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Richard Abanes (b. 1961) (IPA [ʌbɑnɪs]), who was known as Richie Abanes during his days as a professional singer, dancer, and actor, is an American writer. He is a bestselling and award-winning author/journalist specializing in the area of cults, the occult, world religions, pop culture, and the entertainment industry. Since 1994 he has authored/co-authored seventeen books (as of mid-2007) covering a broad range of topics relating to his fields of expertise. He also has written for most major Christian magazines including: Christianity Today, New Man Magazine, Christian Retailing, CBA Marketplace, Charisma and Christian Life, Moody Magazine, and the Christian Research Journal.

In 1997, Abanes won the Evangelical Press Association's "Higher Goals In Christian Journalism Award" for his article on various non-Christian faiths that appeared in Moody Magazine. Also in 1997, he was awarded "The Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in North America" for his "outstanding work on intolerance in North America" (for his book American Militias: Rebellion, Racism, and Religion). His bestselling books, according to Christian Bookseller's Association listings, include "Harry Potter and the Bible" and "The Truth Behind the DaVinci Code."

As an experienced lecturer on many religious topics, he has been a guest speaker at various events across America including those hosted by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Cal-Tech University/Skeptic Society, Mensa, California Baptist University, Biola University, and numerous churches. As a widely recognized authority on cults/religion, Abanes also has been interviewed on hundreds of radio/TV programs including California's KCAL News 9, Extra!, MSNBC, CNN, Hard Copy, The 700 Club, Fox-News (San Diego), The Bible Answer Man, and BBC Network.

Abanes is currently working on his first novel.

Rick Warren and The Purpose Driven Life

Abanes is perhaps best known for his book Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him (Harvest House, 2005), a volume that explores the life and teachings of Rick Warren ("America's Pastor"), who penned the mega-bestseller The Purpose Driven Life (Zondervan, 2002). Interestingly, the release of this book by Abanes produced a significant backlash from various strong believers who defend the faith who felt as if Abanes had betrayed "truth" by defending Warren against a wide variety of accusations that had been lodged against him including heresy. Abanes subsequently responded by venturing online to discuss the issues (e.g., at the well-known Challies.com blog). Abanes also began posting more pointed criticisms against Warren critics at his own website.

This controversy has since resulted in a kind of split within the "apologetic/counter-cult" community. Many individuals have sided with Abanes, while others have become extremely critical of him. Abanes’s supporters, for example, include some of the most notable and well-respected figures within the apologetic/counter-cult community (see Abanes's endorsements): Lee Strobel (author, The Case for Christ and The Case for a Creator); James Bjornstad (president, Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, and philosophy professor at Cedarville University); James K. Walker (president, Watchman Fellowship, Inc.); Dr. Ron Rhodes (president, Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries); and Luke P. Wilson (executive director, Institute for Religious Research). Those who have continued to oppose Abanes' ideas about Rick Warren include a bevy of discerning Christian ministries such as Deborah and David Dombrowski (Lighthouse Trails Research Project, http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com), . Ingrid Schlueter also has opposed Abanes' ideas about Rick Warren through her Slice of Laodicea blog (Schlueter is additionally involved with VCY America radio).

Abanes currently attends Saddleback Church (senior pastor, Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life), where he leads worship services and volunteers his time in various ministries. He also served on staff at Saddleback as its Creative Arts Director from 1998 to 2001.

Harry Potter

Abanes also is well-known for the words of caution he has voiced about the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. In addition to the many interviews and lectures he has given on this controversial subject, he has produced several resources on the issue including the bestselling Harry Potter and the Bible (Horizon Books, 2002) and Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings (Harvest House, 2005).

Contrary to what some secular writers have alleged, Abanes has never advocated or endorsed book banning or book burning in relation to the Harry Potter novels. He, in fact, has been an outspoken critic of such actions. His position has been that the Harry Potter series may be problematic for some young children because: 1) the books present certain real-world occult practices, viewpoints, and lore in an appealing way (for example, divination, alchemy, spiritualism); and 2) the series (Abanes believes) offers moral relativism as its ethical foundation.

Abanes's first concern is that some children might become so curious about real-world occultism that they will seek to emulate the occult practices they see in Harry Potter. His views are based on child developmental studies and the patterns of copycat behavior that have been exhibited by children/teens in the past in response to popular books, films, and TV programs (see Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings). Abanes's second concern is that some children might also begin to emulate the subjective morality he sees being exalted in the books by the "good" characters. According to Abanes, the unrelenting "bad" deeds of so-called good characters could be confusing to young children and ultimately set up an unclear sense of right and wrong for them.

Abanes’s books have become a resource some Christians use when researching Harry Potter and its relationship to the current controversies associated with children's literature, fantasy, the occult/pagan content of such material, and the influences of witchcraft, Wicca, and similar religions on today's youth. Abanes also has spoken out against the claims being made by some individuals within the Christian community (e.g., John Granger) that the Harry Potter series is actually some kind of "Christian" series of books akin to C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Abanes extensively covers this controversy in Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings (Harvest House, 2005).

The LDS Church

Abanes has written two books critical of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (2002) and Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st Century Mormonism (2004), which was re-titled Inside Today's Mormonism. These works, particularly On Nation Under Gods, have been criticized by faithful members of the Mormon Church for allegedly relying entirely on websites and anti-Mormon literature as primary sources of documentation, thus demonstrating on the part of Abanes an ignorance of existence scholarly works on the LDS Church.^[1] Abanes has additionally been criticized bydefenders of Mormonism for and labeling any anti-Mormon source as "excellent," but any pro-LDS source as "biased". ^[2] One Nation Under Gods also includes a complaint by Abanes that certain scholarly sources on the LDS Church are "misleading" due to their "use of historical, archaeological, and linguistic arguments unverifiable by persons not possessing higher education". ^[3]

Each of these accusations, however, appear to be without merit when one examines the actual documentation Abanes cites in both of his volumes.

One Nation Under Gods uses as its primary sources of documentation a wide array of official writings from the church and unofficial Mormon writings from well-respected leaders throughout LDS history. These sources are quoted extensively and form the bulk of references: Book of Mormon (original 1830 edition), Book of Mormon (modern edition), Articles of Faith, Book of Moses, Book of Abraham, Book of Commandments, Doctrine & Covenants, A Comprehensive History of the Church, Documentary History of the Church, Journal of Discourses, Millenial Star, The Latter-day Saints' Messenger & Advocate, Pearl of Great Price, and Times & Seasons. Mormon scholars and LDS church leaders extensively quoted include: Joseph Smith Jr. (Mormonism's founder), Brigham Young, Andrew Jenson, John Taylor, George Q. Cannon, Bruce McConkie, Ezra Taft Benson, B.H. Roberts, Joseph Fielding Smith, Parley Pratt, Orson Pratt, Gordon B. Hinckley, David O. McKay, Lucy Mack Smith (mother of Joseph Smith, Jr.), Martin Harris, David Whitmer, Heber C. Kimball,Orson Hyde, Wilford Woodruff. Academic sources referenced include a wide variety of books and articles written by recognized scholars and respected journalists such as David Bigler, Juanita Brooks, Fawn Brodie, Todd Compton, Robert Flanders, Robert Gottlieb and peter Wiley, Klaus Hansen, Roger D. Launius, Stephen LeSueur, William Linn, Michael marquardt, Armand Mauss, Brent Metcalfe, D. Michael Quinn, Jan Shipps, and Grant Underwood.

The internet URLs included in the endnotes of One Nation Under Gods are simply the websites where many of the above resources can be accessed by the general public. Moreover, the charge about Abanes calling pro-LDS websites "misleading" is not entirely accurate. The full statement by Abanes is in reference to a single pro-LDS organization called FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies). The full statement by Abanes with regard to FARMS reads: "under BYU auspices of BYU, highly scholarly site, seeks to validate Mormonism on an academic/intellectual level, highly biased, very unreliable, can be confusing to the average reader due to the use of technical terminology, often misleading due to its use of historical, archaeological, and linguistic arguments unverifiable by persons not possessing higher education."

As for Becoming Gods (re-titled as Inside Today's Mormonism), it heavily cites many of these same sources used in One Nation Under Gods, but pays more attention to the doctrinal statements they contain. In addition to the above sources, Becoming Gods also offers hundreds of quotations from contemporary defenders of Mormonism based at BYU (i.e., LDS scholars connected to the FARMS organization) and lay Mormon apologists connected to FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research). In this way, Abanes is able to interact from a theological perspective with the latest LDS arguments that support Mormon theological views. Interestingly, one of Mormonism's most notable apologists from Brigham Young University, Daniel Peterson (professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic), actually was given an entire appendix to write an essay titled "Why I Am A Mormon."

Early career

Richard Abanes, to the surprise of many readers, also is a professional singer, dancer, and actor (Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association). He started his show business career in local theater (Rockford, IL) at the age of thirteen and quickly gained recognition as a youth of great potential. He began doing semi-professional theater within a year, and during his high school years he was featured in many productions throughout Northern Illinois including: West Side Story, Fiddler On the Roof, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Abanes also became a featured dancer in the Rockford Dance Company, while simultaneously studying dance in Chicago with professional companies such as The Hubbard Street Dancers and Joel Hall Studios.

Within a year of graduating from high school Abanes moved to Nashville, TN where he worked as a featured performer at Opryland U.S.A. (eventually starring as George M. Cohan in For Me and My Gal). During his two years in Nashville, Abanes also appeared as a dancer in several Nashville-based TV specials (for example, "Merry Christmas from the Grand Ole Opry," 1980) and he was a featured dancer for the weekly NBC variety series Nashville Palace (1981).

Abanes subsequently moved to New York, where he landed a role in the "International" and "Bus & Truck" companies of the Broadway hit musical A Chorus Line. And, like other members of the cast, he was invited to perform the musical on Broadway when it became the longest running Broadway show of that era (1983). Soon afterward, Abanes was given a featured dance role on Broadway in the musical Dreamgirls. In the years that followed, Abanes was seen in a number of national television commercials (Canada Dry, Wendy's, Nissan), landed the lead role in two "After School Specials," and acted in a co-starring role in the movie Rappin. Additionally, Abanes starred in the Bill Moyers PBS special titled "The Constitution." While in New York, he continued his studies in dance with American Dance Machine, Alvin Ailey Dance Center, American Ballet Theater, Rick Atwell, Luigi's Jazz Center, and Ann Reinking.

Abanes left show business in 1987, believing that God had different plans for his life. Two years later (1989) he began working at the Southern California-based Christian Research Institute, the largest evangelical counter-cult organization in the world. He soon began writing for that ministry's Christian Research Journal and by 1994 had left the organization to pursue a new career as a full-time freelance journalist. His first book, co-authored with three other writers, was Prophets of the Apocalypse: David Koresh and Other American Messiahs (Baker Books, 1994).

Christian Music

In the music world, Abanes has continued using his professional experience and talents by producing Christian inspirational music. He initially produced two CDs of original Christian songs, some of which were co-written with his wife, Evangeline. His first album, Hold On (released January 1999), has sold more than 10,000 copies throughout the world via Christian bookstores, churches, and various Internet sites (equip.org, dogoodmusic.com, pastors.com, and encouragingmusic.com). His second album, Everlasting Love (released April 2001), has also sold very well.

Concerning his first CD, an April 1999 CBA Marketplace magazine review stated: "Richard's album Hold On strongly calls listeners to Christ . . . . The songs are mostly ballads featuring Abanes' wonderful and unique tenor over full, rich orchestrations . . . . Abanes' smooth, light voice soars easily, and the words are carefully crafted to tell each song's story." Secular music listeners seem to appreciate Richard's inspirational material nearly as much as persons within the religious community. For example, the July 2000 edition of South Florida's music review magazine, RAG, commented: "Abanes' unabashed love for Jesus is bound to soothe, heal, and inspire listeners. This CD has much value for those who are 'hooked on Jesus' as well as those who are open to it." Both of these projects were replaced in December 2004 by a third CD titled Jesus Loves You, which is a compilation of the best songs from his first two albums.

Bibliography

• He Is Risen: Refelctions On Easter & the Forty Days of Lent (ISBN 978-0446696791, 2008)
• Homeland Insecurity: A Novel (ISBN 0-7369-1469-2, 2007)
• What Every Parent Needs to Know About Video Games: A Gamer Explores the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Virtual World (ISBN 0-7369-1740-3, 2006)
• Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him: An Insider Looks at the Phenomenal Bestseller (ISBN 0-7369-1738-1, 2005)
• Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings: What You Need to Know About Fantasy Books and Movies (ISBN 0-7369-1700-4, 2005)
• The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code: A Challenging Response to the Bestselling Novel (ISBN 0-7369-1439-0; 2004)
• Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st Century Mormonism (ISBN 0-7369-1355-6; 2004); re-titled and re-covered as Inside Today's Mormonism (ISBN 0-7369-1968-6, 2007)
• One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (ISBN 1-56858-219-6; 2002); paperback edition (ISBN 1-56858-283-8, 2003)
• Fantasy and Your Family: Exploring the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Modern Magick (ISBN 0-87509-975-0, 2002); revised, updated, and expanded into Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings (see above).
• Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick (ISBN 0-88965-201-5; 2001)
• Defending the Faith: A Beginner's Guide to Cults and New Religions (ISBN 0-8010-5782-5, 1998)
• Cults, New Religious Movements, and Your Family: A Guide to Ten Non-Christian Groups Out to Convert Your Loved Ones (ISBN 0-89107-981-5, 1998)
• End-Time Visions: The Road to Armageddon? (ISBN 0-8054-1769-9); paperback edition titled End-Time Visions: The Doomsday Obsession (ISBN 0-8054-1965-9, 1998)
• American Militias: Rebellion, Racism & Religion (ISBN 0-8308-1368-3; 1996)
• Journey into the Light: Exploring Near-Death Experiences (ISBN 0-8010-5480-X, 1996)
• The Less Traveled Road and the Bible: A Scriptural Critique of the Philosophy of M. Scott Peck (ISBN 0-88965-117-5; 1995)
• Embraced by the Light and the Bible: Betty Eadie and Near-Death Experiences in the Light of Scripture (ISBN 0-88965-111-6, 1994)
• Prophets of the Apocalypse: David Koresh and Other American Messiahs (ISBN 0-8010-8367-2, 1994)

References

External links

• Main Richard Abanes Web Site
• Richard Abanes's BLOG
• Christian Authors Database

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