The Jesus People: A Different Sort Of Christian Aaron Kreider Becky Horst Lit. Voice May 16, 1994 Introduction The Sixties were a decade of social and political upheaval. Near the end of the decade, a religious revival occurred, affecting mostly ex-hippies, former drug addicts, and young people. Walking the streets evangelizing, predicting Jesus's Second Coming, living in communes, baptizing hundreds on the beaches, these were the Jesus People. They were significant because they affected people otherwise alienated from the Church. The movement contrasted sharply with the Sixties, had many diverse roots, and influenced the mainstream Church's practices and beliefs. It also demonstrated a unique alternative lifestyle and gained the attention of the mainstream culture. Causes of the Movement The Jesus People movement was a religious revival caused by a reaction against the Sixties decade of "freedom". Prosperity appeared to have ended, and the United States seemed to be full of problems. Young people were worried about the economic recession, pollution, Vietnam, and the civil rights struggle (Streiker 10). Revivals traditionally do better in troubled times, and the U.S. was in such a situation in the early Seventies. There have been several religious revivals in the U.S. since its inception, and this was another one. The movement represented the culture from which it originated (Marty 472). It was a refuge from the Sixties counterculture of drugs, sex, and violence (Marin 58). As a result of this, there were many people from the subculture who joined the movement after their experimentation with "freedom" had failed them. These people felt guilty and were comforted by a message of forgiveness, which told them to let go of their past sins (60). Due to greater post-secondary school enrollment, young people had more time to enjoy freedom in life before the time when they would settle into society and work at a full-time job (Streiker 83). Searching for the meaning of life, these people were more likely to get involved with the Jesus People who claimed to have the answers for their deeply held questions (84). Development of the Movement As a counterculture phenomenon, the movement had no clear starting point and no recognizable founder. It got big enough to be called the Jesus People in the late Sixties, approximately in 1967. From California, it spread across the U.S. and around the globe. Jesus parties gave the movement its place in popular culture. Underground Jesus newspapers were started to spread the message (Williams 5). The largest Jesus newspaper was the Hollywood Free Paper. The movement became a fad and flourished. Publisher Duane Pederson of the Hollywood Free Paper admitted that the movement was a fad: Of course its a fad. In California being a Christian is the thing to do. But many are being swept in. So what if three weeks from now they're back on the street doing drugs, balling every chick in sight? Jesus said that when we plant the good seed some of it will fall on fertile ground. And some will fall on stony ground. And some will fall on the street where the birds will eat it. And some will fall among thorns. The media helped spread the news and magnify the movement (Marty 471). It received more favorable coverage than eastern religious movements because it was Christian and it kept kids away from drugs. The Christian World Liberation Front from Berkeley had a big role in the start of the movement. They published Right On, a Jesus newspaper that dealt with issues without oversimplification, and they also had a program of evangelization (Williams 5). Many diverse forces combined to create the Jesus People movement. Lifestyle To emphasize their differences from mainstream society, the Jesus People lived an alternative lifestyle that increased their presence in the publics' view. Their whole lives were orientated around living for Jesus. They put off long-term plans because they believed in the inevitably of Jesus's return. Once one was saved, one was meant to read the Bible, pray, evangelize, stay away from sin, join a group of like believers, and perhaps live in a commune (Streiker 36). The converted were too concerned with their relationship with Jesus. Bill Streiker, who stayed in a commune called the Light and Power House said of it: The disappointment came because the Light and Power House is forty kids each on his or her own separate Jesus-and-me trip. I have never encountered such utter disregard for the rights of the community or the needs of one's neighbour. (70) Created in the style of hippy communes of the Sixties, the communes lacked authority. They were more like groups of individuals than real communities. The lack of organization was partially due to the primary presence of young people in leadership positions. Most of the commune members did not work. They got their money from donations and the pooling of what little income they earned. They were not inclined to find permanent work, because they believed that the end was near and that Jesus would provide for them (38). However, the communities were overflowing with expressions of love. This helped them to attract unhappy street people who had problems and desired the contentedness which the Jesus People displayed (William 5). They brought the message to the streets with demonstrations, and sometimes with vigils declaring the end of the world. They devoted themselves and their lives to God, instead of putting themselves first. Theology and Beliefs The Jesus People's simplistic fundamentalist belief system was basic to the movement. A conversion, as it would appear in a Jesus newspaper, could be broken down into four steps. First, God loves you and has a plan for your life. Second, sin keeps you apart from God and his plan. Third, Jesus died to forgive your sins. And fourth, Jesus is the only way (Streiker 35-36). A prayer of acceptance of Jesus would follow this pattern: Dear God, I know that I have sinned and that I need your forgiveness. I believe with all my heart that your Son, Jesus Christ died for me. Jesus, come into my heart as my personal Savior. Take away my sin and help me to follow you as Lord of my life. I surrender my life to your control. Make me the kind of person that you want me to be. Give me strength to tell others of you and to do your will in all areas of my daily life. Thank you for answering my prayer. In Jesus' name. Amen. (36) The movement's theology lacked depth, and was childlike. They tried to emphasize the emotional aspects of Christianity, but at the neglect of theology. The Jesus People was a refuge for people who wanted to hide from the liberty, the drifting, and the time of questioning that had hurt them in hippy era (116). The theology was extremely personalized and focused on a "Jesus and me" relationship. Jesus was believed to be present everywhere and to guide us in every decision (Wagner 56). So while members lived in communities, the individual's personal Jesus trip was considered more important. Their theology on living was flawed, in that it would be impossible for them to attain the holy simplistic lives for which they were striving. Historically, communities attempting to lead perfect and holy lives have failed (Marty 475). For the most part, the members lived in the belief that Jesus was coming again very soon (Wagner 59). Like most revivals, the apocalypse played an important role in their beliefs. The lack of a well thought out theology, resulted in the movement's eventual bust. Relationship with Mainstream Christianity Even though they held fundamentalist views, like most religious revivals in history, the Jesus People were separate from the mainstream churches. However they did influence the mainstream, and held beliefs that classify as fundamentalist. The movement held traditional fundamentalist views, believing in the inerrancy of the Bible, the virgin birth and the other basic fundamentalist doctrines (Streiker 55). However the movement was separated from the fundamentalists because of a major cultural gap. This cultural gap was recognizable by differences in age, clothing, manner of speech, and hair length. Sue Alamo, leader of a commune, explained the difficulty: The churches have too much to lose. Look at the Bible. The Jews cried out to God for a deliverer. When he came, they didn't like his looks. So they crucified him. Now the churches are crying out for revival. And God sent the hippies! And they want to kill them! (Streiker 32) Billy Graham saw quite a number of things that were positive about the movement. In 1971, he thought that it would become the greatest religious revival ever in the United States' history. He liked the focus on Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the second coming, and doing good works. He thought that the movement would be a great boost to U.S. churches, if the churches would adopt some of its beliefs and practices (4-5). Wagner, in Time, also wrote that the churches should include the movement into the mainstream. He felt that it would be a much needed boost for them, as church attendance was in steady decline (63). The Jesus People movement could have caused some changes in the mainstream churches if it had been permitted to do so. It finally did have an impact as it went into decline, and people left it to join the mainstream churches. The Decline of the Movement Preceding the decline of the Jesus People movement, there was a decline in the attention that it received from the media after the initial headlines that had greeted it. But later the movement went into a real decline. The coverage of the movement peaked in 1971-1972 and declined from there on. The Jesus People spread east. In 1975 the movement was booming in Eastern Ohio and West Pennsylvania. It was larger in Pennsylvania than it had ever been in California. It was also reaching other parts of the world as well (Plowman 46). The movement quickly left the public view. Members who had come from the streets, found a place to live (Ostling 232). Some went on to seminary and some became extremists (233). One example of an extremist sect is The Children of God who were very critical of the remainder of the Jesus People (234). The Jesus People movement failed because it was easier for it to rebel against the mainstream, than for it to decide what standard it should establish (Streiker 59). The setting of a standard and the inevitable need for organization resulted in the movement becoming mainstream. Sects or groups that believe that the end is near, tend to fade away as their members wait and wait and the Messiah does not come (77). The movement tried to make itself respectable in the media, for example by mentioning its leaders' doctoral degrees. Its placating of the media proved that it was becoming a mainstream movement (Marty 475-476). The Christian World Liberation Front broke up over theological arguments (Plowman 47). By 1978, most of the Shiloh youth camps, established to mission to street youths in trouble, had been closed (Frame 28). The folk-rock music of the movement survived into the eighties. The music of the movement and an increased focus on Jesus are still present in some churches of our day. There is a group called the Jesus People U.S.A. (J.P.U.S.A.) which exists presently. They are still "hip", or at least more so that most churches. However they have dropped some of their beliefs, and they are much more mainstream than the movement once was. Conclusion In some ways, the Jesus People movement was similar to the "Church of the Second Chance" in Anne Tyler's novel, Saint Maybe. They both failed to emphasize theology, had members who were misfits in society, and believed that members should live holy lives. The Jesus People movement was an important cultural and religious phenomenon that brought many people to Christ, and had a permanent impact on the Church. However, with more cooperation from the mainstream denominations, it could have really flourished. Church attendance could have stabilized or even increased. For the result of cooperation would have been a more "hip" church that would have been attractive to young people, and revitalized for many years to come. Works Cited Frame, Randall L. "Oregon retreat center battles IRS." Christianity Today October 3, 1986: 28-30. Graham, Billy. "The Marks of the Jesus Movement." Christianity Today November 5, 1971: 4-5. Marin, P. "Children of yearning: meditations on the Jesus Movement" Saturday Review May 6, 1972:58-63. Marty, M. E. "Jesus: the media and the message." Theology Today 28 (1972): 470-476. Ostling, R. N. "Jesus People revisited." International Review of Mission April 1974: 232-237. Plowman, Edward E. "Whatever Happened to the Jesus Movement?" Christianity Today October 24, 1975: 46-48. Streiker, Lowell D. The Jesus trip: advent of the Jesus freaks. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971. Tyler, Anne. Saint Maybe. New York: Ivy Books, 1991. Wagner, Julian. "New Rebel Cry; Jesus is coming!" Time June 21, 1971: 56-63. Williams, D. M. "Close-up of the Jesus People." Christianity Today August 27, 1971: 5-7. Kreider Kreider