American Beginnings

Strong religious impulses and revivals in the early 1800's in America gave rise to many new groups, even denominations, which were diverse in many areas of doctrine but often focusing on perfection as a means of achieving a better world. A surprising number of those involved formed communes and their efforts led to many positive changes in society. Unfortunately, there have been others with perfectionist ideals who have left mostly negative effects in their wake.

One hypothesis suggests that communal experiments formed during stressful times. Michael Barkun describes the period from 1810 to the 1840's as filled with economic collapse, natural disasters, and changes in family structure. These combined to place enormous stress on people and forced them to try to seek explanations. During this time they began to consider disastrous events as signs of the end-time.

Reaction to stress seemed to play a part in the formation of Oneida, the People's Temple and the Branch Davidians. Oneida formed in the wake of the spiritual revival in New England that resulted from the events Barkun relates. Jim Jones began to gather his followers during the social upheaval of the 1950's and 1960's. Vernon Howell took over the Davidians during problems within the group in the 1970's. However, if one looks at the leaders, it becomes apparent that they were under enormous personal tension, both emotional and intellectual. These stressed, perfectionist individuals then initiated communal living as the perfect form for their followers. Each leader's early experiences made him not only a perfectionist in philosophy but in character. Each wanted a better world but could not help escaping to try to reach it. Each found it necessary to attract disciples to give them the status they craved. Noyes retreated altogether by giving up the leadership of the commune. Jones committed suicide after years of growing paranoia. Howell's belief in his own divinity and invincibility lead to his death in an underground bunker, an eerily familiar scenario of another probable perfectionist, Adolph Hitler. In fact, Noyes, Jones, and Howell share traits very evident in Hitler's life. Striking background similarities also exists between Jones and Howell .