Jonestown

Basic background Information

• The religion movement was called Peoples Temple
• 918 people lost their lives from drinking cyanide poisoning
• first refer to an agricultural project
• Grew to 3,000 - 5,000 active members, but over 20,000 people were recruited
• Establish a communist utopia

Leo Ryan

• Member of the Democratic Party, U.S. Houses of Representatives, congressman
• Went to Guyana to investigate claims about people being held
• Was murdered by Peoples Temple gunmen
• trying to escape Jonestown
• along with three journalists and one cult defector

Questions

2. What were some of the keyword symbols that Jones used to influence his followers?

1. How did members view Jones as a religious leader/figure?

5. How did members address Jones?

3. What techniques did Jones use to attract followers?

4. Was Jones targeting a certain race group to join his movement?

Why is it important?

• There are so many new religion movements in present times
• Religions might not follow ethical and moral issues
• It is important to learn where to draw a line with all religions
• Ensure this doesn't happen again

How it all started

The migration of the religion movement

1. Indianapolis, Indiana

• American new religious movement founded in 1955
• Jones creates his own church in a rented space, at first naming it Community Unity Church
• In 1956 bought his first church building --> in a racially mixed neighborhood --> after first year name changed to Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church

2. Horizonte, Brazil

• Heard voice from "extraterrestrial beings"
• Had a vision of a nuclear explosion and wanted to move the church to a safe place
• Moves with his family
• Leaves for the fear of a nuclear holocaust
• Brazil listed as a safe place in nuclear war
• Targets areas of prevalence of racial minorities

3. California

• Returns in December 1963 --> Redwood Valley, California
• Becoming a secular political movement, while maintaining a core of Christian worship in the Black Church tradition
• The religious and political climate of California --> helped shape the Peoples Temple movement
• Headquarters in San Francisco
• major center for radical protest movements

4. "Jonestown", Guyana

• Peoples Temple signed a lease to rent the land in the 1974
• Property was called "Peoples Temple Agricultural Project"
• Tim Carter "a place in a black country where our black members could live in peace" & "a socialist government"
• Encourage members to follow them there
• Population grew to 900 by late 1978
• Promised a tropical paradise --> peace from the rest of the world

Signs of feeling powerful

Research Methods

Journal Scholarly articles --> why we should still be afraid of cults after many years

Movie --> defining Peoples Temple as a cult

Deborah Layton's life story in early life --> how she ended up in Peoples Temple

Personal reflections from survivals --> How Jim treated them

Documentary --> Explaining the truth about Peoples Temple and long term effects

Death Tape, recorded in Jonestown --> Jones' speech before the suicide

Members of Peoples Temple

Donna Cordell Lawrence

Mike Cartmell

Leslie Wagner-Wilson

• Lost 22 family members
• Member since Indianapolis
• Her dad felt that Jones was preaching false doctrine
• Claims to have been controlled by Jones
• "put no man before Jesus"

• Family joined when he was 11 years old
• Married Jim's daughter
• Refer Jim as "true father," "teacher,"" " mentor," "the man of the age," "God"
• The church became his hope of life filled with meaning and significance
• Family all died in Guyana
• Lost faith in Jim's leadership

• Member since Redwood Valley at age 13
• Claims that children were damaged, because were taught violence
• Were brainwashed into thinking that Jim was Father and their very existence depended upon him.
• Anyone would get killed if Jones thought they were traitors to what he called "cause:"
• Lived in Jonestown until escaping with her 3 year old son
• Husband, mother, sister, brother, niece, and nephew all died

How did members view Jones as a leader ?

How did members address Jones?

Quick answers

Targeting a certain race group?

"God Figure "

"True Father"

"with psychic power"

"God"

"Universal Significance"

"creator"

What techniques did he use to attract Followers?

Keyword symbols that Jones used?

"Dictatorship of the organization"

"The lord"

"Teacher"

Called himself "God"

"Special" powers to heal the sick

"mentor"

Some were role play

He was the "father" of everyone

Bible

Placebo effect

Preached the word of Jesus Christ

Called himself and everyone who follow him as "niggers"

Bibliography

• (1). Lindt, Grillian. “Journeys to Jonestown: Accounts and Interpretations of the Rise and Demise of the People's Temple .” Union Seminary Quarterly Review, Union Theological Seminary, 1 Jan. 1982, http://usqr.utsnyc.edu/archives/.
• (2). Osborne, John. “My Heart Belongs to Dad .” New Republic , The New Republic, 9 Dec. 1978, http://www.thenewrepublic.com.
• (3). Crist, Raymond E. “Jungle Geopolitics in Guyana: How a Communist Utopia That Ended in Massacre Came to Be Sited.” American Journal of Economics & Sociology , Wiley-Blackwell , 1 Apr. 1981, https://www-wiley-com.libproxy.scu.edu/en-us.
• (4). Harrary, Keith. “Jones 13 Yeas Later - Why We Should Still Be Afraid .” Psychology Today , Sussex Publishers LLC , 1 Mar. 1992, http://www.psychologytoday.com/.
• (5). Zimbardo, Philip G. “How Orwell’s 1984 Has Influenced Rev. Jim Jones to Dominate and Then Destroy His Followers: With Extensions to Current Political Leaders.” Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, America Psychological Association , 24 Oct. 2019, On http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pac0000428.
• (6). McGehee, Fielding M. “Personal Reflections .” Alternative Consideration of Jonestown & Peoples Temple , Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University , 5 Jan. 2013, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu.
• Reflections and Articles by Mike Cartmell
• My Life Forty Year Later (2018)
• Why We Left (2008)
• The Limits of Language (2007)
• Harriet Remembered (2005)
• Reflections and Articles by Jack Arnold
• 40 Years Of memories (2018)
• Sing the song of life… Follow your dreams (2009)
• `What Did November 18, 1978 Do To Me?, by Donna Cordell Larence (2008)
• Questioning the Cults Around Us, by Laura Davis (2012)
• Notes of Peoples Temple, by Carlton B. Goodlett (1988)
• My Dad, My Best Friend, by Taylor Jones (2019)
• How Boby Survived and Return, by Judy McAbee(2010)
• Jonestown: Catalyst for Social Change, by Robert B. Moore (1988)