46 International Journal of Cultic Studies Vol. 4, 2013
importance. Furthermore, the Anabaptists were
intensely sectarian. In other words, they
generally rejected the outside world and built
small, cohesive communities to protect
themselves from it.27 As a result, many of the
Anabaptists’ powerful contemporaries regarded
the movement’s views, such as those on “the
function of the state, of the oath, of violence,
religious liberty and economics” as “a threat to
the established order.”28
In Munster, Anabaptism took its most radical
form. Jan Matthys (d. 1534) and Jan Bockelson
(1509?–1536) formed what they considered the
New Jerusalem, or Kingdom of God, in the town
of Munster and implemented their own brand of
militant millenarianism.29 In short, they felt that
Munster was the site where the “elect” would
fight the final battle with the forces of evil, as
described in the biblical Book of Revelations.30
Eventually, Matthys and Bockelson expelled or
killed all of the “godless ones,” those who were
not Anabaptists, thereby removing any
opposition to their religiopolitical aspirations.31
They implemented a simplistic brand of
communism in which all persons in the
community surrendered their money and private
property to communal storehouses.32
In the spring of 1534, little more than a year
after the Anabaptists gained control of Munster,
a local Bishop, Franz von Waldeck (1491–
1553), besieged and eventually captured the city.
Before von Waldeck could capture Munster,
however, Bockelson, who took power after
Matthys died, implemented polygamy and led
the community through a dreadful famine.33
Eventually, Bockelson was captured, tortured,
and his remains hung in a cage at the top of
Munster’s cathedral. In the end, the Anabaptists
in Munster reinforced Lutheran and Calvinist
suspicion of Anabaptism34 and of human
attempts to establish the Kingdom of God on
27 Cohn, p. 253.
28 Klaassen, Anabaptism, p. 68.
29 Cohn, p. 262.
30 González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the
Present Day, p. 58.
31 Cohn, p. 262.
32 Cohn, p. 264–265.
33 González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the
Present Day, p. 58.
34 Estep, p. 4.
earth, both of which largely remain intact to this
day.35
The Peoples Temple
Jim Jones emerged in spite of this suspicion of
human attempts to establish the Kingdom of
God on earth. In 1955, Jones founded the Wings
of Deliverance, the corporate body of what was
to become the Peoples Temple.36 Eventually,
Jones moved to California, where he set up his
most prominent, wealthy, and politically active
church.37 Here he honed his message of
socialism, Christianity, and racial equality.38 In
California, Jones proclaimed himself the
messiah or “living God.”39 As the media began
to threaten Jones by exposing some of the
church’s more questionable and abusive
financial and religious practices, he and his
followers left to set up a Christian communist
utopia in Jonestown, Guyana.40
Although the group had some initial success in
Guyana, Jonestown did have its opposition.41
Some of the opposition with which Jones often
had to deal were complaints of commune
members who said their socialist paradise
resembled a jungle work camp.42 Indeed,
working and living conditions were harsh, and
so were many of the group-enforced social
practices, which often involved child abuse,
humiliation, harsh punishments for misbehavior,
and isolation.43 Eventually, a number of people
who were hostile to Jones and Jonestown and
who had relatives in the commune formed a
group called the Concerned Relatives.44
The purpose of this group was to raise
awareness of the plight of those people who
were with Jones. This effort resulted in a
government-sponsored fact-finding mission to
Jonestown in November 1978. Congressman
Leo J. Ryan (1925–1978) led this mission, and
several members of the media accompanied
35 Wise, “Munster’s Monster.”
36 Hall, Gone From the Promised Land, p. 43.
37 Russell, “The Kingdoms of Death: Jonestown-Münster,” p. 220.
38 Axthelm, “The Emperor Jones,” pp. 28, 30 Hall, p. 32.
39 Hall, pp. 30–31.
40 Scheeres, A Thousand Lives.
41 Hall, p. 235 Reiterman with Jacobs, Raven, p. 345 Steele, “Life
in Jonestown,” p. 33.
42 Reiterman with Jacobs, p. 349.
43 Hall, pp. 237–240 Reiterman with Jacobs, p. 349.
44 Reiterman with Jacobs, p. 408.
importance. Furthermore, the Anabaptists were
intensely sectarian. In other words, they
generally rejected the outside world and built
small, cohesive communities to protect
themselves from it.27 As a result, many of the
Anabaptists’ powerful contemporaries regarded
the movement’s views, such as those on “the
function of the state, of the oath, of violence,
religious liberty and economics” as “a threat to
the established order.”28
In Munster, Anabaptism took its most radical
form. Jan Matthys (d. 1534) and Jan Bockelson
(1509?–1536) formed what they considered the
New Jerusalem, or Kingdom of God, in the town
of Munster and implemented their own brand of
militant millenarianism.29 In short, they felt that
Munster was the site where the “elect” would
fight the final battle with the forces of evil, as
described in the biblical Book of Revelations.30
Eventually, Matthys and Bockelson expelled or
killed all of the “godless ones,” those who were
not Anabaptists, thereby removing any
opposition to their religiopolitical aspirations.31
They implemented a simplistic brand of
communism in which all persons in the
community surrendered their money and private
property to communal storehouses.32
In the spring of 1534, little more than a year
after the Anabaptists gained control of Munster,
a local Bishop, Franz von Waldeck (1491–
1553), besieged and eventually captured the city.
Before von Waldeck could capture Munster,
however, Bockelson, who took power after
Matthys died, implemented polygamy and led
the community through a dreadful famine.33
Eventually, Bockelson was captured, tortured,
and his remains hung in a cage at the top of
Munster’s cathedral. In the end, the Anabaptists
in Munster reinforced Lutheran and Calvinist
suspicion of Anabaptism34 and of human
attempts to establish the Kingdom of God on
27 Cohn, p. 253.
28 Klaassen, Anabaptism, p. 68.
29 Cohn, p. 262.
30 González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the
Present Day, p. 58.
31 Cohn, p. 262.
32 Cohn, p. 264–265.
33 González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the
Present Day, p. 58.
34 Estep, p. 4.
earth, both of which largely remain intact to this
day.35
The Peoples Temple
Jim Jones emerged in spite of this suspicion of
human attempts to establish the Kingdom of
God on earth. In 1955, Jones founded the Wings
of Deliverance, the corporate body of what was
to become the Peoples Temple.36 Eventually,
Jones moved to California, where he set up his
most prominent, wealthy, and politically active
church.37 Here he honed his message of
socialism, Christianity, and racial equality.38 In
California, Jones proclaimed himself the
messiah or “living God.”39 As the media began
to threaten Jones by exposing some of the
church’s more questionable and abusive
financial and religious practices, he and his
followers left to set up a Christian communist
utopia in Jonestown, Guyana.40
Although the group had some initial success in
Guyana, Jonestown did have its opposition.41
Some of the opposition with which Jones often
had to deal were complaints of commune
members who said their socialist paradise
resembled a jungle work camp.42 Indeed,
working and living conditions were harsh, and
so were many of the group-enforced social
practices, which often involved child abuse,
humiliation, harsh punishments for misbehavior,
and isolation.43 Eventually, a number of people
who were hostile to Jones and Jonestown and
who had relatives in the commune formed a
group called the Concerned Relatives.44
The purpose of this group was to raise
awareness of the plight of those people who
were with Jones. This effort resulted in a
government-sponsored fact-finding mission to
Jonestown in November 1978. Congressman
Leo J. Ryan (1925–1978) led this mission, and
several members of the media accompanied
35 Wise, “Munster’s Monster.”
36 Hall, Gone From the Promised Land, p. 43.
37 Russell, “The Kingdoms of Death: Jonestown-Münster,” p. 220.
38 Axthelm, “The Emperor Jones,” pp. 28, 30 Hall, p. 32.
39 Hall, pp. 30–31.
40 Scheeres, A Thousand Lives.
41 Hall, p. 235 Reiterman with Jacobs, Raven, p. 345 Steele, “Life
in Jonestown,” p. 33.
42 Reiterman with Jacobs, p. 349.
43 Hall, pp. 237–240 Reiterman with Jacobs, p. 349.
44 Reiterman with Jacobs, p. 408.
