The Order of Christ Sophia

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1 Overview:
2 History:
3 Doctrine:
4 Bible:
5 Holy Books:
6 Practices:
- 6.1 Initiations and Rites:
7 Ordination and Leadership Structure:
8 Controversy and Criticisms:
9 OCS Response to Criticism:
10 Scholarly Interest:
11 References:
12 External links

[edit] Overview:

The Order of Christ Sophia (OCS) is a non-denominational Christian organization that was founded in 1999. The OCS describes itself as a holy order and spiritual school that offers training in the doctrines of Christian mysticism. (1) The OCS shares roots with groups such as Unity Church and Christian Science, which stemmed from the New Thought Movement of the 19th Century. Despite these connections, the OCS does not claim to be a new movement but rather a continuation of teachings and practices which were set down by Jesus Christ.

The OCS asserts an apostolic succession based in the transmission of teachings and spiritual authority from teacher to student beginning with Jesus Christ and passing down through the generations to include their present day leaders, Father Peter Bowes and Mother Clare Watts. This apostolic succession is not part of the historical episcopate as preserved in the Roman, Anglican, Orthodox, and some other churches. However, there are structural similarities and the OCS might be rightly classed as part of the Independent Sacramental Movement. (12)

OCS tenets include the belief that Jesus Christ was not only a redeemer and savior, but also a model for human functioning; and that Mary, his mother, was a representation of the divine feminine and was equal to Jesus in redemptive and mediation powers. OCS doctrine holds that human beings are souls which are in a continuing process of perfecting through the cumulative experience of multiple lives on earth. This perfecting is said to be accomplished through a process of spiritual direction, meditation, prayer, regular participation in the Christian sacraments, emotional healing, and spiritual initiations.

The OCS has centers in 12 states which they refer to as Centers of Light. Each Center of Light is run by ordained priests of OCS and is the central location for classes, services, and individual counseling in that state.

[edit] History:

The Order of Christ Sophia is one of several orders and churches descended from the Holy Order of MANS (HOOM), established in 1968 by Father Paul Blighton (aka Earl W. Blighton), which was in turn a development from Blighton's original group, the Science of Man Church, founded in 1961. After Blighton’s death in 1974, the HOOM was led by several Master Teachers and corporately joined an autocephalous Orthodox church (the Archdiocese of Vasiloupolis) in 1988, changing its name to Christ the Saviour Brotherhood. In the years prior to the affiliation with Orthodoxy, a number of members loyal to Blighton's original teachings left the Order, as the Order's leadership moved the community in an increasingly traditional direction. Among those who left the HOOM was a Master Teacher (esoteric bishop) named Anthony Ruiz, also known as Master Raeson. By 1980, Ruiz had left the HOOM and founded a group called the Society of Christ's Disciples. Father Peter Bowes was trained, initiated, and ordained as a lay minister in the HOOM and then later trained in the Society of Christ's Disciples by Master Raeson. Ruiz ordained Bowes as a Priest and Master Teacher in 1982.

After his ordination, Bowes collaborated with Ruiz to establish an Order called the Brotherhood of Christ. The Brotherhood of Christ functioned in the Bloomington, Indiana area for seven years and was eventually disbanded in 1989. (1, 2, 3) Bowes re-established a teaching base in 1997 in Milwaukee Wisconsin in collaboration with Mother Clare Watts who was teaching in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1999, Bowes and Watts joined together to establish and incorporate the Order of Christ Sophia. In 2001, Bowes moved to Oakland, California and Watts to Seattle, Washington to establish the third and fourth Centers of Light. Since 2001, the OCS has established eight more Centers of Light across the country. (4)

Mother Clare Watts was baptized in HOOM in 1977 but pursued Sufi training before returning to the Christian Mystical Teachings. Although she lived in Kentucky she traveled to Indiana regularly to pursue training with Father Peter Bowes. She was ordained a deacon in 1984 and eventually moved to Boston in 1985 in order to be trained by Master John Hartman. Master John was ordained in the Brotherhood of Christ and continued to teach after the Brotherhood’s dissolution. Watts trained for the priesthood with Master John but was not ordained until 1996 when she reconnected with Bowes. After her ordination, Watts focused her teachings on the spiritual empowerment of women until 1999 when she joined her growing center to Bowes’ to create the Order of Christ Sophia. In 2001 Watts was ordained a Master Teacher. (5)

[edit] Doctrine:

[edit] Reincarnation

OCS teaches that all human souls were created at one time and that each soul was made perfect and in total harmony and unity with the creator God. Doctrine states that God gave human souls an immutable freedom of will. By use of free-will, human beings chose destruction and darkness and fell out of harmony with God. In contrast to the Roman Catholic Church, OCS defines the problem of human tendency to sin in terms of the cumulative choices of each individual soul rather than Original Sin. Jesus Christ and Mother Mary are considered to be souls much like those of the rest of humanity who, instead of continuing in darkness, chose a path of return to God and were the first to reestablish complete unity with the Creator God. OCS affirms the divinity of Jesus Christ but does not assert this state of divinity as a singular event. Rather, they assert that it is one for which every human being is designed. It is understood that through reincarnation, every soul can eventually return to the level of divinity that Jesus Christ and Mother Mary demonstrated.

OCS uses the term karma to describe the accumulation of positive or negative choices on the soul. They assert that Jesus’ taking on the sins of the world was a removal of the accumulated negative karma of the human race. OCS doctrine stresses the importance of the development of personal insight, spiritual experiences and the direction of a teacher as means by which negative karmic patterns can be transformed. They also affirm Jesus’ continuous role as the vehicle through which sin/karma is forgiven by means of his body and blood in the form of communion.

[edit] Prayer:

OCS defines prayer in similar terms as Christian Scientists or other religious groups associated with the New Thought movement. Prayer is seen as a God given tool with which to actively create one’s life and experiences rather than as a simple supplication. OCS doctrine asserts that due to the unhindered nature of free will, and the process of Karma, human beings are completely responsible for the circumstances in which they live. They teach that through the development of a focused mind, uncluttered desire, and connection with God, one can develop a reliable power to create and change one’s financial, physical, emotional, and relational conditions.

In contrast to teachings of some other New Thought movements, prayer is also used as a devotional tool and is described as a method (along with meditation) by which an aspirant is able to not only speak to God but receive direct revelations and direction from God within. The process called ‘guidance,’ by which a person can ask questions in prayer and meditation and receive an answer from God within, is a central practice within OCS and has led to accusations that the leadership of the Order uses this process to assert control over student’s behavior (see controversy and criticisms).

[edit] Student teacher relationship:

The student teacher relationship is one of the defining characteristics of OCS as it is in other major mystical practices including Sufism and Zen. Requirements associated with being a student in OCS include: regular attendance at classes and services, tithing, and personal integrity. Students are also expected to complete daily spiritual exercises, attend communion daily or as often as possible, adhere to religious fasting, and demonstrate deference to their teacher. In the first years of OCS, all affiliated members took part in the intensive training associated with being a student, but in recent years OCS changed their policy and now allows members to be associated with OCS at various levels of commitment.

OCS asserts that only through the process of being directly guided by a Teacher can one reach the higher levels of consciousness, healing, and service. They emphasize the importance of being guided by one who has not only traveled “the way” themselves but has been empowered to teach others. OCS cites the relationship between Jesus and his apostles as the model for this practice.

[edit] Bible:

OCS views the New Testament both as an accurate historical portrayal and as a mystical text. They affirm that although the New Testament should be viewed within its historical and cultural context, Jesus’ teachings are essentially timeless and perfect. They also believe that the Gospels are written not only as description of the teachings and life of Jesus but as guidebook to “illumination”. They practice Bible contemplation in which they seek to understand the multiple levels on which the gospels were written. This primarily consists of a practice of viewing each character and object in the Bible as representations of a part of themselves. In doing so they expect to understand the inner meaning of the text and therefore be led to greater consciousness.

[edit] Holy Books:

OCS considers the Bible to be their primary source of teachings and the basis for their practice; however they use two other texts regularly. The Tree of Life books are a series of texts used in weekly classes. The Tree of Life was originally compiled and written by Father Paul Blighton and was published in San Francisco. Father Peter Bowes reports that he made major changes to the wording of the texts in order to improve readability and cultural accessibly but did not change the teachings themselves. The OCS version of the Tree of Life lessons is unavailable to the public but Blighton's original texts are published online by former HOOM members. The text is primarily concerned with the nature of human beings in relationship to God and the cosmos. It is the basis for the OCS’s mystical practice and much of its theological perspective.

The Poem of The Man God by Maria Valtorta is a series of five books which were written by an Italian woman in the 1940s. She claimed to have received direct revelations from Christ and Mother Mary about the events and teachings of their time. Each book is over 500 pages long and claims to enumerate the travels, teachings, and activities of Jesus Christ, his Mother Mary, his apostles, and the holy men and women who followed Jesus. OCS reads from this text at communion services and encourages its members to read the texts as well. OCS members believe the text to be a valid revelation from Jesus and value it for its comprehensive elucidation of his life. Valtorta's work was not used by Blighton or Ruiz.

[edit] Practices:

OCS’s regular practices include daily Communion, evening prayers (in a group setting), thirty minutes of morning meditation, a spiritual exercise performed twice daily for some members, fasting one day each month, classes twice a week, a church-like Sunday service, monthly seminars and bi-annual retreats. They have two classes per week, one which focuses on the Bible and the other on The Tree of Life. Sunday services consist of thirty minutes of silent mediation, singing, prayers, a scriptural reading, a sermon, and Communion. Services tend to be small and highly ritualized.

[edit] Initiations and Rites:

OCS differentiates itself from many other new age spiritual groups through the intensity of training and its initiations and rites. OCS claims that there are three major initiations that appear in all major mystical paths, though called by different names. OCS calls these initiations mystical baptism, illumination, and Self realization. The baptism is public, while the illumination and Self realization are done more privately and those who witness them can witness the proceedings but cannot hear the content of the initiation. OCS doctrine states that the three initiations are the universal steps to enlightenment and God consciousness and that they can only be performed by certain levels of ministers and Teachers.

[edit] Ordination and Leadership Structure:

There are three levels of ministry which correspond to the three initiations. Deacons are the lowest level of ministry and are empowered to baptize and teach classes but rarely do either unless a priest in unavailable. Priests are empowered to baptize and illumine students and teach most of the classes, lead Sunday services, and act as directors of the Centers of Light. Master Teachers are the highest level of ministry and are empowered to bring students through all three initiations and in some cases ordain priests. There are also intermediary training positions before each ordination. Currently, Father Peter Bowes and Mother Clare Watts are the only Master Teachers in the OCS but report that they expect more will be ordained in time.

The OCS ordains female clergy, and one apparent difference between the OCS and traditional Christianity is its acknowledgement of Mother Mary as co-redeemer and equal to Jesus Christ. Perhaps because of this assertion, a major proportion of the OCS’s ministry is female. As religious scholar James R Lewis writes, "women will probably continue to constitute a majority of the membership into the foreseeable future because of the women’s spirituality issues addressed by the Order, and because of the opportunities for females assuming ministerial leadership positions in the organization – opportunities not present in Roman Catholicism and other traditionalist Christian bodies." (1)

[edit] Controversy and Criticisms:

The group first encountered opposition in 2001 when parents of some members became upset with the level of involvement their adult children had undertaken and began to suggest that OCS was a “dangerous cult”. Anti-cult leaders Rick Ross and Steve Hassan were hired to facilitate “exit counseling” formerly referred to as deprogramming. Families claimed that OCS had brainwashed its members and had caused sleep deprivations, health problems, emotional turmoil, and unhealthy levels of allegiance to the group and its practices. Several families staged intensive interventions with their adult children and attempted to convince them of the danger of the group. A few members were successfully ‘exit counseled’ but most interventions were unsuccessful. Such parents sought public support through local news programs and other upset parents. They claimed that OCS had ‘poisoned’ their children against them and had destroyed their once happy families (10, 11). Online forums sprung up and were filled with discontent towards the OCS and its leaders. Several journalists investigated the OCS and articles appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Guardian Observer and The Boston Phoenix (7,8,9).

Father Peter Bowes was the main target of attack and was accused of causing suicidality in a former member and losing his license to practice psychotherapy due to unethical conduct. Information arose showing that he had surrendered his license to practice psychology after a former member alleged that Father Peter had began to function as her spiritual leader while still being her therapist. This was an infraction called ‘dual relationship’ in the field of psychology. Dual relationships are not completely forbidden according to APA ethics but are discouraged and certain types such as sexual relationships are completely disallowed. The former member made no claims of sexual impropriety but nonetheless petitioned the state to revoke his license. Bowes surrendered his license rather than participate in the court proceedings.

As time went on claims of Bowes' power and malevolence grew on internet blogs. Several families continued campaigns against OCS and continued to insist that all members were being psychologically damaged by participation in OCS events. The number and intensity of claims against OCS decreased over the following years but their name remains on Steve Hassan and Rick Ross’ lists of ‘dangerous cults’.

[edit] OCS Response to Criticism:

Bowes openly admitted that he began to teach meditation classes to a former member while continuing to see her in therapy. He acknowledged that this was a mistake but felt that no damage had been done. In his book, Bowes states that the ex-member in question had originally approached him for spiritual direction but that he felt she was not emotionally stable enough to begin such work. He reports that he treated her psychologically in order to allow her to effectively participate in spiritual work. He states that she was greatly helped by therapy and began to allow her to attend his meditation classes due to her repeated requests to do so, before they completed therapy. He states that he felt that her claims that she was emotionally harmed in this process were based in her anger at him for not promoting her within the OCS and were not grounded in truth. He did admit that the over-lap of roles was a mistake. Watts and Bowes deny any mistreatment or manipulation of members and claim that anti-cult leaders stirred up a panic and fed misinformation to concerned parents. (4,11)

[edit] Scholarly Interest:

In 2003, a sociologist named James R Lewis came across an article on OCS that appeared in a Milwaukee newspaper and become interested in the group. Lewis is a professor at the University of Wisconsin, a researcher and an author. His work focuses specifically on New Religious Movements (NRMs). His books include The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements, though the handbook does not explicitly reference the OCS (6). Lewis made contact with OCS in 2003 and began to research their practices and the accusations that they were a dangerous cult. His first publication on the group appeared in the Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies and was titled “New data on who joins NRMs and why: A case study of the Order of Christ/Sophia.” In this article he describes the OCS as a "mystery school that trains its members in the doctrines and practices of esoteric Christianity.” (1) His research has continued and he is in the process of writing a book on OCS. He expects it to be published in 2008. In response to allegations of the OCS being a “dangerous cult,” Lewis concluded that OCS was experiencing a developmental process typical for NRMs [citation needed]. He contextualized the accusations that OCS was ‘cult’ within a sociological developmental perspective [citation needed]. He reported that there was no indication of psychologically abusive practices or cult-like behaviors [citation needed]. Eventually colleagues of Lewis’ and other NRM researchers such as Prof. Scott Thumma of the Hartford Seminary became interested in OCS. Thumma, Lewis and OCS members presented research they conducted on OCS at the Religious Research Association (RRA) conference in November 2007.

Anti-cult leaders accuse Lewis, Thumma and their colleagues of being “Cult Apologists” and claim that they are biased and are therefore not objective in their portrayal of New Religious Movements. Lewis has defended well-known cults such as The Family and AUM Shinrikyo. (16) Lewis and colleagues refute this accusation, saying anti-cult leaders manipulate information and create unwarranted fears of NRMs. (6)

The OCS is also briefly referenced, mainly in regard to its teachings on Mary, in John Plummer's 2005 PhD dissertation, published as "The Many Paths of the Independent Sacramental Movement." (12) Plummer interviewed Mother Clare Watts, and visited the Atlanta Center of Light, during his research. His dissertation contains more extensive discussion of other groups descended from HOOM and the work of Fr Paul Blighton.

[edit] References:

(1) Lewis, James, R. New data on who joins NRMs and why: A case study of the Order of Christ/Sophia: Journal of Alternative Spiritualities, JANSAS 1:2; 2006 (91 – 104)

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

(3) Lewis, James R and Lucas, Phillip. The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects. and New Religions: Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 1998.

(4) Father Peter Bowes, The Word Within: Sophia Publishing, Milwaukee, WI, 2006. ISBN 141169788X

(5) Mother Clare Watts, Giving Birth to God: A Woman's Path to Enlightenment: iUniverse Inc., New York, NY, 2003. ISBN 0595283373

(6) Lewis, James, R. The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements: Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 2004.

(7) Heinen, Tom. "Mystics Misunderstood? Religious Order Says It's Out Of The Mainstream But Not A Cult." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 5, 2005. http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=307267

(8) Johnstone, Nick. "Beyond Belief." The Observer, December 12, 2004. http://www.observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,1371787,00.html

(9) Wright, Chris. "Sex, God, and Chocolate Ice Cream." The Boston Phoenix, February 15, 2004. http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/03595748.asp

(10) Henry, Coleen. "Order Of Christ-Sophia Refutes Allegations That It's A Cult." WISN-TV, Milwaukee, Channel 2, ABC. May 21, 2003. http://www.wisn.com/video/2666421/index.html

(12) Plummer, John. The Many Paths of the Independent Sacramental Movement: 2nd ed., Apocryphile Press, Berkeley, CA, 2006.

(13) Plummer, John. Living Mysteries, Sun Chalice Books, 2006.

(14) Holy Order of MANS. The Philosophy of Sacramental Initiation. Holy Order of MANS, San Francisco, CA, n.d. (early 1970s).

(15) Blighton, E.W. The Middle Path. ed., Ruth Blighton. Science of Man Books, Corte Madera, CA, 2001.

(16) Apologetics Index, http://www.apologeticsindex.org/l33.html