Rick Ross / The Rick A. Ross Institute

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Since starting his anti-cult work in 1985, Rick Ross has become a well-known anti-cult consultant and intervention specialist. He heads The Rick A. Ross Institute for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements, a “nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization devoted to public education and research.”

Like most people involved in anticult work, Ross primarily deals with a group’s behavior rather than with its theology. (People involved in countercult work, on the other hand, address a group’s theology - as well as its behavior. On the difference between the anticult- and the countercult approach, see this information at our sister web site CultFAQ.org).

However, while Rick Ross has stated that no religious, political or personal agenda motivates the opening of a file on a given person or group he appears to focus much of his attention on

1. what Christian apologists and countercult ministers would refer to as cults of Christianity (often referred to as “Bible-based cults” - group or organization whose central teachings and/or practices are claimed to be biblical, but which are in fact unbiblical), and
2. Messianic Jewish groups and organizations - movements of Jewish people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior and as the promised Messiah

Indeed, Ross’ anticult crusade started with his opposition to a Messianic organization that had, he says, ‘infiltrated’ his grandmother’s nursing home:

Rick Ross never thought twice about cults until, he says, one infiltrated the staff of his grandmother’s nursing home and tried to indoctrinate her. Ross says he exposed the cult and the workers were fired … and a career was born.

That was back in 1982. Since then the Jersey-based consultant has made a career of researching, testifying and lecturing about cults, as well as performing interventions with victims.- Who you gonna call? Cultbusters!, The Morning Call, Oct. 7, 2005

Ross’ concern for his grandmother was understandable:

“I went over for lunch one day, and she was upset. I asked, ‘What happened, Bubie?’ and she said, ‘That meshugana is yelling at me how I’m going to burn in hell.’” Ross learned that the nursing home’s program coordinator was a fan of Jewish Voice Broadcast, a radio program that proselytizes Jews to accept Christ as the messiah. Other residents confirmed that they were getting mail from groups such as Jews for Jesus. Ross was outraged, and he organized the Jewish leaders in his temple to do something about it.

It piqued his interest in extremist organizations. Three years later, Ross dedicated himself full-time to the study of cult groups and deprogramming.- Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlatans, Phoenix New Times, Nov. 30, 1995

It should be noted that the term cult can be defined theologically and/or sociologically.

• Sociological definitions of the term ‘cult’ …
  

  …include consideration of such factors as authoritarian leadership patterns, loyalty and commitment mechanisms, lifestyle characteristics, [and] conformity patterns (including the use of various sanctions in connection with those members who deviate). Source: Ronald Enroth, "What Is a Cult?" in A Guide to Cults and New Religions, e.d. Ronald Enroth (Downers Grove, Ill,: InterVarsity 1983), p14

• Theological definitions of the term ‘cult’ make note of the reasons why a particular group’s beliefs and/or practices are considered unorthodox - that is, in conflict with the body of essential teachings of the movement the group compares itself to.

Part: 1 2

Rick Ross - Problems with various cult experts

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