From Kelpius to the Rod of Iron: Cults and New Religious Movements in Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia are home to a diverse array of churches and religious organizations. This program will outline the history of some of the most famous religious monuments of our region. We will begin in the 17th century with the figure of Johannes Kelpius, a German Pietist who established an apocalyptic religious community in the Wissahickon Valley. We will then move to the 19th century to examine the Theosophical Society, a new religion that merged East and West, whose United Lodge is still located in Center City. We will conclude by discussing the Iron Rod Ministries, an offshoot of the Korean American Unification Church, which until recently was headquartered in Wayne County, east of the city of Scranton.

Ori Tavor is a Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies and Director of the MA Program at the department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, the University of Pennsylvania. He studies the history of utopian thought, new religion movements, and the intersection between religion and the state.

Attend this program in person in the Education, Philosophy and Religion Department, or view it live on Zoom by registering here.