Anne Kreps: The Essenes in Southern · PDF fileAnne Kreps: The Essenes in Southern Oregon...
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Freie Universität Berlin New Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond 26 & 27 June 2014 Anne Kreps: The Essenes in Southern Oregon Brother David “Day” Nazariah, claiming direct apostolic lineage to the ancient Essenes, invites his readers to “get naked with God and die.” His community in Elmira, Oregon, blends elements of Sufi dancing, mantra meditation, environmentalism, yoga, and Kabbalistc cosmic speculation. Along the way, Day Nazariah writes polemics against New Age movements – many of which share elements of his doctrine and practice. Day’s Essene Church of Christ claims authenticity and connection to the ancient Essenes through reference and original interpretations of ancient texts, and by claiming possession of secret ancient texts. They claim to be keepers of the esoteric teachings of an underground church predating the first Christians. The church explains its origins and practices through a synthetic reading of Philo, Josephus and Pliny’s accounts of the ancient Essenes. It differentiates itself from the communities of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran by identifying with a movement of “Mount Carmel Essenes,” who permitted marriage and the participation of women in liturgy. This paper studies the written record of this modern Essene movement for its unusual merging of New Age practice with Christian fundamentalism. While the movement emphasizes a spirituality rooted in the works of Edgar Casey and Edmund Bordeaux Szekely, the Essene Church of Christ reaches for ancient sources and scholarship to support its doctrine. By harkening back to the mystical religions of the ancient Mediterranean, the modern Essenes are able to engage in syncretistic practices and claim the authority usually given to traditional religions. This community’s focus on modern scholarship about ancient Essenes prompts us to consider the role of academic research in manufacturing the allure of ancient Mediterranean religions. The team which originally edited the Dead Sea Scrolls justified the secrecy of their project in order to fend off groups like the Essene Church of Christ. Ironically, this secrecy spurred the modern mystical fascination with the ancient Essenes. This paper examines how these modern Essenes read scholarship to legitimize their own practices and theology, and, conversely, considers how scholarship has renewed interest in ancient esoteric movements and driven their revitalization as New “Antique” Religious Movements. Keywords: Christianity, Essenes, New Age Religion, North America 1
Transcript of Anne Kreps: The Essenes in Southern · PDF fileAnne Kreps: The Essenes in Southern Oregon...
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Anne Kreps:The Essenes in Southern Oregon
Brother David “Day” Nazariah, claiming direct apostolic lineage to the ancientEssenes, invites his readers to “get naked with God and die.” His community in Elmira,Oregon, blends elements of Sufi dancing, mantra meditation, environmentalism,yoga, and Kabbalistc cosmic speculation. Along the way, Day Nazariah writespolemics against New Age movements – many of which share elements of hisdoctrine and practice.
Day’s Essene Church of Christ claims authenticity and connection to the ancientEssenes through reference and original interpretations of ancient texts, and byclaiming possession of secret ancient texts. They claim to be keepers of the esotericteachings of an underground church predating the first Christians. The churchexplains its origins and practices through a synthetic reading of Philo, Josephus andPliny’s accounts of the ancient Essenes. It differentiates itself from the communitiesof the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran by identifying with a movement of “Mount CarmelEssenes,” who permitted marriage and the participation of women in liturgy.
This paper studies the written record of this modern Essene movement for itsunusual merging of New Age practice with Christian fundamentalism. While themovement emphasizes a spirituality rooted in the works of Edgar Casey and EdmundBordeaux Szekely, the Essene Church of Christ reaches for ancient sources andscholarship to support its doctrine. By harkening back to the mystical religions ofthe ancient Mediterranean, the modern Essenes are able to engage in syncretisticpractices and claim the authority usually given to traditional religions.
This community’s focus on modern scholarship about ancient Essenes promptsus to consider the role of academic research in manufacturing the allure of ancientMediterranean religions. The team which originally edited the Dead Sea Scrollsjustified the secrecy of their project in order to fend off groups like the EsseneChurch of Christ. Ironically, this secrecy spurred the modern mystical fascinationwith the ancient Essenes. This paper examines how these modern Essenes readscholarship to legitimize their own practices and theology, and, conversely, considershow scholarship has renewed interest in ancient esoteric movements and driventheir revitalization as New “Antique” Religious Movements.
Keywords:Christianity, Essenes, New Age Religion, North America
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Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Archaeology:
• Caroline Tully (U. Melbourne): “The artifice of Daedalus: Modern Minoicaas Religious Focus in Contemporary Paganism”
• Helga Vogel (FU Berlin): “‘The Goddess is alive!’ – Goddess Feminismand Archaeology: the Case of Çatal Höyük”
back to top
2
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Balkans:
• Nemanja Radulovic (U. Belgrade): “The Role of Gnosticism in Neo-Bogomilism”
back to top
3
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Christianity:
• Anne Kreps (Yale-NUS College, Singapore): “The Essenes in SouthernOregon”
• Nemanja Radulovic (U. Belgrade): “The Role of Gnosticism in Neo-Bogomilism”
• Franz Winter (U. Vienna): “The Use of Ancient Gnostic Texts in ModernEsoteric Movements: the Case of Samael Aun Weor”
back to top
4
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Essenes:
• Anne Kreps (Yale-NUS College, Singapore): “The Essenes in SouthernOregon”
back to top
5
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Feminism:
• Lily A. Bonga (Crete): “Mother-Goddess Misconceptions”
• Meret Fehlmann (U. Zürich): “Ancient Goddesses for Modern Times orNew Goddesses from Ancient Times?”
• Kathryn Rountree (U. Tasmania): “Transforming Goddesses: Neo-PaganProjects of Revival and Reinvention”
• Caroline Tully (U. Melbourne): “The artifice of Daedalus: Modern Minoicaas Religious Focus in Contemporary Paganism”
• Helga Vogel (FU Berlin): “‘The Goddess is alive!’ – Goddess Feminismand Archaeology: the Case of Çatal Höyük”
back to top
6
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Germany:
• Helga Vogel (FU Berlin): “‘The Goddess is alive!’ – Goddess Feminismand Archaeology: the Case of Çatal Höyük”
back to top
7
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Goddess-worship:
• Lily A. Bonga (Crete): “Mother-Goddess Misconceptions”
• Meret Fehlmann (U. Zürich): “Ancient Goddesses for Modern Times orNew Goddesses from Ancient Times?”
• Kathryn Rountree (U. Tasmania): “Transforming Goddesses: Neo-PaganProjects of Revival and Reinvention”
• Caroline Tully (U. Melbourne): “The artifice of Daedalus: Modern Minoicaas Religious Focus in Contemporary Paganism”
• Helga Vogel (FU Berlin): “‘The Goddess is alive!’ – Goddess Feminismand Archaeology: the Case of Çatal Höyük”
back to top
8
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Greece:
• Meret Fehlmann (U. Zürich): “Ancient Goddesses for Modern Times orNew Goddesses from Ancient Times?”
• Kathryn Rountree (U. Tasmania): “Transforming Goddesses: Neo-PaganProjects of Revival and Reinvention”
• Caroline Tully (U. Melbourne): “The artifice of Daedalus: Modern Minoicaas Religious Focus in Contemporary Paganism”
back to top
9
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Italy:
• Kathryn Rountree (U. Tasmania): “Transforming Goddesses: Neo-PaganProjects of Revival and Reinvention”
back to top
10
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Latin America:
• Franz Winter (U. Vienna): “The Use of Ancient Gnostic Texts in ModernEsoteric Movements: the Case of Samael Aun Weor”
back to top
11
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Literature:
• Meret Fehlmann (U. Zürich): “Ancient Goddesses for Modern Times orNew Goddesses from Ancient Times?”
back to top
12
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Music:
• Linda Simonis (Ruhr-U., Bochum): “Neo-Gnosticism in ContemporaryPopular Music: Current 93 and Nox Aurea”
back to top
13
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Neo-Gnosticism:
• Matthew Dillon (Rice U., Houston): “Unearthed Rituals, Recollected The-ologies, Mnemohistory and the Role of Scholarship in Contemporary‘Gnosticism(s)’”
• Nemanja Radulovic (U. Belgrade): “The Role of Gnosticism in Neo-Bogomilism”
• Linda Simonis (Ruhr-U., Bochum): “Neo-Gnosticism in ContemporaryPopular Music: Current 93 and Nox Aurea”
• Franz Winter (U. Vienna): “The Use of Ancient Gnostic Texts in ModernEsoteric Movements: the Case of Samael Aun Weor”
back to top
14
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Neo-Paganism:
• Ethan Doyle White (U. College London): “The Revived Cult of Antinous”
• Hubert Mohr (U. Basel): “Online Temples – a New Cultic Form of Neo-Ancient Cyberpaganism”
• Nemanja Radulovic (U. Belgrade): “The Role of Gnosticism in Neo-Bogomilism”
• Kathryn Rountree (U. Tasmania): “Transforming Goddesses: Neo-PaganProjects of Revival and Reinvention”
• Caroline Tully (U. Melbourne): “The artifice of Daedalus: Modern Minoicaas Religious Focus in Contemporary Paganism”
back to top
15
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
New Age Religion:
• Anne Kreps (Yale-NUS College, Singapore): “The Essenes in SouthernOregon”
back to top
16
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
New Media:
• Matthew Dillon (Rice U., Houston): “Unearthed Rituals, Recollected The-ologies, Mnemohistory and the Role of Scholarship in Contemporary‘Gnosticism(s)’”
• Ethan Doyle White (U. College London): “The Revived Cult of Antinous”
• Hubert Mohr (U. Basel): “Online Temples – a New Cultic Form of Neo-Ancient Cyberpaganism”
back to top
17
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
North America:
• Anne Kreps (Yale-NUS College, Singapore): “The Essenes in SouthernOregon”
• Kathryn Rountree (U. Tasmania): “Transforming Goddesses: Neo-PaganProjects of Revival and Reinvention”
back to top
18
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Occultism:
• Nicholas Marshall (Århus U.): “Robes and Gowns: the Relationship be-tween Scholarship and the Occult in the 20th Century”
• Pavel Nosachev (NRU./St. Tikhon’s, Moscow): “The Dazzling Darkness ofPaganism: the Theme of Antiquity in the works of Evgeniy Golovin”
• Franz Winter (U. Vienna): “The Use of Ancient Gnostic Texts in ModernEsoteric Movements: the Case of Samael Aun Weor”
back to top
19
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Popular Culture:
• Meret Fehlmann (U. Zürich): “Ancient Goddesses for Modern Times orNew Goddesses from Ancient Times?”
• Linda Simonis (Ruhr-U., Bochum): “Neo-Gnosticism in ContemporaryPopular Music: Current 93 and Nox Aurea”
back to top
20
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Queer Culture:
• Ethan Doyle White (U. College London): “The Revived Cult of Antinous”
back to top
21
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Reception of Scholarship:
• Matthew Dillon (Rice U., Houston): “Unearthed Rituals, Recollected The-ologies, Mnemohistory and the Role of Scholarship in Contemporary‘Gnosticism(s)’”
• Nicholas Marshall (Århus U.): “Robes and Gowns: the Relationship be-tween Scholarship and the Occult in the 20th Century”
back to top
22
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Russia:
• Pavel Nosachev (NRU./St. Tikhon’s, Moscow): “The Dazzling Darkness ofPaganism: the Theme of Antiquity in the works of Evgeniy Golovin”
back to top
23
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Traditionalism:
• Pavel Nosachev (NRU./St. Tikhon’s, Moscow): “The Dazzling Darkness ofPaganism: the Theme of Antiquity in the works of Evgeniy Golovin”
back to top
24
Freie Universität BerlinNew Antiquities: Transformations of the Past in the New Age and Beyond
26 & 27 June 2014
Index:
Turkey:
• Helga Vogel (FU Berlin): “‘The Goddess is alive!’ – Goddess Feminismand Archaeology: the Case of Çatal Höyük”
back to top
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