the dark side of idealism, and the persistent role of misogyny and patriarchy, even in communities that present themselves as liberated or enlightened. There is loads of crossover with the world of coercion  among the high-control, high-demand Christian spaces we have explored here on In the Shift. *** Content Warning: This episode includes conversations about the prevalence of sexual abuse and sexual assault in the world of cults *** If you'd like to know more about the Decult conference - which is being held on Labour weekend 2026 in Christchurch and online - you can click here! For info on Anke's book "Cult Trip" you can click here.  

Episode 115: In the last episode of our series on non-coercive community, we ask the question: what if Christianity is actually just coercive? If that's the case then all this talk of non-coercive community is just pushing against the inherent nature of Christian religious belief, our ideas about God, and the story of Jesus. We discuss belief in an all-powerful God and the concept of hell as eternal punishment/suffering. If these are at the centre of a faith system, then they give rise to something that is fundamentally coercive at its very core. But we also talk through the fact that everyone makes choices about the kind of story they're going to embrace, and that we all have the freedom and permission to evaluate our beliefs about God and make different choices. An all powerful deity who threatens eternal conscious torment has never been the only way to read the story - and when we move in a different direction we may find room for a life-giving and nourishing spirituality that is non-coercive, even as it calls and invites us to care more deeply about others and the world around us.

Episode 114: We're back and talking about the challenges and possibilities of non-coercive community. In this conversation, Shane and Michael dive into the complexity of what happens when the forces of capitalism and individualism and/or the toxicity and abuse of previous religious communities make belonging to any community really challenging. One of the really potent aspects of high-demand religious communities is the degree of belonging people can experience, and then the overwhelming betrayal when that belonging is ruptured. What does this mean as we attempt to build safer non-coercive communities of trust and care in non-coercive ways? Are there still ways to belong to community when our previous experiences make this so difficult? How do communities speak about reciprocity, sustainability, mutual obligation and so on, when people have become understandably suspicious or triggered by the dynamics of community life? Shane Meyer-Holt co-leads Fitzroy North Community Church in Melbourne and Michael Frost is involved in leading Edge Kingsland in Auckland.

Episode 113: In the Shift is back for 2026, and so is Shane – and we’re continuing our conversations about non-coercive community and how we build communities of care in a world shaped by capitalist individualism. In this episode we look at how society has changed over time, toward what is often called secularisation. In the secularised West, participation in communal life has become something of a free market choice that we must add to our already full lives. In that sense, participation in faith communities and other communities of care become choices we need to continually make, against the overwhelming tide of energy, demand and resources. But what if the full life we live is not neutral or a given, but is itself shaped by a set of default fundamental commitments built into contemporary capitalist society? Is it possible to ‘convert’ away from this mode of being, toward something more sustainable and life-giving? Contact In the Shift: [email protected] Support In the Shift: www.patreon.com/intheshift For more information on the Open Table gathering in Auckland this coming June, visit https://theopentable.nz/

Episode 112: In this episode Shane Meyer-Holt returns for another conversation about the journey of engaging in and building non-coercive communities. We talk about how individualism and capitalism have profoundly shaped so many of us in themes of self-reliance and the importance of opportunity (as well as the freedom to take up those opportunities). These are deeply inbuilt into the psyche of our societal assumptions - and they happen to make regular sustainable commitment to communities of care and mutual obligation an incredibly difficult prospect. If we ultimately believe (and in many respects, understandably so) that we are on our own in keeping our heads above water - then commitment to community can come into conflict with our need for self-reliance. And if we think that we must be free to take every opportunity available to us, then mutual care and genuine healthy obligations to one another may well get in they of those opportunities. In many respects, all modern collectives are struggling with this new reality. Some embrace a model of high-reward, high-punishment community as a mechanism to sustain participation. But what happens if you don't believe in that kind of church or collective dynamic? We come to this conversation as people involved in leading church communities (Shane, at Fitzroy North Community Church in Melbourne, and Michael, at Edge Kingsland in Auckland). Contact: [email protected] Support: www.patreon.com/intheshift

Episode 111: In this collab episode between In the Shift and Sunday Sanctuary, I’m joined by Petra Bagust to discuss “why church?” In this conversation we chat through a bunch of reasons why church communities and collectives can be both challenging and nourishing/meaningful. We talk about the place of ritual, song and storytelling in human communities and identity formation, the challenges of individualism, acknowledging both the harm that churches and religious institutions can be complicit in, as well as the possibilities and hopes that remain important. You’ll find a more edited version of this conversation along with other reflections, practices and more over at the Sunday Sanctuary podcast, so check it out! Petra is a familiar face in Aotearoa New Zealand, having been on TV and radio over the last 30 years, beginning with cult-favourite TV show, Ice TV. She is a media chaplain with Media Chaplaincy New Zealand, host and broadcaster, hosting two podcasts - Sunday Sanctuary and the award-winning Grey Areas with Petra Bagust. Sunday Sanctuary is a podcast that brings hopeful spiritual conversations about our shared humanity. It began as a live radio show on Today FM, before becoming a podcast for those curious about Christian spirituality, as well as those who aren't currently part of a church community. Instagram: @sundaysanctuarynz Website: sundaysanctuary.nz Support In the Shift by heading to www.patreon.com/intheshift, and send your reflections, stories, experiences via email: [email protected]

Episode 110: We continue our series on non-coercive community - a bunch of conversations in which we are exploring the possibilities and challenges we experience in building sustainable non-coercive collectives and communities. In this conversation, Shane Meyer-Holt discusses his research into capitalism, care and community. We reflect on how so many aspects of our lives have become shaped, defined and understood in capitalist/neoliberal terms. Shane suggests that capitalism is not just an economic theory but has become a social imaginary - in other words, it has come to profoundly and deeply impact how we think about self, identity, relationships, community and care... and what kind of 'productivity' (and use of our energy) really matters and is worth something. Instead of viewing ourselves as interdependent communal beings who rely on each other through mutual obligation, we are shaped to see ourselves as competitive self-interested autonomous individuals trying to get ahead. We explore how freedom is defined within this framework and the overwhelm/stress it can generate, the increase in self blame, and the powerful cultural tides that make regular and sustainable participation in non-coercive communities really challenging. Shane is a co-leader of Fitzroy North Community Church in Melbourne and Michael is leader of Edge Kingsland, a church in Auckland. Shane's research draws on the work of Bruce Rogers-Vaughan and his book "Caring for Souls in a Neoliberal Age". Email: [email protected] Support: www.patreon.com/intheshift

Episode 109: Evangelicalism is having a moment.... some are calling it revival - but I think something else is going on here. This is a shorter episode (rather unplanned) on the contemporary Christian worship movement and the way it intersects with the revivalist hopes of Evangelicals/Pentecostals/Charismatics.  What we find is that these movements have come to shape many Christian's understanding of what "God's presence" feels like, and of what they believe a "move of God" will look/feel/sound like. And it is these very interpretations, definitions and yearnings that are coming to function as a smokescreen for fascism - both intentionally and unintentionally. 

Episode 108: Steff Fenton is author of the new book "Gender Expansive Faith: How Trans Lives are Illuminating the Divine, Transforming Feminism and Ending Christian Patriarchy." In this conversation we talk about Steff's journey of coming to terms with both their sexuality and then gender identity whilst also belonging to the church. We jump into a bunch of stuff including the distinctions between sex and gender, the spectrum and diversity of human experience, and the way in which strict gender binaries can create numerous problems for all humans. We also talk through some fascinating aspects of Jesus' reflection on marriage, eunuch's in the New Testament, the creation story in Genesis, and the gift that trans and non-binary folk can be to people of faith who are looking to find more expansive ways of seeing God and being human.  You can find out more about Steff's work here and you can buy (and review) their new book via Amazon. To support the work of In the Shift, you can go to https://www.patreon.com/intheshift 

Episode 107: This is the first in a series of conversations with Shane Meyer-Holt about the possibilities and challenges in building non-coercive communities and collectives. In particular, we're interested in what church looks like for those of us who feel done with high-control/high-demand forms of religion, who are unable to go back to certainty, who have no desire for the "carrot & stick" based motivations for community life, and who want  something much more inclusive. This is not a "fix-it" series for the church. We get that many in the wider church are actually pretty happy with the way things are and we are not trying to convince them to listen to us. Nor are we building the next idealised model for how we think church should be. This is a series for the people who want something different... and we are going to try and tackle the variety of cross pressures that occur in modern western neoliberal culture when we hope to build non-coercive communities of care and meaning.  In this episode Shane and I talk about the church communities we help to lead. Shane co-leads a church in the inner north of Melbourne, Aus (Fitzroy North Community Church) and I (Michael) lead a church in Auckland, NZ (Edge Kingsland). We talk about why we're still doing this kind of thing... and start to discuss the hopeful things and the profound challenges that arise when trying to build non-coercive community where people are able to be honest, to care about each other and to belong in meaningful ways.