"Immorality and Immortality"? Salvation and Scandal at Michigan's House of David
The House of David, a Christian Israelite commune founded in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1903, attracted believers who surrendered all assets and lived as celibate vegetarians in exchange for community, economic security, and the promise of immortality. The colony grew famous for its popular basebal...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Nova religio
Year: 2024, Volume: 28, Issue: 1, Pages: 5-33 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Benton Harbor, Mich.
/ New religion
/ Religious freedom
/ Legal conflict
/ History 1927-1969
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| IxTheo Classification: | CH Christianity and Society KBQ North America KDH Christian sects TK Recent history XA Law |
| Further subjects: | B
House of David
B communal society B First Amendment B Intentional Community B Sex B Scandal B new religion B Christian Israelite B Michigan |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The House of David, a Christian Israelite commune founded in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1903, attracted believers who surrendered all assets and lived as celibate vegetarians in exchange for community, economic security, and the promise of immortality. The colony grew famous for its popular baseball teams, orchestras, and amusement park. It also became notorious after a series of lawsuits charged leader Benjamin Purnell (1861–1927) of being a fraud who had swindled believers out of their life savings and perpetrated "gross immoralities" upon young women. This article analyzes why the colony was dogged by controversy and asks what that reveals about why critics have sought to delegitimize new religious movements. It argues that the House of David attracted scrutiny not only because of its distinctive lifestyle and theology, but also because it did not fit prevailing definitions of what a religion should look like. |
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| ISSN: | 1541-8480 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Nova religio
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/nvr.2024.a935561 |