Urantia

Published in 1955 under the direction of cult leader Dr William Sadler, "The Urantia Book" is the largest work ever said to have been channelled by superbeings through human contactees. It differs from earlier channelled "bibles" in that it contains a vast amount of modern science as well as a detailed biography of Jesus Christ, complete with facts not found in the Gospels. As a result, many scientists and scholars are dedicated Urantians. In addition to discussing the beliefs of the Urantia cult, Gardner reveals two major developments that threaten to split the movement. He outlines how hundreds of Urantians now believe that they, too, are receiving their own messages from the celestials who are preparing Urantia (the cult's name for Earth) for a new revelation intended to usher in a utopia of "light and life," thus jeopardising the authority of "The Urantia Book". Gardner also addresses the extent to which Seventh-Day Adventist beliefs have penetrated the Urantia movement. He analyses the flaws in Urantian science and discusses allegations of plagiarism on the part of the authors of "The Urantia Book".

Martin Gardner is a founding Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).