The Religious Movements Homepage: Holy Order of MANS

Blighton’s sudden death in 1974 precipitated a four-year leadership crisis in the order. A succession of “master-teachers” (the movement’s highest level of spiritual attainment) took charge of the group and attempted to impress upon it their own personal interpretation of Blighton’s teachings. This period of instability did not impede recruitment, however. in 1977, the entire movement reached its height of membership at 3,000. Also during this period, international centers opened in London, Bordeaux, San Sebastian, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and San Juan, Puerto Rico (Lucas 1995: 141-42, 163). This period of uncertainty ended when, in summer of 1978, Andrew and Isjesian Rossi had become permanent co-directors general (Lucas 1995: 163).

On November 18, 1978, the first reports of the Jonestown mass suicide-murder reached the national media. Within a short time, the cultural context in America with regard to new religions changed from one of tolerance to one of suspicion and hostility. The anticult movement used the national mood of fear and revulsion at the Jonestown events to intensify its efforts to convince government institutions to regulate “dangerous cults.” The order appeared on the “cult lists” of such leading countercult groups as the Christian Research Institute and the Spiritual Counterfeits Project. To make matters worse, the brotherhood began to experience increasing member defections and a steep drop in recruitment rates (Lucas 1995: 164-68).

In response to this crisis, Rossi initiated a strong defense of the order in various public forums. The culmination of these efforts was Rossi’s 1980 article in the order’s journal, Epiphany. Titled “By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them: Proclaiming the Spiritual Authenticity of the Holy Order of MANS in a Counterfeit Age,” the article laid out a passionate apology that defended the order’s Christian pedigree as well as its ecumenical foundations. Rossi declared that the brotherhood’s purpose was to develop a Christian community built around the worship of God, discipleship to Christ, and service to the world. The order, he claimed, lived “within the norms of the Christian Tradition.” Rossi also inaugurated a search for precedents in the history of Christianity for what the brotherhood was attempting to accomplish in the world (Lucas 1995: 166-94).

Rossi’s initiatives began to move the order’s public and private identity away from its Rosicrucian/Theosophical origins and towards mainstream Christianity. After flirtations with Protestant evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism, Rossi directed the group to study Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This directive followed Rossi’s personal conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy during the early 1980s. At the same time, Rossi consolidated the group into ten large communities in the United States and Europe and began to downplay its system of esoteric initiatory spirituality. Between 1982 and 1986, the brotherhood focused its energies on the preservation of “authentic cultural traditions of ancient Christianity,” the celebration of seasonal festivals, and the creation of alternative schools for its children based on traditional Christian principles (Lucas 1995: 166-94).

With the assistance of a defrocked Russian Orthodox monk, Herman Podmoshensky, Rossi orchestrated a gradual conversion of order members during the mid 1980s to Russian Orthodoxy. Siobhan Houston writes, “when (Podmoshensky) came in contact with the Holy Order of MANS in 1983, he provided the strong charismatic presence and definite direction which the group so desperately needed” (Gerjevic 1999: 2). Blighton’s spiritual system was replaced with Orthodox doctrines and rituals. Following several years of negotiations with various Orthodox jurisdictions, the order was received into the autocephalous Archdiocese of Queens, New York, in 1988 by Metropolitan Pangratios Vrionis. The brotherhood’s remaining 750 members were re-baptized and became Christ the Saviour Brotherhood (CSB). They proclaimed their updated mission as “bringing the light and truth of Orthodox Christianity to the spiritually perishing peoples of these darkening and crucial times” (Lucas 1995: 195-231).

The order’s decision to become Orthodox led to a steady loss of both members and cohesion during the 1990s. The community began to disintegrate with the disbanding of its renunciate (monastic) brotherhood and the consolidation of its membership into nuclear families. Another problem was the non-recognition of Pangratios’ archdiocese by the Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), the main legitimating body for Orthodox jurisdictions in North America (Lucas 1995: 2-3).

In the late 1990s, following documented proof of Pangratios’ conviction for sodomy with minors, CSB member communities distanced themselves from the Metropolitan and negotiated acceptance into SCOBA-approved Orthodox jurisdictions throughout the United States. Although some members have joined the Serbian Orthodox Church or the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia, most CSB parishes have been received into communion with the Orthodox Church in America. (Lucas 1995: 2-3).

Numerous splinter groups have organized themselves over the past fifteen years. These groups include the Gnostic Order of Christ, Science of Man, American Temple, and the Foundation of Christ Church.

Beliefs, Rituals, and Festivals

Principal Beliefs:

The Holy Order of MANS had a fluid belief system that underwent considerable change as the movement developed over time. The system was a peculiar combination of Western esoterism, apocalyptic millennialism, Christian monasticism, New Thought philosophy, and Tantrism (Lucas 1995: 1).

Origins of Blighton’s Beliefs

Blighton developed his system of esoteric spirituality from numerous sources. These sources included the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucia (AMORC), a Rosicrucian-style order whose headquarters is in San Jose, California (Lucas 1995: 18). Blighton incorporated two AMORC teachings into the Holy Order of MANS belief system. The first was that there are two selves, an inner, subconscious self, and a conscious outer self (Lucas 1995: 20). AMORC taught its members exercises designed to help them receive “wisdom” from the inner self. They used mental concentration and visualization exercises to cultivate this inner wisdom (Lucas 1995: 20). The second AMORC teaching important to Blighton was the belief in “psychic centers” or chakras, a teaching originally derived from Tantrism (Lucas 1995: 20). Chakras were believed to be the areas in the body where the soul’s energy frequencies were combined with the physical body (Lucas 1995: 20). The three most important chakras for the spiritual aspirant were said to be the pituitary body, the pineal gland, and the solar plexus (Lucas 1995: 20).

A second source of Blighton’s beliefs was the Christian Yoga Church (Lucas 1995: 21). Blighton joined this group in 1963 in San Francisco and shortly thereafter moved to the church’s monastery in Virginia City, Nevada (Lucas 1995: 21). There Blighton was educated in the art of Kriya Yoga. This form of yoga uses breathing exercises, concentration exercises, and chakra manipulation to help a student reach “illumination” and “self-realization” (Lucas 1995: 21). Illumination was an experience of “divine light” within the body while self-realization was a direct, unitive experience of the “Divine Self,” the Ground of Being (Lucas 1995: 21). While at the group’s monastery, Blighton, through intense practice, experienced a powerful spiritual awakening that he described as a light energy that descended through his brain and filled his body (Lucas 1995: 21-22).

Blighton was exposed to both Free Methodism and Roman Catholicism during his younger years in Rochester and also participated in Spiritualist and New Thought groups (Lucas 1995: 37). Moreover, Blighton’s second son from his first marriage became a Catholic priest (Lucas 1995: 37). Numerous customs and rituals of the Holy Order of MANS originated from the rituals of Roman Catholicism.

Beliefs and Customs: 1967-68

While Blighton still called his group the Science of Man Church, he began to adopt certain practices that would follow the evolution of the Holy Order of MANS. The thirty to forty members of the Science of Man Church regularly referred to Blighton as “Father” and they were asked to wear black clerical garb and groom themselves in a more conventional manner (Lucas 1995: 30). A normal part of member training was “street missions” (Lucas 1995: 31). These “street missions” were initiated so that students could apply the theoretical knowledge they gained from Blighton’s classes in real life situations (Lucas 1995: 31). The students, dressed in their black clerical suits, would walk around low-income or crime-filled neighborhoods “visualizing” a pulse of light radiating through it (Lucas 1995: 31). These “street patrols” would become a standard practice for order students (Lucas 1995: 32).

A combination of Christian and Masonic/Rosicrucian symbols began to emerge in the belief system of the Science of Man Church by the spring of 1967. Blighton saw symbolism as a means for demonstrating spiritual mastery over the physical environment. He taught that the material or spiritual conditions that a person sought in their lives could be gained through the use of esoteric symbols on the mental plane and by speaking the “word of power” (Lucas 1995: 38). Blighton thought that all things in the universe were first derived from the circle, square, and triangle. The circle represented the Godhead and “the unity of all things” (Lucas 1995: 39). The triangle represented the process of creation. The square represented the “material plane” (Lucas 1995: 39).

In 1967, Blighton wrote The Golden Force, in which he outlined the central pillar of his early teachings. This central pillar was the “universal law” of mental dynamics. The book claimed that this law was “the great formula which the Creator set in the Solar Pattern of the Universe so that His creations would have freedom” (Lucas 1995: 39). Blighton believed that this teaching had been purposely omitted from conventional Christian churches, even though Blighton believed it was “taught by the Master Jesus.” Blighton saw educating mainstream Christianity about this “universal law” as one of the order’s main missions.

In early 1967, Blighton started to use his Thursday evening classes for “spiritual séances” (Lucas 1995: 39). The room was completely dark, except for candlelight, and the member’s chairs were formed into a circle. During these séances, Blighton would both receive and give “psychic messages” (Lucas 1995: 39) As the Holy Order of MANS evolved, members would perceive this as Blighton receiving psychic messages from Jesus Christ himself (Lucas 1995: 39). These revelations were the source of many beliefs for the Holy Order of MANS.

Blighton received two messages in March 1967 that took a definite millennarian tone. The first message implied that the Earth was entering a time of “spiritual transformation” (Lucas 1995: 39). Blighton believed that it was his duty to prepare “society’s outcasts” for this new age (Lucas 1995: 40). The second message talked about what the coming spiritual transformation entailed. Blighton explained that the Earth’s “psychospiritual” atmosphere was being supercharged with the light of the sun and the “light of Christ.” This was called a planetary “illumination” (Lucas 1995: 40). In addition, Blighton thought this event would result in a molecular transformation of the earth and its life forms. He believed that a person had to go through spiritual training to live productively in this new era. It was the order’s mission to inform as many persons as possible concerning this cosmic “illumination” and to prepare them to function in the transformed world through “solar” initiations administered by order priests (Lucas 1995: 40).

A short message in June 1968 from Blighton’s spirit guides is evidence of the Holy Order of MANS millennarian/ restorationist orientation during it’s founding years. The message states that the Apostles, Paul of Tarsus, Jesus’ women followers, and members of the Essene sect had been “reincarnated” in the present era. Working through the Holy Order of MANS, these souls had returned to earth to prepare humankind for a new spiritual “dispensation” (Lucas 1995: 46).

Beliefs and Customs: 1968-72

On July 24, 1968, Blighton and his wife, Helen Ruth Blighton, filed the official bylaws of the Holy Order of MANS with the state of California. These bylaws described the order’s purpose, structure, and sacramental forms. The bylaws state that the purposes of the group were to “preserve the ancient Christian wisdom teachings for the coming generation, fulfill a mission revealed by the Higher Order of the Holy Cross, and establish brotherhouses, seminaries, missions, youth guidance centers, and clinics” (Lucas 1995: 48). Blighton also wanted to make it abundantly clear in the bylaws that the Holy Order of MANS was to be nonsectarian, non-political, and “universally tolerant.”

The bylaws state that the religion of the future would be a universal “way of light” based on the “All encompassing Brotherhood of Man” (Lucas 1995: 50). This religion of the future would be taught by “the next Christ” who would “be born free from relationships with any organization, sect, religion, dogma, or movement” (Lucas 1995: 50). The new age would be marked by the unification of humanity through the overcoming of religious, political, and ethnic divisions. (Lucas 1995: 50). The bylaws stated this would be accomplished by starting centers for the training of students in “spiritual disciplines and charitable service” (Lucas 1995: 50-51). Blighton believed that individuals were able to create the spiritual and material conditions they desired. The bylaws state, “We accept man as an evolving being of unlimited resources and unlimited expansion” (Lucas 1995: 51).

Blighton also taught that the order’s system of sacramental initiation had always existed, but that the inhabitants of the earth had forgotten “the true nature and function” of the sacraments (Lucas 1995: 52). Thus, one of the purported purposes of the Holy Order of MANS was to restore these sacramental forms. Blighton believed this could be done by bringing together ancient wisdom and the discoveries of modern science (Lucas 1995: 52). Blighton thought that the first step in the restoration of the sacraments would be through re-forming an authentic priestly hierarchy. He believed he had received the cosmic authority to ordain priests directly from Jesus Christ. This newly constituted priestly hierarchy would bring back the truths of esoteric Christianity to mainstream denominations (Lucas 1995: 52).

The rite of priestly ordination was elaborately developed in the Holy Order of MANS. First, the candidate was dissolved of all past and future karma and was cut from all earthly ties (Lucas 1995: 53-54). Second, the candidate acknowledged an “eternal” vow of priestly service by accepting the “Rod of Power” and a white cord (Lucas 1995: 53-54). Third, the lights in the church were cut except for a single beam of light centered on the candidate. Fourth, the candidate kneeled before Blighton and received a gold ring that had a circle, triangle, and square raised on its surface (Lucas 1995: 53-54). Finally, the new priest was recognized as a “universal servant to all humanity” and a “minister-priest in the Holy Order of MANS, under the Divine Order of Melchizedek” (Lucas 1995: 53-54). An ordained order priest was believed to be elite a member of the cosmic “Order of the Golden Cross.” He or she was not tied to any political or religious affiliation and her only allegiance was to the “Great Christos” or “Lord of the Sun” (Lucas 1995: 54). A priest was freed, by Christ, from the “Wheel of Karma” but was obligated to remain in the “Order of the Golden Cross” for seven incarnations (Lucas 1995: 54).

Blighton’s Move Toward Christianization

From 1969-1972 Blighton’s sermons, along with other elements of the movement, became more permeated with Christian symbolism and doctrines. Blighton didn’t completely abandon his esoteric teachings, he merely expressed them in a more traditionally Christian language. Examples of this Christianization process included Blighton’s use of New Testament readings in his sermons, an increased emphasis on the period of Lent, the use of Christian iconography in movement publications, and the announcement in 1972 that baptism had become a mandatory rite for all members (Lucas 1995: 96).

Blighton’s Final Years

Blighton’s final years saw two important additions to the group’s main beliefs. The first, as described earlier, was the addition of the Book of Activity to the group’s list of sacred texts. The Book of Activity is a summation of Blighton’s millennarian, restorationist, and initiatory visions (Lucas 1995: 104). It was widely believed to be the direct words of Jesus Christ, which would one day be incorporated into the Bible’s Book of Acts (Lucas 1995: 104). The second change was the group’s new emphasis on Mary, the mother of Jesus. This shift was congruent Blighton’s view that women would be raised to their “rightful spiritual position” in the emerging New Age. By emphasizing Mary, the order was attempting to redefine the role of women. Evidence for this development can be seen in Blighton’s ordination of 52 female priests during this period as well as the creation of the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Mary suborder 119).

Toward an Evangelical Christian Identity, 1975-1980

Between 1974 and 1978, the Order went through numerous changes. By 1975, the group had adopted, in public forums, an evangelical Christian tone. Paul Anderson, a MANS member, asserted that the groups believed in the “trinity, the gospel, spiritual healing, baptism, communion, and confession” to a Maine newspaper (Lucas 1995: 145-46). This new evangelical tone reflected the rise of evangelical rhetoric and visibility in the larger culture of late 1970s America. This was a period when public figures such as Jimmy Carter and Bob Dylan proclaimed their beliefs in born-again Christianity. However, privately, the order kept its ecumenical, esoteric, and eclectic teachings (Lucas 1995: 146). Daily life in the Order’s urban centers became more comfortable and recreational after Blighton’s passing, with members watching TV and movies, listening to soft rock music, dancing, and occasionally using marijuana (Lucas 1995: 147). The Order’s membership became more dominated by life-vowed members by 1976. This meant more individual vocational and relationship explorations (Lucas 1995: 158). MANS developed more life-vowed programs which included “family” missions. These family missions consisted of two or more families moving to a city where the order wasn’t represented, and developing social-service projects (Lucas 1995: 158). This growing trend of marriages and independent missions led to a loss of inner cohesion in the order (Lucas 1995: 161).

Director-General Rossi and His Move Toward Orthodoxy

By 1978, the Holy Order of MANS had begun to abandon Blighton’s original spiritual system. First, MANS jettisoned its Rosicrucian-style teaching discourse. Second, by late 1979, the Tree of Life lessons were withdrawn from circulation and replaced with mainstream Christian authors like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Richard Foster, and Jacques Maritain. Third, the order’s distinctive green-covered books on esoteric Christianity were withdrawn from circulation. Fourth, the brotherhood’s advanced initiatory rites became less prominent both publicly and privately (Lucas 1995: 170).

Between 1980 and 1990, the order’s beliefs and practices mutated dramatically. A lay discipleship group evolved into “the order of the disciples.” The purpose of this group was to “sacramentalize” society’s “householder” dimension. The persons in this group lived “a fully committed life” of Christian discipleship “in the world” (Lucas 1995: 171-72). The Esoteric Council changed its name to “Apostolic Council.” The MANS acronym, which had garnered negative public perception for its occult resonances, was now translated into terms “that would communicate the group’s essential character in a language acceptable to mainstream Christian professionals” (Lucas 1995: 173). The term now was explained as an acronym for Mysterion, Agape, Nous, and Sophia and translated as the “mystery of divine love revealed through the mind of Christ which brings wisdom” (Lucas 1995: 173). Rossi also took steps to protect the group from anticult and countercult attacks by emphasizing its Christian beliefs and mission. He stated that unlike so-called “cults,” the Holy Order of MANS had no “extra-scriptural source of authority” and did not economically enslave its members (Lucas 1995: 173). Following Rossi’s conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy, he engineered a subliminal catechesis for the group’s remaining members. In this process he gradually substituted Orthodox beliefs and practices for Blighton’s Rosicrucian/Theosophical spiritual system. By the time the order was received into the Orthodox Church in 1988, it had completely abandoned its original value orientations and transmogrified into a sectarian Orthodox body.

Major Rituals and Festivals:

Holy Order of MANS’ Sacramental Rites

Baptism

Baptism was believed to be the aspirant’s entry upon the “universal path of initiation” (Lucas 1995: 55). Through baptism, the student declared his/her commitment to Christ (Lucas 1995: 55). Blighton stated that baptism brought the “Christ Force” into a person’s body (Lucas 1995: 55). Baptism would also set into action a “lunar current.” This lunar current would remove the “effects of past error” from the person’s physical body (Lucas 1995: 55). There were four steps to the Order’s baptismal rite. First, the initiate spent time in solitary retrospection. Next, he/she made a full confession of past errors to the priest. Third, the initiate acknowledged their commitment to Christ and was annointed with oil on the forehead in the shape of a cross. Finally, the physical senses were prepared to receive transmissions from “the other realm of creation” (Lucas 1995: 55). At this point in the ceremony, Psalm 23 was read (Lucas 1995: 55).

Communion

Communion was the keystone in the Order’s everyday religious ritual. During communion, the attributes and consciousness of Jesus Christ were believed to be infused into the kneeling communicant. This rite was received by the Order during a 1967 revelation by Blighton (Lucas 1995: 56-57).

Rite of Illumination

During this rite, a “new body of light” was planted inside an initiate’s physical body. The steps of the rite were kept secret, but it usually was performed at night because the magnetic forces were said to be stronger at night. First the initiate spent a time in meditation. Second, the priest created an opening in the body for the cosmic light to enter. Finally, after an initiate received the light, they spend a 24-hour period in seclusion (Lucas 1995: 58).

Rite of “Self-Realization”

This rite was even more arcane than Illumination. At least one order teacher later described the rite as a neoshamanic rending of an etheric veil that surrounded the core of the initiate’s being. After the rite was performed, the “realized being” was believed able to receive communication directly from the “Godhead” within (Lucas 1995: 59).

Sociological Significance

The history of the Holy Order of MANS raises a number of interesting sociological questions.

* By studying the Holy Order of MANS, one can better understand the challenges faced by NRMs following the death of their charismatic founders. Earl Blighton, also known as “Father Paul,” led the Holy Order of MANS by charismatic authority. His authority was based on “supernatural power,” including purported direct conversations with Jesus Christ. Blighton was able to organize and sustain this religious movement with the power of his personal charisma. However, following his death in 1974, the order struggled without strong, centralized leadership. Blighton did not appoint a successor, causing the group undergo a power struggle between those loyal to Ruth Blighton’s leadership and those opposed to her. Because charisma “is not an inheritable trait,” the charisma possessed by Earl Blighton could not be passed onto his successor, or “to the very essence of the group.” When a new leader, Andrew Rossi, took the reins of power, he had to compensate for a reduced charismatic presence by conventionalizing the group and making it less socially deviant. In a sense, the movement was no longer strong enough in its charismatic manifestations to survive sustained attacks from the larger culture. Thus, measures had to be undertaken to reduce elements of the group perceived to be deviant by conventional society.

* Andrew Rossi drastically changed the identity of the Holy Order of MANS. He quickly sought to change some of the order’s central beliefs and practices in order to avert growing negative media attention that emerged in the wake of the Jonestown mass suicide (Lucas 1995: 2). As Rossi led the Holy Order of MANS farther away from its original ideology and closer to mainstream Christianity, people began to leave the group (Lucas 1995: 254). With the order’s official transformation into the Christ the Saviour Brotherhood, schisms surfaced and splinter groups, including the groups described below, formed.

* The case of the Holy Order of MANS’ move toward Eastern Orthodoxy shows what can happen to new religious movements when they undergo rapid change. The Holy Order of MANS’ rapid change in religious beliefs left members of the Order with four options (Lucas 1995: 254).

* CSB presents an interesting test case for Rodney Stark’s theory that NRMs which accommodate themselves too quickly to conventional religious and cultural standards run the danger of losing their market edge. Stark contends that successful NRMs do not abandon their original value orientations and culture (Lucas 1995: 248). In the case of the order, the speed with which its transformation took place proved fatal. Today the group exists only on paper; its members all belong to legitimate Orthodox jurisdictions.

* The order’s history, in addition to elucidating drivers of change in NRMs, provided a case study of the processes by which these movements emerge from a cultural milieu, fashion an original system of beliefs and practices, and establish a presence in the contemporary religious marketplace. The group’s evolution suggests that NRMs develop in a highly fluid manner and are riven with tension, ambiguity, and contradiction from their earliest foundations. Based on HOOM’s history, it is plausible to state that NRMs should be understood as chameleon-like formations that continually reshape themselves through processes of dialogue and accommodation with the dominant culture (Lucas 1995: 251).

Successor Groups of the Holy Order of MANS

Christ the Saviour Brotherhood

Christ the Saviour Brotherhood is the original descendant of the Holy Order of MANS. Director General Rossi, after going through a personal conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy, led the order into communion with the Orthodox church. The movement was made complete in 1988 when 750 HOOM members converted to Eastern Orthodoxy (Lucas 1995: 3).

Christ the Saviour Brotherhood was quite different from the original Holy Order of MANS. Phillip Lucas states in The Odyssey of a New Religion that “CSB repudiates the early order’s ecumenism and its corollary belief that all religions contain elements of truth. It has abandoned its Gnostical theosophical cosmology and Christology and adheres strictly to the doctrines of Eastern Orthodoxy” (1995: 248). In addition, Blighton’s revelations were sometimes believed by CSB members to be “the effluvia of his own subconscious” and sometimes “the teachings of demons” (Lucas 1995: 249). Two additional changes CSB incorporated were: (1) The order’s sacramental rites were replaced by Orthodox liturgical forms (Lucas 1995: 249), and (2) women were demoted from clerical positions, which went against HOOM’s “gender-equal” priestly hierarchy (Lucas 1995: 249). The final change CSB underwent concerned Blighton’s millennarian beliefs. Lucas explains, “Blighton’s millenialism, which looked optimistically forward to a dawning age of spiritual illumination, has been supplanted by a sectarian form of Orthodox apocalypticism. This more pessimistic vision focuses on a coming Antichrist figure who will, it is believed, lead most of humankind to damnation” (1995: 249).

However, CSB retained several aspects of the Holy Order of MANS. First, CSB remained committed to charitable service projects (Lucas 1995: 249). Second, Christ the Saviour Brotherhood continued to value the monastic ideal. Third, CSB continued to be interested in “initiation, light mysticism, and supernatural experience” (Lucas 1995: 249). Phillip Lucas states, “The fourth continuity relates to the movements’ dramaturgical and ceremonial tenor throughout its history” (1995: 250). The Holy Order of MANS had a “nonstop parade” of ceremonies and rituals (Lucas 1995: 250). This HOOM ethos resonated well with the highly liturgical performances of Eastern Orthodoxy (Lucas 1995: 250).

Though they do not appear to maintain a Web site any longer, an original Christ the Saviour Brotherhood site talked about CSB’s mission, purpose, and membership availability. The CSB web page stated, “Christ the Saviour Brotherhood is dedicated to bringing the light and truth of Orthodox Christianity to the spiritually perishing peoples of these darkening and crucial times. Our primary purpose is to serve Christ our Lord and Saviour, and our fellow man.” Moreover, the Web site explained membership availability, and declared, “Membership in Christ the Saviour Brotherhood is available to all adult baptized Orthodox Christians who wish to dedicate themselves to Christ through the mission and spiritual striving of the Brotherhood. Membership is perceived to be carried out in practice through participation in the work and striving of the Brotherhood, and not simply by association.”

The Gnostic Order of Christ

The Gnostic Order of Christ was formed by former HOOM members on October 19, 1988. An older version of the Gnostic Order of Christ homepage stated that, “It is the mission of the Gnostic Order of Christ to continue the spiritual work that was begun by The Holy Order of MANS. We honor Father Paul as the founder of this present manifestation of the Western Path and we seek to follow the Path in a traditional manner suitable for this new era. We seek to be of service to mankind and to provide a spiritual foundation and support for those who find themselves seeking Enlightenment through the Western Tradition.” The Gnostic Order of Christ differs from the Holy Order of MANS, as seen from the proceeding quotation, in that it has moved away from the Order’s eastern religious teachings, stressing instead the more traditional “Western Esoteric Path.” The new site reiterates this from the opening and states the Order's desire to provide "a spiritual structure for those called to The Path of the Western Tradition of The Priesthood After the Order of Melchizedek of The Order of the Holy Cross."

The order regards its central spiritual practices as "our spiritual practice consists of six elements: prayer, retrospection, meditation, contemplation, loving devotion, and loving action," and hopes to establish “common places of worship, learning, and charitable works” by establishing:

* Teachings including the Holy Bible and “other sacred literature”
* Rites and Litany
* Programs for the preparation of student ministers and lay persons for the priesthood.
* Religious Works
* Seminaries, Churches, and Service Centers
* Ministry “to serve the poor.”

The Science of Man

The Science of Man church was Earl Blighton’s original group that he founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1960’s. The group did not keep its original name, opting instead for the Holy Order of MANS. With the Holy Order of MANS’ move toward Eastern Orthodoxy, Ruth Blighton broke away from Christ the Saviour Brotherhood and formed a new religious organization in 1987 (Lucas 1995: 254-55). The group resurrected the name, The Science of Man Church. Their Web site states, “The Science of Man continues to perpetuate the teachings of Dr. Blighton and endeavors to work towards the purpose of helping to unfold a more thorough understanding of the Universal Laws of the Creator, so that all might better manifest His Creation and thus promote peace and harmony among people everywhere.”

The Web site also states, “It is our expressed purpose to bring forth the ancient Christian wisdom teachings as they were taught in the ancient of days.” In addition, The Science of Man Church has kept its original logo, the circle, triangle, and cross within a square. However, the modern version of the Science of Man church has also incorporated the phoenix in the symbol. The phoenix symbolizes “the overcoming of every partial death or change.”

Foundation of Christ Church

The Foundation of Christ Church is the fourth splinter group of the Holy Order of MANS. The foundation’s Web site states that “The Foundation of Christ is an organization of men and women who are called together to promote a more thorough understanding of the divine laws of God and of Creation, and the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ with the ancient Christian Mysteries, as a revealed teaching of this day, in accordance with the Testament and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ that ‘All the mysteries shall be revealed.” The Web site states that the two purposes of the church are:

* Teaching of the Universal Law of Creation
* Service to God and each other by uniting all men and women.

The Foundation of Christ Church uses the Tree of Life studies as a means of educating and socializing its members. Its Web site states, “We teach the Tree of Life as taught by the ancients as a map of creation—showing channels or Paths leading from God to his Creation and back again. We have Bible Study and practice spiritual exercises designed to awaken the God-given Spiritual faculties within us.” Students will learn, “Bible Comprehension, and the Tools that God, your Father gave to you on the Heaven Plane before you came through your baptism into earth.”

The American Temple

The American Temple is the fifth splinter group of the Holy Order of MANS. This group continues to use some of Earl Blighton’s original teachings and the Holy Order of MANS’ religious writings. First, the American Temple wishes to learn why “life and all her varied and wide experiences are a continual unfolding of Revelation” (“American Temple” 1). The answer to this question, according to the American Temple, comes from a quote in the Holy Order of MANS’ Philosophy of Sacramental Initiation (“American Temple” 1). The Philosophy of Sacramental Initiation states, “Very simply, the Divine Spirit Consciousness, the Father-Mother Creator, brings the universe into being by reflection upon itself. The divine pattern is thus pictured throughout creation. Everywhere in the universe there is Spirit acting upon soul to create manifestation—spirit embodied in form” (“American Temple” 1). A second teaching by Blighton that has remained influential in the American Temple is the insistence on living symbolism (“American Temple” 1).

One important practice of the American Temple is chromotherapy. Chromotherapy is the use of different colors to treat medical ailments. The “Color Philosophy” part of Chromotherapy was edited by Blighton. The American Temple Web site explains, “In healing by color the subtlest and finest vibrations in nature are used instead of the coarse irritating vibrations of drugs and chemicals. The radiations of sunlight are absorbed by the nervous system and distributed by it and the blood stream to various parts of the body.” The American Temple believes that medical drugs leave “residues” in the human body. As the body attempts to free itself of these residues, more damage to the body is done. The American Temple Web page devoted to chromotherapy states, “Color is the most attenuated form of energy that can be kept in an individual state that will do the work that needs to be done and leave no residue, as it is all free energy. There is no residue to contaminate the body, and it is the residue that keeps the body from feeling healthy.” Some important guidelines to follow while undergoing chromotherapy include:

* Reduce the intake of meat
* Avoid tea and coffee
* Eliminate tobacco and alcohol
* Drink water and Fruit Juices
* Do not use any sweetener that contains sulfur dioxide
* Do not take chromotherapy treatments at sunrise or sunset.
* Do not take chromotherapy treatments during an eclipse of the sun or moon
* Decide length of treatments by weather conditions, time of year, hour of day, among other things.

Internet Links

Institute for the Study of American Religion’s Webpage on Rosicrucianism
This page has a detailed history of Rosicrucian thought. In addition, it lists and describes modern day Rosicrucian groups including AMORC.
www.americanreligion.org/cultwtch/rosicruc.html

The American Temple
This is the web page of the American Temple. The American Temple is one of the splinter groups formed from the Holy Order of MANS. The site includes articles and perspectives from former HOOM members.
www.americantemple.org

The Gnostic Order of Christ
This is the web page of the Gnostic Order of Christ. It’s the second of five splinter groups from the original Holy Order of MANS. This is quite an extensive site.. It provides a site index and the availability of order Gnostic literature.
www.gnosticorderofchrist.org

The Science of Man
This is the web page of the Science of Man, the third Holy Order of MANS splinter group. It provides a good deal of information including links, a mission statement, and information about the groups beliefs.
www.scienceofman.org

Foundation of Christ Church
This is a website for the Foundation of Christ Church. This website is quite extensive, providing a great deal of information on the Foundation of Christ Church.
http://millennium.fortunecity.com/ruthven/190/

Research Bibliography

Gerjevic, Sandi. (1999). “A Saint’s Subjects.” Anchorage Daily News (1 February 1).

Lucas, Phillip Charles. (1995). The Odyssey of a New Religion: The Holy Order of MANS from New Age to Orthodoxy. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.

_____. (2004). “New Religious Movements and the ‘Acids’ of Postmodernity.” Nova Religio 8 (2): 28-47.

Note: Phillip Lucas is the only scholar to date who has studied the Holy Order of MANS in any depth. Lucas is Professor of Religious Studies at Stetson University and the founding editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions.

Created by Stephen Elliott
For Sociology 257, University of Virginia, Spring 1999
Expanded and revised by Phillip Charles Lucas, Professor of Religious Studies, Stetson University
February 2005

Name:	Holy Order of MANS
Modern Descendants:	Christ the Savior Brotherhood; The Gnostic Order of Christ; Science of Man; American Temple; Foundation of Christ Church
Founder:	Earl Wilbur Blighton
Date and Place of Birth:	April 18, 1904 (Rochester, NY) - April 11, 1974
Year Founded:	1968, San Francisco
Sacred or Revered Texts:	New Testament; Book of Activity;The Golden Force
Size of Group:	The Holy Order of MANS’ membership peaked in 1977 at 3,000. In addition, the Order had 70 mission stations in 49 states.
Remarks: