A little more on the Almighty God cult I blogged about last week besieging government offices in various provinces across central and Northwestern China.
It seems they’re an offshoot of Eastern Lightning, who I linked to in that post as conducting a campaign of assassination against a rival cult back in the early years of the decade. Eastern Lightning, in turn, derive from the Shouters, a long established group who like many such, originally derive from Watchman Nee’s reorganization of Chinese Protestantism into decentralized house churches.
Almighty God/Eastern Lightning’s theology seems heavily Taiping-derived, with a third Jesus sent to bring a new dispensation. This time, Jesus is a lady and the Mayan long count prophecies filtered into China seem to have triggered the idea that the time for the final confrontation with the Big Red Dragon has come, or at least a recruitment effort based around this notion. Like other syncretic Christian cults in China, AG/EL recruit and fund through techniques adapted from multi level marketing companies. They also seem to operate using a classical terrorist cell structure.
A case for Office 610, perhaps.
Almighty God/Eastern Lightning’s theology seems heavily Taiping-derived, with a third Jesus sent to bring a new dispensation
A third?? When was the second one?
Posted by: ajay | December 18, 2012 at 05:38 PM
When was the second one?
1850s - early 60s, if they're that derivative.
Posted by: chris y | December 18, 2012 at 06:11 PM
Sloppy of me: meant it as shorthand for the bringer of a third theological age, as in:
"This group teaches that the “Age of Law” ruled over by Jehovah and the “Age of Grace” ruled over by Jesus have both passed and that the “Age of the Kingdom” ruled over by “Almighty God” is approaching"
Posted by: jamie | December 18, 2012 at 06:11 PM
OT, CCP terminology band names. Mass-Group Incident - Public Enemy-ish politicised rappers, with the faceless but brilliant Dre/Trackmasters figure the PSB in the studio. (The Chengguan Are A Joke?) Strike Hard Campaign - Maoist death-metal. Leading Small Group - not sure where to go with that one. Ideas?
Posted by: Alex | December 18, 2012 at 06:52 PM
I'm thinking some Krautrock variant, or a Belle and Sebastian type twee combo.
You could make Cult Revolt terms of abuse into a whole punk movement. The Cow Demons. The Enormous Bastards. It's a wonder that some enterprising band hasn't already taken Gang of Four.
Posted by: jamie | December 18, 2012 at 07:17 PM
Oh but they have. They're a post-punk band from Leeds!
Posted by: Leonard Hatred | December 18, 2012 at 10:57 PM
Cow Demon and the Four Pests at the Duchess of York. Gob all over the place.
Posted by: Alex | December 18, 2012 at 11:03 PM
Do the pogo to Grass Mud Horse at Irving Plaza in NYC.
Posted by: Barry Freed | December 18, 2012 at 11:17 PM
10 Mythical Creatures was a hell of an album.
Posted by: Alex | December 18, 2012 at 11:55 PM
You could make Cult Revolt terms of abuse into a whole punk movement. The Cow Demons. The Enormous Bastards.
Oh, sure, you lot are into it now, but I still have my ticket stub for Chris Patten and the Triple Violators.
Posted by: ajay | December 19, 2012 at 12:13 PM
From the Allmusic entry:
The Gang of Four started off as a proletarian themed hardcore band. After many years of obscurity, worsened by the decision to relocate to the country and subsist only on what they could grow and make themselves (poor quality furniture, cigar box banjos and thistles), a chance sighting of Megan Mcardle on CNBC results in an epiphany. Reinvention as a nu-country band, and huge success, followed. Hits included - "Jesus is my CEO", "Let the hobos die, my lord" and of course "Welfare Reform for Jesus".
Posted by: Cian | December 19, 2012 at 04:53 PM
Chinese ska band Kuang with their hit song "Nail House (in the middle of your street)"
Posted by: Barry Freed | December 19, 2012 at 05:08 PM