The Church Universal and Triumphant is a New Age new religious movement and organization founded by Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is one of the branches of The Summit Lighthouse and its church groups can be found in many cities throughout the world. New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... A new religious movement or NRM is a religious, ethical, or spiritual grouping of fairly recent origin which is not part of an established religion and has not yet become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or religious body. ... Marcus Lyle Prophet was an American born December 24, 1918 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. ... Elizabeth Clare Prophet (born April 8, 1939) is an American who became the leader of the New Age new religious movement The Summit Lighthouse, an organization encompassing the branches of Church Universal and Triumphant, Summit University, Summit University Press, and Montessori International, after her husband, Mark L. Prophet, died on... This article is in need of attention. ...

Theology

Gordon Melton lists the C.U.T. as a religion of the "Ancient Wisdom" tradition akin to Theosophy and The "I Am" Activity. J. Gordon Melton is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is a research specialist with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. ... Possible emblem of some Theosophical Society Theosophy, literally knowledge of the divine, designates several bodies of ideas. ... The I Am Activity is a religious organization based upon the teachings of the Ascended Masters and the Great White Brotherhood, whose knowledge and lessons were dictated and published by the Saint Germain Foundation. ...

C.U.T. theology is a syncretistic belief system, including elements of Buddhism, Christianity, esoteric mysticism, the paranormal, alchemy and belief in elves, fairies, and other beings it calls elementals (spirits of nature). It revolves chiefly around communications received from Ascended Masters through the Holy Spirit. Many of the Ascended Masters such as El Morya, Kuthumi, and the Count of St Germain have their roots in the Theosophy of Madame Blavatsky, as does the worship by the C.U.T. of the deity Sanat Kumara. Others such as Buddha and Jesus are historical religious figures. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a life-enhancing system of psychology. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... In the history of science, alchemy refers to both an early form of the investigation of nature and an early philosophical and spiritual discipline, both combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism, and art. ... For alternate meanings, see Lightning (disambiguation). ... by Sophie Anderson A fairy, or faery, is a creature from stories and mythology, often portrayed in art and literature as a minuscule humanoid with wings. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... El Morya Khan is known in many New Age religions as the Ascended Master of the Blue or 1st Ray. El Morya is well known as the Master M who worked with the Master Koot Hoomi in the late nineteenth century to establish the Theosophical Society and to spread the... Kuthumi or Koot Hoomi or Master K.H. is a theosophical Mahatma, also known as an Ascended master or Master of the Wisdom. According to theosophical teachings, he is one of the members of the Spiritual Hierarchy which oversees the development of the human race on this planet. ... Count of St Germain by unknown artist The Count of St Germain (allegedly died February 27, 1784) was a courtier, adventurer, inventor, amateur scientist, violinist, amateur composer, and a mysterious gentleman; he also displayed some skills with the practice of alchemy. ... Possible emblem of some Theosophical Society Theosophy, literally knowledge of the divine, designates several bodies of ideas. ... Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Hahn (also Hélène) (July 31, 1831 (O.S.) (August 12, 1831 (N.S.)) - May 8, 1891 London, England), better known as Helena Blavatsky or Madame Blavatsky was the founder of Theosophy. ... According to Church Universal and Triumphant, the Sanat Kumara is the leader of mankind. ... Media:Example. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ...

Mark, and later Elizabeth, claimed to be a messenger of the Ascended Masters. As messengers they were able to communicate with these masters and became the on earth voice of these masters. They claimed to receive dictations from the masters which were published weekly as "Pearls of Wisdom". To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Group members practice prayers, affirmations, mantras, and a dynamic form of prayer known as decrees. These serve many purposes: devotion, calling to angels for protection from forces of darkness, calling forth the light of God on earth, praying for healing, for wisdom, asking to know God's will, and for the transmutation of karma. One of the most important decrees is the Violet Flame Decree -- a method which is said to be the most effective means of balancing karma that has built up in the past. The doctrine of the Seven Rays is also taught. For other uses of the word, see karma (disambiguation). ... The Seven Rays is an occult theory that is used within Theosophy and the occult organizations and religions based on Theosophy, such as the Alice Bailey material, the I Am movement and its many daughter organizations, the Church Universal and Triumphant, and the group founded by Benjamin Creme known as...

In the summer of 1993, a team of academic specialists conducted an interdisciplinary study of the church and its membership. The results were published in "Church Universal and Triumphant in Scholarly Perspective," edited by James R. Lewis and J. Gordon Melton.

During the late 80's and early 90's anti-church articles and letters were published in the local newspapers of the Livingston Enterprise and the Bozeman Chronicle. The newspaper articles frequently labeled Church Universal and Triumphant as being a cult. The church has usually been labeled a cult by fundamentalist Christian groups.^{[citation needed]} Several of the letters were written by former Church members who lost in lawsuits against the church.^{[citation needed]}

History

Mark Prophet came in contact with Ancient Wisdom groups through The Bridge to Freedom, an offshoot of the I AM Movement led by Geraldine Innocente (d.1961). Innocente had been a member of the I AM Movement, but left I AM in 1952 to begin her own group. Prophet studied with The Bridge to Freedom until 1958, when he split to form his own organization, then known as The Summit Lighthouse. The headquarters at that time was in Washington, D.C. The I AM Movement is a religious movement of the early 20th century created and lead by Guy Ballard and his wife Edna. ... The Bridge to Freedom was established in 1951 by Geraldine Innocente and other Students of the Ascended Masters, after she received what was believed to be an Anointing to become a Messenger for the Great White Brotherhood. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

In 1961, Mark met Elizabeth Clare Wulf; they married in 1964 and had four children. Wulf, subsequently Elizabeth Clare Prophet, had grown up under influences including New Thought and Christian Science. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that Christian Science practitioner be merged into this article or section. ...

In January 1966, the Prophets moved their church to Colorado Springs, CO. In 1970, a second major center of the organization was established in Santa Barbara, California. The first session of Ascended Master University - a religious study center for teaching of the ancient wisdom - was held there in July 1970. (Ascended Master University was later renamed Summit University.)

On November 2, 1971, the church established Montessori International, a private school based on the principles of Italian educator Maria Montessori. In later years, the school was expanded to provide a full program from preschool to Grade 12. On May 1, 1972, the church opened the Four Winds Organic Center in Colorado Springs, a health food store and organic restaurant. In February, 1973 Mark Prophet passed on, leaving his wife as leader. Maria Montessori Maria Montessori (August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952) was an Italian educator, scientist, physician, philosopher, feminist, and humanitarian, and the first early childhood educator to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. ...

Church Universal and Triumphant was incorporated as a part of the organization on May 1, 1975. The organization moved its headquarters to Pasadena, California, in 1976. In 1978, it moved to "Camelot," a 218-acre property in the Santa Monica Mountains, outside of Los Angeles.

In 1981, the organization purchased a 12,000 acre property in Montana, on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, which it named the Royal Teton Ranch. Camelot was sold and the organization moved its headquarters to Montana in 1986. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the western states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. ...

The church became best known publicly when during the late 1980s it predicted the possibility of nuclear war. Members were urged to prepare for such an eventuality by building fallout shelters with supplies of food and other necessities. When nuclear war did not occur, Prophet explained that the community had averted the war through their prayers. Some adherents were left in debt or bankruptcy in the unexpected result, however, and bad debts by members forced the closure of one hardware store in nearby Livingston, Montana. In the years following this episode, church membership has fallen in the United States. However, the C.U.T. remains a significant presence in the area of its headquarters, and international membership has grown significantly. With its decline in U.S. membership, the church was forced to downsize its land holdings in the first years of the 2000s with sales back to the U.S. government. The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... Livingston is a city located in Park County, Montana, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,851. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Recent news

Elizabeth Prophet developed Alzheimer's disease in the late 1990's and is today in Bozeman, Montana under house care. The church is under the direction of a two-person presidency with a board of directors and a council of elders. Bozeman is a city in southwestern Montana, USA. It is the county seat of Gallatin County. ... In relation to a company, a director is an officer of the company charged with the conduct and management of its affairs. ...

With the retirement of Elizabeth Clare Prophet, many new copycat organizations have started with the same principles and theology of Church Universal and Triumphant, but have been unsanctioned by the church. These new churches have their own messengers, who were former church members and have claim to have new teachings. The founders of these new churches were excommunicated from the church either prior to starting their own branches, or started their churches in reaction to being rejected by the Church's leadership. Two of these new churches include The Temple of the Presence and The Hearts Center. While the spiritual focus and mission statements of the organizations may vary, their theologies and beliefs are nearly identical--except in the belief of the their church's own "messanger". The Temple of the Presence is a syncretic belief system and was founded in 1995 by Monroe and Carolyn Shearer following Monroes excommunication from Church Universal and Triumphant, or CUT. CUT is one of the largest new American religions to branch off Theosophy (Madame Blavatskys Theosophical Society) and...

CUT continues to hold quarterly retreats at the Royal Teton Ranch and to hold Summit University sessions around the world. Retreats for teens and young adults are held internationally twice a year.

In music

Since a recording by the church entitled "Invocation for Judgement Against and Destruction of Rock Music" appeared on the record Sounds of American Doomsday Cults Volume 14, it has been sampled many times by various musical artists—mainly in electronic genres. Among the most prominent of these are Negativland (the track "Michael Jackson" from Escape from Noise), Mylo (the track "Destroy Rock & Roll" from Destroy Rock & Roll), O.S.I. (the track "Set It On Fire" from Free), and Fatboy Slim (a remix of the Negativland track which appeared on Better Living Through Chemistry). Sample can refer to any of the following. ... Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. ... Escape From Noise (1987; see also 1987 in music) marked Negativlands first break on a name-brand independent record label, SST Records. ... Mylo, real name Myles MacInnes (born 1978 on Isle of Skye), is a Scottish electronic musician. ... Destroy Rock & Roll is the first album by Mylo, released in 2004. ... Free is the sophomore album by OSI, scheduled to be released on April 21, 2006. ... Fatboy Slim (born Quentin Leo Cook on July 31, 1963, also known as Norman Cook) is an English musician in the dance music genre. ... Better Living Through Chemistry is the first album by Fatboy Slim. ...

External links

• The Summit Lighthouse website
• University of Virginia Religious Movements Project[1]
• FBI file on CUT

Anti-CUT sites:

• Life in CUT [2]
• Rick A. Ross Institute info on CUT [3]
• Anti-CUT information [4]
• Apologetics Index [5]

Offshoot organizations (not supported by CUT):

• The Temple of the Presence [6]
• The Hearts Center [7]
• Shangra-la Mission [8]