Shashue Monrauch

Shashue Monrauch

Rich Philosophy

The Wound and the Worship: Where Cults Are Born

A reflection on John Brusseau’s diagnosis of our misplaced trust and the desert where God reclaims it.

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Shashue Monrauch
Mar 10, 2026
∙ Paid

Sometimes you encounter another’s words that feel pulled straight from your own silent observations of the world. This article had that effect on me.

I’ve distilled it below, in my own terms, to process it more deeply.

Read John’s full piece. I’m only pulling threads; he provides the entire tapestry.

John Brusseau
HOW TO FORM A CULT OF PERSONALITY
HOW TO FORM A CULT OF PERSONALITY How does a group of people who began as people who felt God’s love and followed Jesus become a cult of personality following a man into spiritual death? Most people believe that the reason this happens is that the religious system these people existed within was non-denominational. And without the support and protection of a larger religious system and its policies and regulations, this opened them up to the seduction of an evil person. And certainly it will always be more difficult to seduce a larger group of people and more groups of people than a smaller group of people. This is an obvious thing. Yet, the policies and regulations of denominational systems do not actually prevent the rise of a cult of personality. There have been many such cults that have taken shape within denominational settings. And they are simply hidden by the denominational system. Many of us have run into leaders who compulsively make everything about themselves and insist …
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2 months ago · John Brusseau
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