Michael Brooks
People of Praise is a Christian community that emerged in the late 1960s in South Bend, Indiana, and is largely comprised of Catholics. It is ecumenical, and any Christian can join, including Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and non-denominational Christians. Members live in their own homes, and sometimes single people live with a family or in a house with other single members. People of Praise is not a church, and members remain part of their local parishes. The group has been criticised by former members for being a religious cult, and some have described the group's culture as controlling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Charismatic Christian community | Unity for all people |
| Ecumenical | Christian baptism |
| Covenant community | Support and encouragement for members |
| Members remain part of their local parishes | Fellowship |
| Members include Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, and other Christians | Submission to a lay spiritual adviser or "head" |
| Members can make a covenant or permanent commitment to the group | Conservative views on gender |
| Members share income and attend hours-long private prayer meetings | Opposition to same-sex marriage |
| Members include families and single people | Children |
| Members live in their own homes or with other families | Exorcisms |
| Members are expected to attend many meetings | Speaking in tongues |
| Members are expected to submit to a lay spiritual adviser or "head" | Faith healing |
| Members are expected to seek guidance in many aspects of their lives | Women previously called "handmaids" |
| Members are expected to attend to each other's spiritual, material, and financial needs | Male-dominated leadership |
| Members are expected to live communally | Insularity |
| Members are expected to be encouraged and helped by the group | Control |
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What You'll Learn
People of Praise is a Catholic charismatic covenant community
People of Praise emerged in the late 1960s in South Bend, Indiana, the home of Notre Dame, where Judge Amy Coney Barrett was a law professor. The group helped develop important institutions for the larger Catholic Charismatic movement. Until 1990, the South Bend community was the headquarters for the National Service Committee, a coordinating body for the various Catholic charismatic groups. It was also the headquarters of the Charismatic Renewal Services, a national distribution center for religious books and tapes, and published a magazine called New Heaven, New Earth.
Although members do not take vows, after several years of prayer and discernment they can make a covenant, or permanent commitment, to the group indicating their support of the community. Each member also has a spiritual director or guide known as a "head" who provides practical and spiritual advice based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. People of Praise is part of the papally-approved mainstream of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which has been encouraged by every pope since Vatican II, none more strongly than Pope Francis.
People of Praise has been criticized by former members for being a religious cult. Some are deeply troubled by the possibility of one of the group's members winning a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Some former members have described the group's culture as insular to the point that it felt intrusive and controlling, claims that the group's current members dispute.
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The group is open to all Christians but most members are Catholic
People of Praise is a charismatic Christian community that emerged in the late 1960s in South Bend, Indiana, home of the University of Notre Dame. The group helped develop important institutions for the larger Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, which has been encouraged by every pope since Vatican II, none more strongly than Pope Francis. People of Praise is ecumenical, and any Christian can join. However, most of its members are Catholic, with Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and non-denominational Christians also represented.
The group is not a church, and members remain part of their local parishes. People of Praise is a covenant community, meaning members make a lifelong commitment or covenant to the group, indicating their support of the community. Members are expected to share portions of their income and attend hours-long private prayer meetings, which can include exorcisms and speaking in tongues. Each member has a spiritual director or guide, known as a "head", who provides practical and spiritual advice.
People of Praise has been criticized by former members, including its founder, Adrian Reimers, for being a religious cult with insular and controlling practices. Some have also criticized the group's culture as authoritarian, male-gender-centric, and patriarchal. The group has also been accused of child abuse and failing to protect its members from abuse. Despite these criticisms, People of Praise has drawn media interest due to its association with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Catholic and member of the group.
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Members remain part of their local Catholic parishes
People of Praise is a covenant community of Christians from diverse church backgrounds. Members of the group remain part of their local Catholic parishes. While members are expected to share portions of their income and regularly attend hours-long private prayer meetings, they also continue to attend their local Catholic parish services on Sundays.
The group emerged in the late 1960s in South Bend, Indiana, home to the University of Notre Dame, and was closely connected to the university. It was formed by Catholics who sought to deepen their faith by modelling their lives on those of the early Christians in the New Testament Book of Acts. By 1987, People of Praise had around 3,000 members, including children, and by the end of the 1980s, Catholics made up 92% of the membership. Today, the group has about 1,700 adult members across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, most of whom are Catholic. However, the group is ecumenical, and any Christian can join.
People of Praise is not a church, and members are encouraged in their individual congregational or parish commitments. Members live in their own homes and remain members of their local parishes. Single people may choose to live with an unrelated family or in a house with other single members. The group is structured such that each member has a spiritual director or guide known as a "head" who provides practical and spiritual advice.
People of Praise has drawn media interest due to Judge Amy Coney Barrett's association with the group. Some have criticised the group for being a religious cult, while others have defended it as a mainstream Catholic Charismatic Renewal group.
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People of Praise has been criticised for being a religious cult
People of Praise is a charismatic Christian community that has been criticised for being a religious cult. The group has been described as "secretive" and "highly authoritarian", with some former members claiming that the group's culture was insular and controlling. People of Praise has also been accused of covering up instances of sexual abuse and physical and mental abuse.
People of Praise was founded in 1971 by Kevin Ranaghan and Paul DeCelles in South Bend, Indiana. The group is a network of lay Christian intentional communities with 22 locations in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Members of People of Praise come from a variety of church backgrounds, including Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, and other denominational and non-denominational Christians. While members do not take vows, they can make a covenant or permanent commitment to the group after several years of prayer and discernment. The group has been associated with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, and her alleged involvement has brought media scrutiny of the organisation.
Following Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, many articles from the mainstream press referred to People of Praise as a cult. Former member Coral Anika Theill described alleged abuse and torture from her husband at the time, as well as "shunning, shaming, and a smear campaign" that she said was conducted against her when she left the group. In addition, an affidavit detailed alleged instances in which the founder of People of Praise and his wife took part in "sexual displays" in front of children and others. People of Praise has denied these allegations, stating that Ranaghan and his wife are "known and respected for their tireless work sharing the free gift of the Holy Spirit with hundreds of thousands of people around the world".
Some Catholic charismatic renewal experts have defended People of Praise, saying that its members are "wonderful examples" of how lay Catholics can live out their faith. Peggy Noonan, in a Wall Street Journal column, said that "People of Praise isn't a strange radical group, it's ardent Catholics being Catholic, American Christians trying to be Christian." The group has also been characterised as "particularly powerful means of psychological and social control" by Catholic theological critic Adrian Reimers, a former member who was dismissed from the group in 1985.
While some have criticised People of Praise as a cult, others argue that it is simply a Catholic charismatic renewal community that has been encouraged by every pope since Vatican II. The group's practices, such as selling homes and moving to join the community, may contribute to the perception of it as a cult. However, members of People of Praise remain members of their local parishes, and the community supports and encourages individuals in their congregational or parish commitments.
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The group has been accused of child abuse
People of Praise is a Christian community that developed from the Catholic Charismatic movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The group has been accused of being a cult that psychologically manipulates its members.
Former members have described the group's culture as insular and controlling. People of Praise has also been criticized for its authoritarian and male-dominant teachings. Each member of the community has a spiritual director or guide, known as a "head", who provides practical and spiritual advice. The "head" is usually male and is regarded as the most reliable voice of God in the community member's life. The "head" is responsible for overseeing every aspect of one's life, though the extent to which a member opens their life to their "head" is not defined.
People of Praise has also been accused of using fear of the devil or evil spirits to manipulate members. This fear can be used to pressure members to stay in the group, elevate the importance of the group and its leaders, enhance the leaders' control, and undermine members' confidence in their own judgment.
One former member, Coral Anika Theill, has spoken about the physical and emotional abuse she suffered while in the group. Theill has expressed concern about Amy Coney Barrett's involvement in People of Praise, as she was reportedly a “covenanted” member, meaning she entered into a marital-like promise of commitment to other members. Barrett has not commented on her involvement in the group, which is consistent with the group's belief that male elders speak for the community.
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Frequently asked questions
People of Praise is a Christian community that emerged in the 1960s and is made up of mostly Catholics, but also includes Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and non-denominational Christians.
People of Praise is a covenant community where Christians from diverse backgrounds can share life, work, prayer and mission while still maintaining active membership in their local congregations.
After several years of prayer and participation in community life, members can make a lifelong commitment to the community.
People of Praise has been criticised by former members for being a religious cult with teachings that are authoritarian, male-gender centric, and controlling. The group has also been accused of child abuse.
