Antoinism

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The antoinist temple of the 13ème arrondissement, Paris

Antoinism is a minority religion (or cult, depending on the point of view) founded by Louis-Joseph Antoine (1846-1912).

[edit] Brief history

Louis-Joseph Antoine came from a Roman Catholic family, but found that unsatisfying. He began to be influenced by the writing of Allan Kardec and married in 1873. Around this time he started a spiritist movement called "the Vine growers of the Lord." After the death of his son in 1893 he and the group broke with Christianity. At some point notions of Henri Bergson may have played a role. By 1910 the ideas of the group fully developed into a religion, sect, or cult. He died in 1912.

[edit] Beliefs

The group believes in a moral progression through reincarnation. They believe in a dualistic Universe in which matter is an illusion. They consider Louis-Joseph Antoine to be the "Father." This makes him the arbiter between humanity and God or even the reincarnation of Jesus. They tolerate other religions as they see them as detaching people from the material world.