20 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010
influence devotees, which then destabilizes
group unity and weakens charismatic authority.
Robbins and Anthony’s analysis of threats to
charismatic authority and the responses that
challenges do incite seems to provide insight
into Shearing’s leadership style. Court
transcripts reveal that, on more than one
occasion, Shearing skillfully dissipated
challenges to his charismatic authority. One such
example of an attempt to eliminate dissension
occurred during a supposed therapy session
between Shearing and a young Kabalarian
follower. Witnesses understood the therapy
sessions Shearing engaged in to be a ‘clearing
ritual’ that Shearing used to ritualistically
eliminate planes of mind that were negatively
affecting the member in spiritual, social, or
emotional ways. According to court testimony,
the female member had gone to see Shearing to
get help to clear the deep-seated negative planes
of mind she believed she had. During the course
of the supposed therapy session, Shearing placed
the girl’s hand on his erect penis. Recoiling in
shock and disbelief, she began to believe that he
was not helping her spiritually, but, rather, was
using her for his own sexual gratification. When
she confronted him, he calmly stood up and said
that
obviously [I] couldn’t help [you] and …
because [I] couldn’t help [you, you are]
going to be frigid for life, but if [you]
ever wanted … help with this [problem],
[you] could come back and meet with
[me] another time. (Witness #11, R. v.
Shearing, 1997:964)
To someone outside of the Kabalarian
worldview, Shearing’s attempt to threaten the
devotee into compliance appears obvious. To
members, however, who shared the Kabalarian
belief that one needs a positive plane of mind to
be able to progress spiritually, Shearing’s threat
holds significant weight. Shearing’s denial of
spiritual advancement because the member did
not comply with his demands was a devastating
punishment. The threat reinforced his authority,
while simultaneously silencing someone whose
information about inappropriate behavior could
have subverted his charismatic authority within
the movement.
In addition to barring enlightenment to members
who challenged his authority, Shearing also told
members that harm would befall them if they
ever left his protection and the protection that
the movement afforded them. One witness
testified that Shearing had told her that her
brother’s fiancée had been murdered because the
fiancée “had chosen not to live a principled [and
therefore, Kabalarian] life” (Witness #8, R. v.
Shearing, 1997:677). Shearing depicted the
world outside of the Kabalarian Philosophy as
dangerous and precarious, especially for the
young girls in the movement. Shearing
specifically taught the young girls that the threat
of being kidnapped, sold, sexually abused, and
murdered in white slavery rings was real, and a
likely occurrence if one lived outside the
security the Kabalarian doctrines provided
(Witness #18, R. v. Shearing, 1997:1907-1908).
Although authoritarian leaders often use the
threat of physical harm or lack of spiritual
development to guarantee devotees’ compliance,
Shearing also created and manipulated specific
theological arguments to support his actions.
Shearing’s charismatic abilities allowed him to
create new doctrine and practice for which
devotees were unable to find textual support.
These nonscriptural justifications increased the
potential for abuse within the Kabalarian
Philosophy because members could not rely on
any of the group’s writings to contradict the
leader’s actions. If the leader attempted a sexual
act (for example, the ‘right’ to fondle a member
in order to eliminate a negative plane of mind),
then there was no evidence to disprove the
assertion. One female witness’ testimony
supports this assertion:
Q: Are you aware of any Kabalarian
literature that discusses the subject of
negative sexual planes of mind
specifically?
A: No, I’m not aware of any.
Q: Do you know of any literature that
says in order for a woman to have a
negative sexual plane of mind cleared
she has to be touched sexually?
influence devotees, which then destabilizes
group unity and weakens charismatic authority.
Robbins and Anthony’s analysis of threats to
charismatic authority and the responses that
challenges do incite seems to provide insight
into Shearing’s leadership style. Court
transcripts reveal that, on more than one
occasion, Shearing skillfully dissipated
challenges to his charismatic authority. One such
example of an attempt to eliminate dissension
occurred during a supposed therapy session
between Shearing and a young Kabalarian
follower. Witnesses understood the therapy
sessions Shearing engaged in to be a ‘clearing
ritual’ that Shearing used to ritualistically
eliminate planes of mind that were negatively
affecting the member in spiritual, social, or
emotional ways. According to court testimony,
the female member had gone to see Shearing to
get help to clear the deep-seated negative planes
of mind she believed she had. During the course
of the supposed therapy session, Shearing placed
the girl’s hand on his erect penis. Recoiling in
shock and disbelief, she began to believe that he
was not helping her spiritually, but, rather, was
using her for his own sexual gratification. When
she confronted him, he calmly stood up and said
that
obviously [I] couldn’t help [you] and …
because [I] couldn’t help [you, you are]
going to be frigid for life, but if [you]
ever wanted … help with this [problem],
[you] could come back and meet with
[me] another time. (Witness #11, R. v.
Shearing, 1997:964)
To someone outside of the Kabalarian
worldview, Shearing’s attempt to threaten the
devotee into compliance appears obvious. To
members, however, who shared the Kabalarian
belief that one needs a positive plane of mind to
be able to progress spiritually, Shearing’s threat
holds significant weight. Shearing’s denial of
spiritual advancement because the member did
not comply with his demands was a devastating
punishment. The threat reinforced his authority,
while simultaneously silencing someone whose
information about inappropriate behavior could
have subverted his charismatic authority within
the movement.
In addition to barring enlightenment to members
who challenged his authority, Shearing also told
members that harm would befall them if they
ever left his protection and the protection that
the movement afforded them. One witness
testified that Shearing had told her that her
brother’s fiancée had been murdered because the
fiancée “had chosen not to live a principled [and
therefore, Kabalarian] life” (Witness #8, R. v.
Shearing, 1997:677). Shearing depicted the
world outside of the Kabalarian Philosophy as
dangerous and precarious, especially for the
young girls in the movement. Shearing
specifically taught the young girls that the threat
of being kidnapped, sold, sexually abused, and
murdered in white slavery rings was real, and a
likely occurrence if one lived outside the
security the Kabalarian doctrines provided
(Witness #18, R. v. Shearing, 1997:1907-1908).
Although authoritarian leaders often use the
threat of physical harm or lack of spiritual
development to guarantee devotees’ compliance,
Shearing also created and manipulated specific
theological arguments to support his actions.
Shearing’s charismatic abilities allowed him to
create new doctrine and practice for which
devotees were unable to find textual support.
These nonscriptural justifications increased the
potential for abuse within the Kabalarian
Philosophy because members could not rely on
any of the group’s writings to contradict the
leader’s actions. If the leader attempted a sexual
act (for example, the ‘right’ to fondle a member
in order to eliminate a negative plane of mind),
then there was no evidence to disprove the
assertion. One female witness’ testimony
supports this assertion:
Q: Are you aware of any Kabalarian
literature that discusses the subject of
negative sexual planes of mind
specifically?
A: No, I’m not aware of any.
Q: Do you know of any literature that
says in order for a woman to have a
negative sexual plane of mind cleared
she has to be touched sexually?
