Transcending Jim Jones:
The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple Community
Abstract:
The Peoples Temple has come to exemplify the horrors of cults. The work done by members to alleviate the racism, sexism, classism, and ageism of American society has long been forgotten. This project looks at the formation and dissolution of the Peoples Temple, from 1955-1978. How each future member felt in society and interacted within it led them to find a home and community in Peoples Temple. Though the Temple ended tragically, its downfall should not erase the hope members had that they could create a brighter future. The feelings of alienation, loneliness, and marginalization, which led many individuals to the Temple, still exist today. The Peoples Temple is viewed as everything that is wrong with, and dangerous about, allowing freedom to fringe groups operating outside of the mainstream society. Yet there is value in understanding the reasons individuals chose to join the Temple and the actions they took within it.