International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010 25
statutory release in September 2004, after
serving two-thirds of his sentence (Kihara,
2003), and to this author’s knowledge, after his
release in 2004, Shearing has done nothing to
draw any public attention or to reestablish
himself within the Kabalarian Philosophy.
Moreover, his victims have seemingly returned
to their daily lives, despite the physical,
emotional, and psychological damaged inflicted
upon them. Shearing’s legacy in the Kabalarian
Philosophy seems to be one that many hope will
be forgotten with time, while others find it
impossible to forget. Were it not for one brave
woman who challenged Shearing’s charismatic
authority and drew police attention to his
criminal behavior, there would be no
documentation of his systemic abuse or the
unraveling of his power. To this end, I hope this
glimpse into dissension contributes even in
small measure to a better understanding of the
breakdown of charismatic control.
References
Brodie, Renée. 2005. The Kabalarian Philosophy: Charismatic
Control and Sexual Convictions. Doctoral Dissertation, University
of Queensland.
Dawson, Lorne L. 2002. “Crises of Charismatic Legitimacy and
Violent Behavior in New Religious Movements,” in Cults,
Religion, and Violence. David G. Bromley and J. Gordon Melton,
eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 80–101.
———. [1998] 2006. Comprehending Cults: The Sociology of
New Religious Movements. 2nd ed. Toronto: Oxford University
Press.
Emerson, Richard M. 1962. “Power-Dependence Relations.”
American Sociological Review, 27, 31–41.
Galanter, Marc. 1999. Cults: Faith, Healing, and Coercion. 2nd ed.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Government of Canada National Parole Board Appeal Division
Decision. Pre-Release Decision Sheet for Shearing, Ivon. 2003a.
April 15, 1–5.
Government of Canada National Parole Board Appeal Division
Decision for Shearing, Ivon. 2003b. September 26, 1–4.
Kabalarian Fraternal Organization. 1966. Kabalistic Wisdom:
Breathing and Exercise Book. Vancouver, BC: Kabalarian
Fraternal Organization.
Kabalarian Philosophy. 2009. “History of the Kabalarian
Philosophy,” http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/articles/history-of-
the-kabalarian-philosophy.cfm (downloaded 20 April 2010).
_____.2003. “Public Discussion, Making a Name Change,”
http://www.kabalarians.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=885
(downloaded 10 December 2009).
_____.2008. “History of the Kabalarian Philosophy,”
http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/SearchDocs/history.cfm
(downloaded 8 May 2008).
Kernberg, Otto F. 2003. “Sanctioned Social Violence: A
Psychoanalytic View. Part 1.” The International Journal of
Psychoanalysis 84.3, 683–698.
Kihara, Debra. 2003. Letter to Anonymous. October 7.
Lalich, Janja. 2004. Bounded Choice: True Believers and
Charismatic Cults. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Liebman Jacobs, Janet. 1989. Divine Disenchantment:
Deconverting from New Religions. Indianapolis: Indiana
University Press.
Oakes, Len. 1997. Prophetic Charisma: The Psychology of
Revolutionary Religious Personalities. 1st ed. Syracuse, NY:
Syracuse University Press.
Regina v. Ivon Shearing. 1997. Vol. 1–14, Supreme Court of
British Columbia Court of Appeal, pp. 1–2502, Vancouver,
Canada.
Robbins, Thomas, and Dick Anthony. 1995. “Sects and Violence:
Factors Enhancing the Volatility of Marginal Religious
Movements,” in Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives on
the Branch Davidian Conflict. Stuart A. Wright, ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 236–259.
Storr, Anthony. 1996. Feet of Clay: Saints, Sinners, and Madmen:
A Study of Gurus. Toronto: Free Press.
Weber, Max. 1978. Excerpt from The Protestant Ethic and the
Spirit of Capitalism, in Max Weber, Selections in Translation.
Walter Garrison Runciman, ed., E. Matthews, trans. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 135–173.
_____.1968. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive
Sociology. Guenther Roth and Claus Wittich, eds., Ephraim
Fischoff, et al., trans. New York: Bedminster Press.
_____.1968. Max Weber on Charisma and Institution Building.
Selected Papers. Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, ed. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.
_____.1964. The Theory of Social and Economic Organization.
Talcott Parsons, ed., Alexander M. Henderson, trans. New York:
Free Press.
Acknowledgment
My thanks go to Stephen Kent for giving me
access to the Stephen A. Kent Collection on
Alternative Religions, housed in the University
of Alberta Library.
About the Author
Renée Brodie, Ph.D., is a tutor in Religious
Studies at Athabasca University, Canada, where
she is developing a course exploring the
dialogue between religion and popular
culture. Her doctoral work through the
University of Queensland, Australia, examined
the connection between charismatic authority
and sexual abuse within a Canadian new
religious movement, and she has published an
article in the Journal of American Culture
dealing with apocalypticism and white
statutory release in September 2004, after
serving two-thirds of his sentence (Kihara,
2003), and to this author’s knowledge, after his
release in 2004, Shearing has done nothing to
draw any public attention or to reestablish
himself within the Kabalarian Philosophy.
Moreover, his victims have seemingly returned
to their daily lives, despite the physical,
emotional, and psychological damaged inflicted
upon them. Shearing’s legacy in the Kabalarian
Philosophy seems to be one that many hope will
be forgotten with time, while others find it
impossible to forget. Were it not for one brave
woman who challenged Shearing’s charismatic
authority and drew police attention to his
criminal behavior, there would be no
documentation of his systemic abuse or the
unraveling of his power. To this end, I hope this
glimpse into dissension contributes even in
small measure to a better understanding of the
breakdown of charismatic control.
References
Brodie, Renée. 2005. The Kabalarian Philosophy: Charismatic
Control and Sexual Convictions. Doctoral Dissertation, University
of Queensland.
Dawson, Lorne L. 2002. “Crises of Charismatic Legitimacy and
Violent Behavior in New Religious Movements,” in Cults,
Religion, and Violence. David G. Bromley and J. Gordon Melton,
eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 80–101.
———. [1998] 2006. Comprehending Cults: The Sociology of
New Religious Movements. 2nd ed. Toronto: Oxford University
Press.
Emerson, Richard M. 1962. “Power-Dependence Relations.”
American Sociological Review, 27, 31–41.
Galanter, Marc. 1999. Cults: Faith, Healing, and Coercion. 2nd ed.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Government of Canada National Parole Board Appeal Division
Decision. Pre-Release Decision Sheet for Shearing, Ivon. 2003a.
April 15, 1–5.
Government of Canada National Parole Board Appeal Division
Decision for Shearing, Ivon. 2003b. September 26, 1–4.
Kabalarian Fraternal Organization. 1966. Kabalistic Wisdom:
Breathing and Exercise Book. Vancouver, BC: Kabalarian
Fraternal Organization.
Kabalarian Philosophy. 2009. “History of the Kabalarian
Philosophy,” http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/articles/history-of-
the-kabalarian-philosophy.cfm (downloaded 20 April 2010).
_____.2003. “Public Discussion, Making a Name Change,”
http://www.kabalarians.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=885
(downloaded 10 December 2009).
_____.2008. “History of the Kabalarian Philosophy,”
http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/SearchDocs/history.cfm
(downloaded 8 May 2008).
Kernberg, Otto F. 2003. “Sanctioned Social Violence: A
Psychoanalytic View. Part 1.” The International Journal of
Psychoanalysis 84.3, 683–698.
Kihara, Debra. 2003. Letter to Anonymous. October 7.
Lalich, Janja. 2004. Bounded Choice: True Believers and
Charismatic Cults. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Liebman Jacobs, Janet. 1989. Divine Disenchantment:
Deconverting from New Religions. Indianapolis: Indiana
University Press.
Oakes, Len. 1997. Prophetic Charisma: The Psychology of
Revolutionary Religious Personalities. 1st ed. Syracuse, NY:
Syracuse University Press.
Regina v. Ivon Shearing. 1997. Vol. 1–14, Supreme Court of
British Columbia Court of Appeal, pp. 1–2502, Vancouver,
Canada.
Robbins, Thomas, and Dick Anthony. 1995. “Sects and Violence:
Factors Enhancing the Volatility of Marginal Religious
Movements,” in Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives on
the Branch Davidian Conflict. Stuart A. Wright, ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 236–259.
Storr, Anthony. 1996. Feet of Clay: Saints, Sinners, and Madmen:
A Study of Gurus. Toronto: Free Press.
Weber, Max. 1978. Excerpt from The Protestant Ethic and the
Spirit of Capitalism, in Max Weber, Selections in Translation.
Walter Garrison Runciman, ed., E. Matthews, trans. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 135–173.
_____.1968. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive
Sociology. Guenther Roth and Claus Wittich, eds., Ephraim
Fischoff, et al., trans. New York: Bedminster Press.
_____.1968. Max Weber on Charisma and Institution Building.
Selected Papers. Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, ed. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.
_____.1964. The Theory of Social and Economic Organization.
Talcott Parsons, ed., Alexander M. Henderson, trans. New York:
Free Press.
Acknowledgment
My thanks go to Stephen Kent for giving me
access to the Stephen A. Kent Collection on
Alternative Religions, housed in the University
of Alberta Library.
About the Author
Renée Brodie, Ph.D., is a tutor in Religious
Studies at Athabasca University, Canada, where
she is developing a course exploring the
dialogue between religion and popular
culture. Her doctoral work through the
University of Queensland, Australia, examined
the connection between charismatic authority
and sexual abuse within a Canadian new
religious movement, and she has published an
article in the Journal of American Culture
dealing with apocalypticism and white
