Former Opus Dei member discusses the general method that Opus Dei uses to recruit young people.
BEST RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OPUS DEI:
*Best Websites*
_Odan.org_ (Opus Dei Awareness Network)
Best English language website about Opus Dei.
_Opuslibros.org_
Most comprehensive source for accurate information about Opus Dei. Includes many testimonies from former members. The “Correspondence,” “Your Writings,” and “Vocation Trap” sections are the most useful. It is a Spanish language website. However, by right-clicking and choosing “Translate to English,” Google provides a decent although imperfect translation.
*Best Books*
_Beyond the Threshold: A Life in Opus Dei_ , by Maria del Carmen Tapia.
The book Opus Dei hates more than any other. Ms. Tapia simply recounts her experiences of Opus Dei and Josemaria Escriva. The problem with this book, for Opus Dei, is that Ms. Tapia paints a picture of Josemaria Escriva which is very much at odds with the false hagiographies it pushes. And her writing is eminently believable. This book may be out of print, but used copies are generally available on Amazon.
_Saints & Schemers: Opus Dei and Its Paradoxes_ , Joan Estruch.
1994 Oxford University Press book that traces the many contradictions in Opus Dei’s telling of its early history. Out of print, but available used on Amazon.
_Opus Dei as Divine Revelation: Analysis of Its Theology and Its Consequences in Its History and People_ , E.B.E.
Former South American member of Opus Dei provides an accurate understanding of how Opus Dei sees itself. This book may be of interest principally to former members of Opus Dei. For anyone looking for a deep dive.
NOT RECOMMENDED
_Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church_ , John Allen, Jr.
John Allen is an excellent journalist. Unfortunately, he widely missed the mark in this book. Kudos to the Opus Dei PR team for dodging a bullet!
_Anything approved of or promoted by Opus Dei or its members_
These works are pure hagiographies and do not even mention (let alone explain or contextualize) Josemaria Escriva’s many and serious defects. The histories of Opus Dei written by Opus Dei members or sympathizers omit so many important details that they can only be described as materially false.
