Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International

by Charlene L. Edge

Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International(TM) is Charlene Edge's riveting memoir about the power of words to seduce, betray, and, in her case, eventually save. After a personal tragedy left her bereft, teenaged Charlene rejected faith and family when recruiters drew her into The Way International, a sect led by the charismatic Victor Paul Wierwille. The Way became one of the largest cults in America. Charlene gave it seventeen years of her life. Believing that God led her to Wierwille, she underwent his intensive two-year training program, The Way Corps, designed to produce loyal leaders. When Wierwille warned of a possible government attack, she prepared to live off the grid. She ignored warning signs of Wierwille's paranoia and abuse--he condemned dissenters as the Devil's agents, he required followers to watch pornography, he manipulated Corps into keeping his secrets in a "lock box," he denied the Holocaust, and he surrounded himself with bodyguards. She married a Corps graduate and they served across the United States as Way leaders, funneling money into Wierwille's bursting coffers and shunning anyone who criticized him. As obedient Way Corps, they raised their child to believe the doctrines of Wierwille, the cult's designated "father in the Word." Eventually Charlene was promoted to the inner circle of biblical researchers, where she discovered devastating secrets: Wierwille twisted texts of Scripture to serve his personal agenda, shamelessly plagiarized the work of others, and misrepresented the purpose of his organization. Worst of all, after Wierwille died in 1985, shocking reports surfaced of his secret sex ring. Amid chaos at The Way's Ohio-based headquarters, Charlene knew she had to escape--for her own survival and her child's. Reading like a novel, Undertow is not only a brilliant cautionary tale about misplaced faith but also an exposE of the hazards of fundamentalism and the destructive nature of cults. Through her personal story, Charlene Edge shows how a vulnerable person can be seduced into following an authoritarian leader and how difficult it can be to find a way out.

Genres: Cults, Nonfiction, Memoir, Cult Classics

474 pages, Paperback

Published March 26, 2017

About the author

Updated March 9, 2022

CHARLENE L. EDGE’s latest book is From the Porch to the Page: A Guidebook for the Writing Life. Published March 23, 2022.
https://charleneedge.com/from-the-por...

She’s also the author of the award-winning memoir, Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International. Edge was a leader in The Way and gave it seventeen years of her life.

Later she earned a B.A. in English Literature from Rollins College, graduating summa cum laude, and worked for more than a decade as a writer in the software industry.

Edge is a published flash fiction writer and award-winning poet, a contributor to the blog for The Florida Writers Association in which she is an active member, and is also a member of the Authors Guild and the International Cultic Studies Association.

Charlene lives in Florida with her husband, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Rollins College, Dr. Hoyt L. Edge. She blogs about their world travels, the writing life, fundamentalism, cults, and other topics at: https://charleneedge.com

Charlene is not on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undertow is a gift to young people and their families who want to understand the inner workings of fundamentalist cults. Charlene Edge's experience parallels much of my own twelve years as a follower of Victor Paul Wierwille's ministry. Undertow sheds light on the decisions, questions and longings that she encountered, and ultimately worked her way through. In the words of Canadian author Matshona Dhliwaho, "Books are kinder teachers than experience." May Undertow be a kinder teacher to you than Charlene's seventeen years in The Way International were to her.

[Sara Farias · Rating 5 out of 5]

To use some old Way jargon, this book was healing.

I was born into the Way in 1984. My parents were the short-lived country coordinators of Brazil. I always felt that something was off, but for many years I concluded the one that was off was me. Charlene is an exceptional writer who drives home an important message. Free thinkers are dangerous in all the necessary ways. Yes, Charlene. That emperor is naked and his privates are flapping in the wind! I'm glad you had the nerve to speak out. Your depth of introspection astounds me knowing you consciously repressed it for so many years and creativity with your metaphors and word-play would fool me into thinking you had no lack of gumption in creation yourself.

[Nikee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written and fascinating

I've read a few books about escapes from cults and this is the most well-written so far. The author writes clearly about emotional and chaotic events. She makes it easy to understand how someone could get hooked into a cult without realizing that's what it is.

Her story is also different from others I've read in a few ways. She spent years working on an intellectual and spiritual task of great import. At least, that is what she was lead to believe.

There is no mention of child abuse, either, like in so many others. That's not to say there isn't abuse; there is. While the abuse is traumatic, it isn't gut-wrenching physical torment. What physical abuse there is in the book is not detailed, at least in part because she was unaware of it as it was happening.

I am glad I read this book and reccomend it.

[Thing Two · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed thoughts on this.

After Charlene’s mother died when she was in high school, she seeks solace from various people/religions, eventually getting sucked in to what appeared to her to be a conservative/fundamentalist Christian denomination called The Way. The story, for the most part, is very readable, but (I believe in an attempt to be accurate, and not misrepresent conversations) she sails thru numerous conflicting scenes without giving the reader much on which to chew. As I said, it’s not difficult to read, I had no trouble covering 400+ pages on a weekend, but it lacks the spark to make it memorable.

[Darlyn Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Christian who grew up in the Southeastern United States during the 1970s, I related heavily to Charlene Edge's passionate naivete and devotion to her faith, if not her involvement with a fundamentalist cult. There but for the grace of God, go I, as they say. It was therefore fascinating to read about her gradual awakening and escape in this riveting cautionary tale. Whatever your faith or lack thereof, this is a page-turning story.

[Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book after being in the Way for 20 years. My husband and I were lucky to move to his family farm back in 1982 after living at headquarters for over 5 years. I was honored by her respectful account of her days with the ministry, and her truth about every thing she documented in her book. She is a lovely woman that I felt close to in so many ways.

[Kenneth Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heart-wrenching account of the author's recruitment into The Way cult, her significant investment in its ministry, and painful departure. Her story follows what has become a well-known pattern of cultic recruitment and practices, recently exposed in allegedly orthodox/fundamentalist/evangelical churches, too.
Skillfully written account, highly recommended!

[Jill Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough narrative of a young woman’s induction into a cult, its inner workings, her epiphanies, and her exit. A little bit of some additional editing would’ve helped the story move along, but otherwise, Edge navigates us through the life stages of cult membership quite effectively. Very readable

[Dru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an interesting book into the Way cult. How people could get sucked into that is unbelievable. Lots of facts.

[Nilda R. Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

Book was well written. I couldn't put it down because the author was so honest and topic was so interesting

[Kimster]

Dull read.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has ever lost someone to a cult...

[Marilyn Shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend

Beautifully written memoir that pulls the reader into the life-sucking world of a cult and one woman’s resilience to crawl out of the undertow to a rewarding life

[Dorothy Saatkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a surprise. I expected drama, angst, perhaps scandal. There was all that, but it was primarily an intellectual journey, self discovery and self awakening. To me it is an argument for an education that includes critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and a wide knowledge base. The goal of helping young people as they mature to evaluate arguments and make decisions based on knowledge should be primary.

[Enigmaticblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, and it really explains how someone can get sucked into a group and part of why they stay.

[Sarah Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep, I was there too...

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read, having known The Way in the 1980s and been involved with a group that has some some similar challenges. I would not classify The Way As “Fundamentalist” they certainly did not hold to the definition of fundamentalist in the traditional sense.