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THE KABALARIAN PHILOSOPHY: Charismatic Control and Sexual Convictions

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THE KABALARIAN PHILOSOPHY: Charismatic Control and Sexual Convictions THE KABALARIAN PHILOSOPHY: Charismatic Control and Sexual Convictions A dissertation suBmitted to the School of History, Philosophy, ReliGion, and Classics, University of Queensland in fulfillment of the requirements for the DeGree of Doctor of Philosophy Renée Anne Brodie August 2004 Declaration The work presented in this thesis is, to the Best of my knowledGe and Belief, oriGinal and my own work, except as acknowledGed in the text. This material has not Been suBmitted, either in whole or in part, for a deGree at this or any other university. Renée Anne Brodie ii Dedicated to my amazinGly patient and always cherished family, Carl and Lorraine, Blair and Roxanne, Michelle, Sean, Mackenzie and Piper, To my inspirationally humorous friends, Ayla, Rich, Joanne, Jason, Allison, and NiGel, And to my wonderfully lovinG and devoted husBand and cinq-cent partner forever, Frédéric. Merci. iii Abstract OperatinG in relative anonymity throuGhout its seventy year lonG history, the KaBalarian Philosophy is a Canadian New ReliGious Movement that Became known to the puBlic durinG the much puBlicized criminal trial of its most recent leader, Ivon ShearinG. CharGed with twenty counts of sexually Based offenses including rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault, a jury found ShearinG Guilty of sexually violatinG the riGhts of many of his female devotees. The violence ShearinG perpetrated aGainst his own memBers in a reliGious settinG BrouGht to the forefront several interestinG dynamics and questions, includinG ShearinG’s aBility to convince memBers to suBmit to his sexual demands. To reveal ShearinG’s exploitative actions, the contriButinG factors that enaBled him to enGaGe in aBusive Behavior for twenty years need critical analysis and detailed understandinG. This study, therefore, explores the theoretical models that characterize and outline charisma and charismatic authority, sexual violence, and power differentials that coalesced to Give rise to an environment where Ivon Shearing was able to sexually manipulate his followers. While the theoretical models do help in creatinG a model potentially capaBle of predictinG situations of sexual violence, the KaBalarian Philosophy’s case identifies a siGnificant obstacle in estaBlishinG a foolproof predictive model: memBers Gave no outward indications that they were in a sexually aBusive environment. The failure to Be aBle to apply a predictive model of violence in the KaBalarians’ case, however, does present the opportunity to explore the Breakdown of control within the movement that led to outside aGencies discoverinG the onGoinG aBuse. Moreover, the research Gained when examininG the KaBalarian Philosophy also shows how ShearinG used his charismatic authority and control to demand adherence to his unconventional rituals. By relyinG on reputedly esoteric doctrine to ultimately justify his actions, ShearinG was aBle to imBue profane acts with an aura of sacred importance iv convincinGly. Since the imaGe of perfection ShearinG portrayed was so skillfully maintained, had the internal controls restrictinG memBers’ interaction with each other not waned, his secretive aBuse could have continued indefinitely. This analysis explores each of the elements and unique features of the KaBalarian Philosophy to see how Ivon ShearinG was aBle to manipulate the movement’s teachinGs and Beliefs to enGaGe in the sexual exploitation and aBuse of his female devotees. v Acknowledgements I readily admit that without the onGoinG and continuous proddinG, pleadinG, BarGaininG, (occasionally) threateninG, and supportive comments from my supervisors, mentors, family, and friends, I would still Be workinG on paGe one of this dissertation. For the momentous achievement of providinG me motivation to actually write, alBeit sporadically, thank you to all. You know who you are. Specifically, I wish to thank Dr. Lynne Hume, whose patience, perspective, and insiGhts were invaluaBle to me, as was her mountain retreat. HavinG read countless drafts of my work, she far exceeded her role as supervisor and Became a source of encouraGement and wisdom, especially when confronted with obstacles that seemed overwhelminG. To Dr. Ehud Ben Zvi, who has watched over me and taken an interest in my studies from my first year of university. Thank you for never lettinG me forGet my Goals and always BelievinG in me, even when I faltered. Thanks also Go to Dr. Janja Lalich and Dr. James Richardson, whose comments have sharpened my arGuments, provided critical analysis, and made me realize that there is always more than one perspective. My heartfelt thanks also Go to Dr. Stephen Kent, a truly exceptional teacher, mentor, and friend. Over the last nine years, you have shown me unwaverinG support and have always Guided me with inteGrity, humor, and a dedication to fairness that is as inspirational as it is unparalleled. I am Grateful that you took me under your winG and encouraGed me to pursue projects that forced me to ask difficult questions and learn from them, despite the answers. And to Frédéric, my Beloved husBand, thank you for always BeinG there and GivinG me support when I did not think I could make it. Your love has allowed me to follow my dreams and I have Been lucky enouGh to have had you travel the journey with me. Your sacrifices mean more to me than I can express. vi Table of Contents Page Declaration ii Dedication iii Abstract iv AcknowledGements vi PREFACE 1 INTRODUCTION 2 PART ONE: THE KABALARIAN PHILOSOPHY 11 Chapter One: An Historical Overview 12 History of the Movement 23 ShearinG as New Leader of the KaBalarian Philosophy 55 Chapter Two: Kabalarian Beliefs 61 The KaBBalah 61 Basic KaBalistic Wisdom 67 The Mind 74 Theological Beliefs 78 The KaBalarian Creed 78 The Evolution and Development of KaBalarian Beliefs Under Shearing’s Leadership 92 Law of Cycles 96 Planes of Mind 99 Reincarnation 101 vii PART TWO: CHARISMA, VIOLENCE, AND POWER 104 Chapter Three: Defining ‘Cults’ and New Religious Movements –- A Question of Perspective? 105 DefininG ‘Cult’ 110 Definitional Limitations 121 Towards an ABsolute Definition? 129 Chapter Four: Sexual Violence within New Religious Movements 131 Collective and Individualistic Violence 135 Exogenous and Endogenous Factors 138 Familial Parallels and Sexual Control 141 Can a Paradigm be Created? 160 Chapter Five: The Charismatic Paradigm 165 An Overview of Charisma, Commitment, and Connection 168 Weber and Charisma 168 Other Perspectives of Charisma 171 Chapter Six: The Structure of Power: Charisma, Commitment, and Connection 197 PART THREE: THEORETICAL APPLICATION 214 Chapter Seven: The Kabalarian Philosophy as Focus Case Study 215 The Trial Transcripts: An Overview 216 How Does The KaBalarian Philosophy Compare? 218 CONCLUSION 261 BIBLIOGRAPHY 273 viii Preface On the rarest of occasions, opportunity really does come knockinG. So it was, when Stephen Kent awoke me from my reveries By rappinG on the seminar taBle Before class. KnowinG that I was interested in pursuinG my Ph.D., Steve arranGed a meetinG with me after class to discuss possiBle topics of interest. DurinG that meetinG, I concluded that I would Be interested in lookinG at a Canadian New ReliGious Movement that I had not formed any preconceptions aBout. He handed me a newspaper clippinG with the headinG, “Woman felt honored By sex with KaBalarian” By Brian Morton, which prompted me to ask him aBout the Group and its leader. With a knowinG smile, Steve encouraGed me to find out the answers to my own questions: and so, my research into the KaBalarian Philosophy BeGan. AlthouGh I did not realize at the outset that in explorinG the KaBalarians I would be dealing deal with issues of charisma, authority, power, and sexuality, over the course of my research these aspects emerGed as fundamental to understandinG the Group and the events that led up to its leader BeinG convicted on numerous counts of rape and sexual assault. These elements also happen to Be central issues of deBate in the onGoinG “cult wars,” and therefore were frauGht with polemics, so much so that it seemed you needed a scorecard to keep track of the arGuments, the reButtals, and the reButtals to the reButtals. It was within this controversial arena, however, that I wished to add my voice, however small, and share what I discovered aBout the KaBalarian Philosophy. In the process, I learned perhaps the most important lesson that dissertation research could lead to: that “[c]ults are a Genuine expression of reliGious freedom deservinG toleration … [But] [a]t the same time, they are opportunities for unchecked exploitation of followers By leaders deservinG civic scrutiny” (ZaBlocki and RobBins, 2001:x). Perhaps we should all learn from opportunity knockinG. 1 Introduction “It is obvious that the world needs a new reliGion, one of truth and logical facts, one whose reality could Be estaBlished in the lives of men.” Alfred J. Parker, Hidden Forces, 19771 In the early part of the 1930s, a man livinG in Vancouver By the name of Alfred J. Parker Believed that he had a mission in life that he needed to share with the world. He wanted to “blend … , unite … , and thus balance … [the Beliefs and principles of Eastern and Western thouGht] throuGh understandinG, [so that the merGinG of the two worldviews] … would provide the world with a perfect reliGion, a philosophy of life in its entirety” (Kabalarian Philosophy, “History,” 1999). This altruistic statement marked the foundation of the Group called the KaBalarian Philosophy, which, over its seventy-year lonG history, has had only two leaders: Alfred Parker and his successor, Ivon ShearinG. These two men, however, estaBlished a movement that durinG ShearinG’s leadership tenure, reveal a sexually exploitative Group whose leader actively created situations of aBuse. For this reason, studyinG ShearinG’s actions presented an unparalleled opportunity to explore reliGious violence and the way that outsiders came to discover such violence. A siGnificant question asked durinG the course of this research, was whether this study could estaBlish a predictive model that enaBled outsiders to Become aware of potential situations of violence, or if the creation of such a model was impossiBle without insiders revealinG the truth to an outside aGency.
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