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Susan is the author of 6 books on new religious movements, notably "Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers: Women's Roles in New Religions"; and "Children in New Religions" (co-edited with Charlotte Hardman). She teaches at Dawson College and Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.
The Family/Children of God were one of the largest most successful new religions (branded as a "cult") emerging from the U.S. counterculture in the 1970s. It is now international, multi-ethnic and has weathered considerable controversy, notably the series of raids by police and social workers on the groups' children in the early 1990s, responses to allegations of abuse that were later dropped.
On the basis of my field research in Family homes in the U.S. and Britain, I describe the group's methods of "provisioning" (asking for donations) surplus clothing for their members, and their patterns of choosing, distributing and swapping clothes, and eventually discarding them in the "Forsake All". I argue that The Family's use of clothing is a rejection and condemnation of American materialism and private ownership, on one hand; and yet their dress code oddly mirrors or replicates the aesthetics and ethics of their host society. In order to explore this enigma, I examine some of the unique aspects of this Christian fundamentalist subculture: their self image as a youth culture ("Gotta be a Baby" was their famous recruiting song); their former controversial evangelical method of "Flirty Fishing" where young women offered sexual favours to lonely businessman to demonstrate Jesus' love; and their divine mandate to "save souls" in preparation for the imminent Return of Jesus. Finally, I will comment on the larger social significance of this NRM and its relevance to contemporary issues like globalism and the environment.
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