Since my article "Covenant Community: A failed promise" was picked up by Cultic Studies Journal several people have asked whether I thought that covenant communities such as People of Praise, The Word of God, Alleluia!, Sword of the Spirit, etc. are cults. Even though there seem to be 'cultish' aspects to them, I doubt that they are. Members are free to read the papers, go to the church of their choice, vote Republican or Democrat, work for secular firms, and join Rotary or Kiwanis. There is no physical restraint.
The restraints are spiritual. Members fear spiritual consequences if they leave -- loss of faith, falling into the hand of the devil, the moral corruption of their children, and so on. (And many legitimately fear the loss of friendships if they leave.)
The problem is not that these communities are cults but that they are founded on a heresy, specifically an ecclesiological heresy. I don't say that they teach heresy. Because these communities don't teach any Christian doctrine, they don't explicitly teach anything heretical. What they do teach, however, is based on a false understanding of the Church, the people of God. In fact their failure to teach any doctrine, heretical or orthodox, is one sign of the underlying heresy.
What is this heresy? The covenant communities falsely believe that the people of God, the Body of Christ, is constituted by the decisions of individuals to join into a 'fellowhip of the perfect'. They do not claim, of course, that members are perfect, but they do believe that Christian perfection—holiness—is achieved by living fully the life of the community under the direction of charismatic leaders, leaders whose authority flows not from ordination but from their own gifts (See Steve Clark's book Unordained Elders and Renewal Communities).
We see this manifested in a variety of ways. Steve Clark once stated (in writing) that members of the community can be holy only to the extent that their leaders are holy. The Word of God in Ann Arbor was named so because they believed that their community was to a just that—God's word spoken to the state of Michigan and to the whole Church. Paul DeCelles, overall coordinator of the People of Praise, said in 1984, in response to the questions 'who are we and what is our work?': "We are the People of God. Our work is to renew the face of the earth." These are claims only the Church can make. In his community's publication The Vine and the Branches, he once explained that he did not want the oversight of the local bishop, because it would not be helpful to have an "outside organization" involved in the life of the community. The Church is an "outside organization"?
So the fundamental problem with these covenant communities is not that they are cults but that they are heretical.
Showing posts with label People of Praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People of Praise. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
What is a Covenant Community?
A covenant community is a religious group whose members bind themselves to one another and to the group by a solemn agreement called a covenant.
The group may be members of one religious faith, e.g., Roman Catholic or Episcopalian or the group may be diverse in religious affiliations.
Usually, members maintain affiliation in their own Church or denomination while also belonging to the covenant community.
While an individual normally belongs to other groups outside his parish or congregation, e.g., Knights of Columbus, Right to Life, United Religious Community. etc., the covenant community claims to be the central commitment of the individual supplanting the relationship which already exists with one's Church or denomination.
Covenant communities have their own ecclesiatical structure, rituals, rights of passage, mores for prescriptive and proscriptive behavior, identified roles for each individual, a common understanding of language within the group, a "consciousness of kind" and a "we / they" mentality. Sometimes members live in "common" either in the group as a whole or in individual households. Households in this context, are often composed of a group of singles, a married couple with their family and some singles or a number of families. Everyone has someone to whom they are personally submitted in all aspects of one's life. Women usually hold a subordinate role and are rarely leaders. An exception to this was the Mother of God Community in the DC area which was founded and led by two women. This group was disbanded by the local Catholic bishop. In this case, the local bishop had the authority to do this as the group claimed to be Roman Catholic. Ecumenical groups recognize no such authority except within their own groups.
The Covenant Community movement began in the late 1960's and early 1970's with the founding of The Word of God Community in Ann Arbor, Michigan, True House Community and the People of Praise in South Bend, Indiana. Related communities grew up in Newark, Augusta, Minneapolis, Pittsburg, Phoenix, LA, Honolulu, San Francisco, and several other places. There were some communities not related to this tradition founded in Dallas and Cincinnati.
They took their inspiration and many of their ideas and practices from the Church of the Redeemer (an Episcopal Parish) in Houston and from the Gulf Coast Fellowship (non-denominational), which introduced the ideas of shepherding and discipleship.
The impetus and key to the original success to these groups was the Charismatic Renewal. Not all individuals who were or are part of the Charismatic Renewal, however, were drawn into covenant communities. Originally, the founders of The Word of God and the People of Praise tried to use the Cursillo Movement as a basis. This was not successful. When the Charismatic Renewal came about, the opportunity arose for the Renewal to supply the needed individuals for the formation of the major covenant communities. Charismatics were looking for a way to live out a more charismatic Christian life.
The Charismatic Renewal itself is a movement marked by experiential and enthusiastic approach to the faith, manifestations of Charismatic spiritual gifts (tongues, healing, prophesy, etc.), prayer groups where prayer is often personal and spontaneous. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II have recognized the Charismatic Renewal as an authentic enrichment of the Church's life. Initiation into the Charismatic Renewal for individuals was often through Life in the Spirit Seminars which culminated in being "Baptized in the Holy Spirit". Another name for the Charismatic Renewal is "Catholic Pentecostalism".
As Covenant Communities developed, various problems emerged:
1. Authoritarian self-appointed leadership;
2. Excessive control of individual's lives and consciences;
3. Elitism and an attitude of superiority with respect to "ordinary" Christians;
4. Subservient role of women;
5. Devaluation of Church hierarchy and sacraments;
6. Financial exploitation;
7. In some cases sexual inappropriateness and arranged marriages.
These problems have been addressed in a variety of places: National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter, Washington Post, Cultic Studies Journal.
The group may be members of one religious faith, e.g., Roman Catholic or Episcopalian or the group may be diverse in religious affiliations.
Usually, members maintain affiliation in their own Church or denomination while also belonging to the covenant community.
While an individual normally belongs to other groups outside his parish or congregation, e.g., Knights of Columbus, Right to Life, United Religious Community. etc., the covenant community claims to be the central commitment of the individual supplanting the relationship which already exists with one's Church or denomination.
Covenant communities have their own ecclesiatical structure, rituals, rights of passage, mores for prescriptive and proscriptive behavior, identified roles for each individual, a common understanding of language within the group, a "consciousness of kind" and a "we / they" mentality. Sometimes members live in "common" either in the group as a whole or in individual households. Households in this context, are often composed of a group of singles, a married couple with their family and some singles or a number of families. Everyone has someone to whom they are personally submitted in all aspects of one's life. Women usually hold a subordinate role and are rarely leaders. An exception to this was the Mother of God Community in the DC area which was founded and led by two women. This group was disbanded by the local Catholic bishop. In this case, the local bishop had the authority to do this as the group claimed to be Roman Catholic. Ecumenical groups recognize no such authority except within their own groups.
The Covenant Community movement began in the late 1960's and early 1970's with the founding of The Word of God Community in Ann Arbor, Michigan, True House Community and the People of Praise in South Bend, Indiana. Related communities grew up in Newark, Augusta, Minneapolis, Pittsburg, Phoenix, LA, Honolulu, San Francisco, and several other places. There were some communities not related to this tradition founded in Dallas and Cincinnati.
They took their inspiration and many of their ideas and practices from the Church of the Redeemer (an Episcopal Parish) in Houston and from the Gulf Coast Fellowship (non-denominational), which introduced the ideas of shepherding and discipleship.
The impetus and key to the original success to these groups was the Charismatic Renewal. Not all individuals who were or are part of the Charismatic Renewal, however, were drawn into covenant communities. Originally, the founders of The Word of God and the People of Praise tried to use the Cursillo Movement as a basis. This was not successful. When the Charismatic Renewal came about, the opportunity arose for the Renewal to supply the needed individuals for the formation of the major covenant communities. Charismatics were looking for a way to live out a more charismatic Christian life.
The Charismatic Renewal itself is a movement marked by experiential and enthusiastic approach to the faith, manifestations of Charismatic spiritual gifts (tongues, healing, prophesy, etc.), prayer groups where prayer is often personal and spontaneous. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II have recognized the Charismatic Renewal as an authentic enrichment of the Church's life. Initiation into the Charismatic Renewal for individuals was often through Life in the Spirit Seminars which culminated in being "Baptized in the Holy Spirit". Another name for the Charismatic Renewal is "Catholic Pentecostalism".
As Covenant Communities developed, various problems emerged:
1. Authoritarian self-appointed leadership;
2. Excessive control of individual's lives and consciences;
3. Elitism and an attitude of superiority with respect to "ordinary" Christians;
4. Subservient role of women;
5. Devaluation of Church hierarchy and sacraments;
6. Financial exploitation;
7. In some cases sexual inappropriateness and arranged marriages.
These problems have been addressed in a variety of places: National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter, Washington Post, Cultic Studies Journal.
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