The House of David : salvation, scandal, and survival in a modern American commune
Publication Information
New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2025]
Physical Description
xi, 274 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Summary
"This case study of a distinctive and little known commune reveals a larger story about religion and social change in the twentieth-century United States. Founded by Mary and Benjamin Purnell in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1903, the House of David soon blossomed into a vibrant faith community and booming business enterprise. Its members (migrants from across the United States and immigrants from around the world) were Christian Israelites, members of a millennialist faith who seek to assemble the remnants of the lost tribes of Israel in a new Jerusalem and believe this ingathering of 144,000 will never die. They relinquished all assets, practiced celibacy, and renounced meat, hair-cutting, and traditional family ties -- in exchange for community, economic security, and the promise of immortality. Working in the commune's complex business enterprises, they sought refuge from the abuses of industrial capitalism even as they brilliantly seized on the opportunities the economy had to offer. They also eagerly embraced popular culture by running a successful amusement park, performing in the colony's touring musical groups, and playing on barnstorming baseball teams that were the delight of audiences nationwide. This new religion thrived into the 1960s - and lingers on as a tiny remnant today -- despite a steady stream of financial and sexual scandals, a torrent of litigation, and obsessive coverage in the press. It defied these odds, and survived repeated threats to its religious freedom, to become one of the longest lasting intentional communities in United States history"-- Provided by publisher.