Hi it’s Kerene again! Whilst researching for information for the presentation based on the suicide cult leader, it was designated that I was to research the area of the cult of Jim Jones ‘ distinctively religious practices’. The other areas being discussed by the other members of the group are:‘ what were the principle teachings of the organisation, what were the aims of the group, and to what extent were they achieved? What was the group’s attitude to death and dying? What were the positive features of the movement, and why? To what extent did the media report events fairly and accurately?’ and finally ‘ should the group’s end be described as suicide, murder or martyrdom? Give reasons.’
Whilst trying to find information on the Jonestown cult and their religious practices it became evident that they at one time were apparently Orthodox in practice and beliefs. Jim Jones was an ordained minister in the ‘Disciples of Christ’ a mainstream denomination[1]. Their beliefs can be found on their official website. http://www.disciples.org/discover/believe/.[2] Their beliefs thus far (though they are not in great excess declared), are not contrary to the beliefs of Christianity. It is apparent therefore that Jim Jones was himself at some point, not openly hostile to the Christian message or else he couldn’t have been ordained. Though later it appears that he questioned the authority of the scriptural canon, which can be seen in such links that shortly follow, which consist of Jones attempting a presentation in which he tries to prove that the Bible is a source of contradiction and therefore not infallible. (See following link for his argument, though to be warned, his argument is rather weak and a lot of what he tries to argue is taken out of the context of the passage he is trying to refute.) http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/letter-rev.htm [3]
Though his group was originally a mixed- race Pentecostal church, their main emphasis was not focused on the typical church agenda, which is the commission Jesus Christ gave to His disciples which was to ‘go into all of the world and preach the gospel to every creature.[4]’ Rather than preaching a gospel that commanded ‘ repentance’ for sins and to trust in Christ as the atonement for sins, he had a social gospel. This in essence was their religious practice. Not to do the work of evangelism, but rather it was a failed attempt to bring a form of utopia on earth[5]. In 1974 their religious practice was made manifest by the development of a ‘ socialist’ community, which was dubbed ‘ Jonestown’[6]. However it was here that his evident departure from Orthodoxy became overt in public manifestations, such as ‘ sexual practices with members of the community’[7] and non of the members having a Bible.
Peter Akerback argues that the ideology of Jonestown was neither ‘ millenarian’, ‘messianic’ focused or ‘ apocalyptic’ rather their ideology was a “black” and “white” ‘ divine socialism and the idea of justice and equality’. Therefore they had no real ‘distinctively religious practices’ other than creating and attempting to uphold a social equality between all peoples.
[1] Stephen J. Stein,Alternative American Religions ( New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 139
[2] Disciples of Christ: Christian Church, 2007 <http://www.disciples.org/discover/believe/> [ accessed 23 November 2007] (para. 1 of 1.)
[3] Jim Jones, The Letter Killeth , June 2004 , <http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/letter-rev.htm> [accessed 23 November 2007]
[4] Bible gateway Mark 16:15, 1995- 2007, <http://www.biblegateway.com/> [accessed 23 November 2007]
[5] Stein, p. 139.
[6] Stein pp. 139-140.
[7] Stein p. 140
Whilst trying to find information on the Jonestown cult and their religious practices it became evident that they at one time were apparently Orthodox in practice and beliefs. Jim Jones was an ordained minister in the ‘Disciples of Christ’ a mainstream denomination[1]. Their beliefs can be found on their official website. http://www.disciples.org/discover/believe/.[2] Their beliefs thus far (though they are not in great excess declared), are not contrary to the beliefs of Christianity. It is apparent therefore that Jim Jones was himself at some point, not openly hostile to the Christian message or else he couldn’t have been ordained. Though later it appears that he questioned the authority of the scriptural canon, which can be seen in such links that shortly follow, which consist of Jones attempting a presentation in which he tries to prove that the Bible is a source of contradiction and therefore not infallible. (See following link for his argument, though to be warned, his argument is rather weak and a lot of what he tries to argue is taken out of the context of the passage he is trying to refute.) http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/letter-rev.htm [3]
Though his group was originally a mixed- race Pentecostal church, their main emphasis was not focused on the typical church agenda, which is the commission Jesus Christ gave to His disciples which was to ‘go into all of the world and preach the gospel to every creature.[4]’ Rather than preaching a gospel that commanded ‘ repentance’ for sins and to trust in Christ as the atonement for sins, he had a social gospel. This in essence was their religious practice. Not to do the work of evangelism, but rather it was a failed attempt to bring a form of utopia on earth[5]. In 1974 their religious practice was made manifest by the development of a ‘ socialist’ community, which was dubbed ‘ Jonestown’[6]. However it was here that his evident departure from Orthodoxy became overt in public manifestations, such as ‘ sexual practices with members of the community’[7] and non of the members having a Bible.
Peter Akerback argues that the ideology of Jonestown was neither ‘ millenarian’, ‘messianic’ focused or ‘ apocalyptic’ rather their ideology was a “black” and “white” ‘ divine socialism and the idea of justice and equality’. Therefore they had no real ‘distinctively religious practices’ other than creating and attempting to uphold a social equality between all peoples.
[1] Stephen J. Stein,Alternative American Religions ( New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 139
[2] Disciples of Christ: Christian Church, 2007 <http://www.disciples.org/discover/believe/> [ accessed 23 November 2007] (para. 1 of 1.)
[3] Jim Jones, The Letter Killeth , June 2004 , <http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/letter-rev.htm> [accessed 23 November 2007]
[4] Bible gateway Mark 16:15, 1995- 2007, <http://www.biblegateway.com/> [accessed 23 November 2007]
[5] Stein, p. 139.
[6] Stein pp. 139-140.
[7] Stein p. 140
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