Summum

Today we bring you one of my favorite NRMs ("New Religious Movements"), the quirky little cult known as Summum. (Don't forget to click on the "Gift Shop" link!)

It all began in 1975, when Salt Lake City native Claude Rex Nowell ("Corky" to his family and friends) encountered some highly intelligent folks that he called "Summa Individuals." They taught him about the true nature of creation... so, naturally he changed his name to Summum Bonum Amen Ra, and wrote a book about their teachings.

Well, re-wrote a book, actually. The original, called The Kybalion was published in the early 1900s by "the Three Initiates." It's supposed to be a culmination of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretism of the Greek god, Hermes and the Egyptian God, Thoth. Yes - a syncretism; "the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion."
(syncretism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/syncretism)


Ol' Corky felt that the Three Initiates had not gotten it quite right, so he updated The Kybalion and published it under the name "Summum - Sealed Except to the Open Mind." Corky Ra has published other books as well, and has built a pyramid... in Utah.

Yeah. UTAH. They even managed to get a license to brew wine in Utah. Well, Corky and company call it "Nectar Publications" but the government calls it wine. Summum is Utah's first federally bonded winery. Get it? A guy named "Corky" owns a winery... This is better than anything I might make up!

I know what you're thinking - "What good is a pyramid without mummies?" Well, Corky has you covered there too. Turns out the Corkster was a licensed funeral director in the state of California, and he has become known as the "father of modern mummification." He will happily mummify you or your pets.
Corky has actually made being the Mummy Lord of Utah a pretty lucrative gig. The "mummiforms" you see at left are not cheap - their website says that animal mummifications range from $6,000 to $128,000, depending on the weight of the animal. I assume human mummies are much more expensive, as the prices for that aren't even listed.

I am officially suggesting that the Flock all gather at the gates of the Summum Pyramid in Salt Lake City, dressed as mummies. Then we should sing "How Dry I Am" until they give us wine! Who's with me?!



I'm coming for you, Corky. You and your little mummy cat, Oscar, too...

It should be called "Paulianity"

I have taken a long time off from this blog. As soon as I finish my stats homework today, I'll be back with a post to catch you all up on what's new in Black Vatican City.

In the meantime, read this interesting tidbit from theStar.com:
New scholarship suggests Jesus might never have intended to found a new religion.

Basically, the idea is that Christianity as we know it has little to do with Jesus, and everything to do with Paul. This is not really an earth-shaking realization - Fleur and I have discussed the oddities of Pauline doctrine numerous times - but the book looks interesting. Might be time for a trip to Amazon...

Your Personal Prophecy

Although I clearly suffer from a messianic complex, I have never considered myself particularly prophetic. Although I sometimes predict outcomes, it is always based on an observation of human nature rather than hearing a divine message. I would be remiss as your internet spiritual leader if I didn't do something to address this lack. To that end, I direct you to Bishop Jordan.

After the cool jazz intro ends, click on "Free Prophecies Are Back! Click here to get yours!" If you enter some personal info (so they can put you on their mailing list) the Bishop will ask the Holy Spirit about you, and then tell you what it said. It's like in elementary school when you ask your friend to ask that cute boy if he likes you...

Naturally, I signed up for a free prophecy immediately, and I'll let you know how it goes when I receive it. The existence of "free" prophecies leads me to believe that there are probably paid prophecies as well. I'll keep you posted on that front as it develops.

I love stuff like this; job security for folks like me, and fun for the whole Flock.
Amen.

Growing in Grace - Cult Watch

You've got to admire a guy who so directly embraces the term Antichrist. His ministry, "Growing in Grace" numbers over 2 million folowers (according to him) and is centered in Latin America. You can spot them by their "666" tattoos. As you might guess, Latin American Catholics are pretty pissed about this. If you Google his name, you'll get about a jillion hits denouncing him in Spanish. He's currently at the center of a pretty expensive divorce trial as well, which is up for discussion over on the Black Vatican forum.

He is often called "Jesucristo Hombre" (literally "Jesus Christ Man") by his followers, but his official title is "President Dr. Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, God on Earth." In his theology, there is no conflict in being both the Second Coming and the Antichrist. He also claims to be another incarnation of the Apostle Paul, an Angel, and an Archangel.

The two-fingers-to-the-head pose is his trademark salute, symbolic of the power of the rational mind to make spiritual change. It's strictly coincidental that it looks like someone about the blow their brains out.

He's speaking in Ontario, Canada, in the next few days. I really wish I could afford to take my sociologist sombrero up there to interview him myself. I love guys like him. They are basically job security for people like me...