Autobiography of a Schism
Abstract
In my youth, I was a member of Yogi Bhajan’s Healthy Happy Holy Organisation (3HO), a new religious movement that blends kundalini yoga with Sikhism. In the process of leaving that organisation, I formed a short-lived splinter group – the Spiritual Dawn Community – that lasted less than a year. In the present article, I recount the narrative of this splintering, and then reflect on the split in terms of different theoretical discussions of schisms and apostasy. Though prior theorizing provides certain insights, no analyst has thus far adequately captured the dynamic and fluid situation that leads up to a schism. From the perspective of someone who has experienced the schismatic process from the inside, it is clear that there are any number of different points at which a schism could have been prevented – even in cases where the split appears to have been inevitable.
References
● Bromley, David G. 2004. ‘Leaving the Fold: Disaffiliating from New Religious Movements’. In The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements, ed. James R. Lewis,
298-314. New York: Oxford University Press.
● Brown, Karen McCarthy. 1991. Mama Lola: A Vodon Priestess in Brooklyn. Berkeley: University of California Press.
● Calley, Malcolm J.C. 1956. God’s People. London: Oxford University Press.
● Cole, W. Owen. 2004. Understanding Sikhism. Dunedin: Dunedin Academic Press.
● Downton, James V., Jr. 1979. Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission. New York: Columbia University Press.
● Finke, Roger, and Christopher P. Scheitle. 2009. ‘Understanding Schisms: Theoretical
Explanations for their Origins’. In James R. Lewis and Sarah Lewis, eds. Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
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● Levine, Saul. 1984. Radical Departures: Desperate Detours to Growing Up. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
● Lewis, James R. 1985. ‘Some Unexamined Assumptions in Western Studies of Sikhism’. Journal of Sikh Studies 12:2.
● Ibid. 1986. ‘Reconstructing the “Cult” Experience: Post-Involvement Attitudes as a Function of Mode of Exit and Post-Involvement Socialization’. Sociological Analysis 42:2.
● Ibid. 1987. ‘The Implied Contrast: Images of Sikhism in the Writings of Early Orientalists’. Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion 6:2.
● Ibid. 1989a. ‘Apostates and the Legitimation of Repression: Some Historical and Empirical Perspectives on the Cult Controversy’. Sociological Analysis 49:4.
● Ibid. 1989b. ‘Misrepresentations of the Sikh Tradition in World Religion Textbooks.” In Jasbir Singh Mann and Harbans Singh Saraon, eds., Advanced Studies in Sikhism. Irvine:
Sikh Community of North America.
● Ibid. 2002. Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects and New Religions. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2nd ed.
● Ibid. 2003. Legitimating New Religions. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
● Ibid. 2004 Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements. New York: Oxford University Press.
● Lewis, James R., and David G. Bromley. 1987. ‘The Cult Withdrawal Syndrome: A Case of Misattribution of Cause?’ Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 26:4.
● Lewis, James R., and Sarah Lewis, eds. 2009. Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
● Lofland, John, and Rodney Stark. 1965. ‘Becoming a World-Saver’. American Sociological Review 30:862-875.
● Magliocco, Sabina. 2004. Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
● Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. 1996. Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
● Mann, Gurinder Singh. 2003. Sikhism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
● Neibuhr, H. Richard. 1957. The Social Sources of Denominationalism. New York: Meridian Books (Originally published 1929).
● Nyomarkay, Joseph. 1967. Charisma and Factionalism in the Nazi Party. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
● Seager, Richard Hughes. 2006. Encountering the Dharma: Daisaku Ikeda, Soka Gakkai, and the Globalization of Buddhist Humanism. Berkeley: University of California Press.
● Singh, Khushwant. 1977. A History of the Sikhs. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
● Stark, Rodney. 1996. ‘Why Religious Movements Succeed or Fail: A Revised General Model. Journal of Contemporary Religion 11:133-146.
● Tobey, Alan. 1976. ‘The Summer Solstice of the Healthy-Happy-Holy Organization’. In Charles Y. Glock and Robert N. Bellah, eds., The New Religious Consciousness . Berkeley:
University of California Press, pps. 5-30.
● Wallis, Roy. 1979. Salvation and Protest: Studies of Social and Religious Movements. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979.
● Weber, Max. 1968. Economy and Society. New York: Bedminster Press.
● Wilson, Bryan R. 1961. Sects and Society: A Sociological Study of Three Religious Groups in Britain. London: Heinemann.
● Wilson, John. 1971. ‘The Sociology of Schism’. In Michael Hill, ed. A Sociological Yearbook of Religion in Britain. No. 4. London: SCM Press.
● Wright, Stuart A. 1987. Leaving Cults: The Dynamics of Defection. Washington: Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
298-314. New York: Oxford University Press.
● Brown, Karen McCarthy. 1991. Mama Lola: A Vodon Priestess in Brooklyn. Berkeley: University of California Press.
● Calley, Malcolm J.C. 1956. God’s People. London: Oxford University Press.
● Cole, W. Owen. 2004. Understanding Sikhism. Dunedin: Dunedin Academic Press.
● Downton, James V., Jr. 1979. Sacred Journeys: The Conversion of Young Americans to Divine Light Mission. New York: Columbia University Press.
● Finke, Roger, and Christopher P. Scheitle. 2009. ‘Understanding Schisms: Theoretical
Explanations for their Origins’. In James R. Lewis and Sarah Lewis, eds. Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
● Khalsa, Kirpal Singh. 1986. ‘New Religious Movements Turn Towards Worldly Success’. Journal for theScientific Study of Religion 25: 233-245.
● Levine, Saul. 1984. Radical Departures: Desperate Detours to Growing Up. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
● Lewis, James R. 1985. ‘Some Unexamined Assumptions in Western Studies of Sikhism’. Journal of Sikh Studies 12:2.
● Ibid. 1986. ‘Reconstructing the “Cult” Experience: Post-Involvement Attitudes as a Function of Mode of Exit and Post-Involvement Socialization’. Sociological Analysis 42:2.
● Ibid. 1987. ‘The Implied Contrast: Images of Sikhism in the Writings of Early Orientalists’. Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion 6:2.
● Ibid. 1989a. ‘Apostates and the Legitimation of Repression: Some Historical and Empirical Perspectives on the Cult Controversy’. Sociological Analysis 49:4.
● Ibid. 1989b. ‘Misrepresentations of the Sikh Tradition in World Religion Textbooks.” In Jasbir Singh Mann and Harbans Singh Saraon, eds., Advanced Studies in Sikhism. Irvine:
Sikh Community of North America.
● Ibid. 2002. Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects and New Religions. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2nd ed.
● Ibid. 2003. Legitimating New Religions. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
● Ibid. 2004 Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements. New York: Oxford University Press.
● Lewis, James R., and David G. Bromley. 1987. ‘The Cult Withdrawal Syndrome: A Case of Misattribution of Cause?’ Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 26:4.
● Lewis, James R., and Sarah Lewis, eds. 2009. Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
● Lofland, John, and Rodney Stark. 1965. ‘Becoming a World-Saver’. American Sociological Review 30:862-875.
● Magliocco, Sabina. 2004. Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
● Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. 1996. Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
● Mann, Gurinder Singh. 2003. Sikhism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
● Neibuhr, H. Richard. 1957. The Social Sources of Denominationalism. New York: Meridian Books (Originally published 1929).
● Nyomarkay, Joseph. 1967. Charisma and Factionalism in the Nazi Party. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
● Seager, Richard Hughes. 2006. Encountering the Dharma: Daisaku Ikeda, Soka Gakkai, and the Globalization of Buddhist Humanism. Berkeley: University of California Press.
● Singh, Khushwant. 1977. A History of the Sikhs. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
● Stark, Rodney. 1996. ‘Why Religious Movements Succeed or Fail: A Revised General Model. Journal of Contemporary Religion 11:133-146.
● Tobey, Alan. 1976. ‘The Summer Solstice of the Healthy-Happy-Holy Organization’. In Charles Y. Glock and Robert N. Bellah, eds., The New Religious Consciousness . Berkeley:
University of California Press, pps. 5-30.
● Wallis, Roy. 1979. Salvation and Protest: Studies of Social and Religious Movements. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979.
● Weber, Max. 1968. Economy and Society. New York: Bedminster Press.
● Wilson, Bryan R. 1961. Sects and Society: A Sociological Study of Three Religious Groups in Britain. London: Heinemann.
● Wilson, John. 1971. ‘The Sociology of Schism’. In Michael Hill, ed. A Sociological Yearbook of Religion in Britain. No. 4. London: SCM Press.
● Wright, Stuart A. 1987. Leaving Cults: The Dynamics of Defection. Washington: Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
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2015-04-28
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