{"id":16580,"date":"2013-03-11T00:56:17","date_gmt":"2013-03-11T00:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alternativejonestown.com\/?page_id=16580"},"modified":"2025-10-23T16:06:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T23:06:55","slug":"index-19","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=16580","title":{"rendered":"Articles by Rebecca Moore"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"becky\"<\/a><\/strong>Rebecca Moore<\/strong> is Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at San Diego State University. She has written and published extensively on Peoples Temple and Jonestown (listed here<\/a>), including her book Understanding Jonestown and Peoples Temple<\/em> (Praeger, 2009), and an extensive description<\/a> of the Temple appears at the World Religions & Spirituality Project at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also kept a blog throughout 2018, the 40th anniversary of the tragedy \u2013 and was briefly revived in 2021 \u2013 called The Jonestown Journal<\/a>\u00a0(2018).<\/p>\n

Rebecca was interviewed by Kelly Lavoie in July 2019 for her Lines and Strings<\/a> blog. The interview appears here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rebecca is the co-manager of this website.\u00a0She may be reached at\u00a0remoore@sdsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From Resistance to Terror: The Open Secret of Jonestown<\/a> (2025) (first published 2022;\u00a0posted to\u00a0Alternative Considerations\u00a0<\/i>2025) \"NEW\"<\/p>\n

Artificial Intelligence Depictions of Jonestown: The Story Continues<\/a> (2025) \"NEW\"<\/p>\n

JoeSam. Spelled his Name with a Period<\/a> (2025) \"NEW\"<\/p>\n

Artificial Intelligence Depictions of Jonestown<\/a> (2024)<\/p>\n

A Listing of Cults (2024 Edition)<\/a> (2024)<\/p>\n

Taking Sides: On the (Im)Possibility of Participant Observation<\/a> (2019; posted 2024)<\/p>\n

Peoples Temple: A Typical Cult?<\/a> (2006; posted 2024)<\/p>\n

The Family of Neva Jean Hargrave Sly<\/a> (2024)<\/p>\n

Remembrances of Juanell Smart<\/a> (2024)<\/p>\n

Introducing Our Volunteers<\/a>
\n\u2022 Brittni Criglow\u2019s Journey from Addiction Leads to Research into Jonestown Pharmacy<\/a> (2025) \"NEW\"
\n\u2022 Genealogical Research Inspires Sarah Rex into Book Project<\/a> (2024)
\n\u2022 Transmissions<\/em> Podcast Leads Shannon Howard into Deeper Research<\/a> (2024)
\n\u2022 \u201cAn assessment as to what happened\u201d: Bonnie Yates<\/a> (2023)
\n\u2022 Exploring Jonestown\u2019s Family Roots: Emily Yaden Schneider<\/a> (2023)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Controversies About Peoples Temple and Jonestown<\/a> (2014; posted 2023)<\/p>\n

Lowell Streiker: A Voice of Responsibility<\/a> (2023)<\/p>\n

Dr. Hardat Sukhdeo: The Man Who Knew Too Little<\/a> (2022)<\/p>\n

Godwin\u2019s Law and Jones\u2019 Corollary: The Problem of Using Extremes to Make Predictions<\/a> (first published 2018;\u00a0posted to\u00a0Alternative Considerations\u00a0<\/i>2022)<\/p>\n

The Cult of Jim Jones<\/a> (2022)<\/p>\n

Striking to the Marrow of Jonestown<\/a>, a review of Marrow<\/em> by darlene anita scott (2022)<\/p>\n

Mary R. Sawyer (1944\u20132015): A Tribute<\/a> (2022)<\/p>\n

Chris Hatcher (1946\u20131999): A Long Overdue Appreciation<\/a> (2022)<\/p>\n

Spreadsheet Offers Downloadable Demographic Tool for Researchers<\/a> (2021)<\/p>\n

Bringing Release, Finding Peace: Memories of Vernon Gosney<\/a> (2021)<\/p>\n

George Donald Beck<\/a> (2021)<\/p>\n

A Monumental Problem: Memorializing the Jonestown Dead<\/a> (first published 2021; posted to Alternative Considerations\u00a0<\/i>2021)<\/p>\n

InTOXICating Followership<\/em>: A Review<\/a> (2021)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Roles in Peoples Temple and Jonestown<\/a> (with Catherine B. Abbott<\/a>) (2020)<\/p>\n

The Erasure (and Re-inscription) of African Americans from the Jonestown Narrative<\/a> (PDF here<\/a>) (2018; posted 2020)<\/p>\n

Jonestown in American Religious Life<\/a> (2018; posted 2020)<\/p>\n

Carmen Gillespie: A Remembrance<\/a>\u00a0(2019)<\/p>\n

Before the tragedy at Jonestown, the people of Peoples Temple had a dream<\/a>\u00a0(2019)<\/p>\n

Jonestown at 40: The Real Conspiracy Is More Disturbing Than the Theories<\/a>\u00a0(2019)<\/p>\n

Revisiting Jonestown: An Interdisciplinary Study of Cults<\/em> \u2013 A Review<\/a>\u00a0(2019)<\/p>\n

The Forensic Investigation of Jonestown Conducted by Dr. Leslie Mootoo: A Critical Analysis<\/a>\u00a0(2018)<\/p>\n

The Brainwashing Myth<\/a>\u00a0(2018)<\/p>\n

Cult, New Religious Movement, or Minority Religion?<\/a>\u00a0(2018)<\/p>\n

Nesci Book Offers Psychoanalytic Portrait of Jim Jones<\/a>\u00a0(2018)<\/p>\n

Cue the Kool-Aid: Watching Jonestown Docs in the \u2018Fake News\u2019 Era<\/a>\u00a0(2018)<\/p>\n

An Update on the Demographics of Jonestown<\/a>\u00a0(2017)<\/p>\n

\n

Demographics at a Glance<\/a>\u00a0(2017)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The FBI and Religion: The Case of Peoples Temple<\/a>\u00a0(2017)<\/p>\n

\n

Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Information, and the National Security State<\/a>\u00a0(2007; revised and expanded, 2017)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Joanstown<\/em>: A Different Look at Guyana<\/a>\u00a0(2017)<\/p>\n

Rhetoric, Revolution, and Resistance in Jonestown, Guyana<\/a>\u00a0(2016)<\/p>\n

The Stigmatized Deaths In Jonestown: Finding A Locus For Grief<\/a>\u00a0(2015)<\/p>\n

African-American Women Find Voice in New Jonestown Novel<\/a>\u00a0(2015)<\/p>\n

Jane Smiley Character Dips into Peoples Temple<\/a>\u00a0(2015)<\/p>\n

Jonestown and the Study of NRMs: How Survivors and Artists Are Reshaping the Narrative of Jonestown<\/a> (2014)<\/p>\n

The Transformation of Peoples Temple in California: From Pentecostal Church to Political Movement<\/a>\u00a0(2014)<\/p>\n

A Dream Deferred: The Promise and Pathos of Peoples Temple<\/a>\u00a0(2013)<\/p>\n

Contested Knowledge: What Conspiracy Theories Tell Us<\/a>\u00a0(2013)<\/p>\n

Annie: An Enigma<\/a>\u00a0(2012)<\/p>\n

Address at May 29, 2011 Jonestown Memorial Dedication Service<\/a> (2011)<\/p>\n

History Comes Alive: Jonestown in the Classroom<\/a> (2010)<\/p>\n

Carolyn\u2019s Other Letters<\/a> (2009)<\/p>\n

The Sacred and the Profane in Wilson Harris’ Jonestown<\/em><\/a> (2008)<\/p>\n

Survivors Speak Thirty Years Later<\/a> (2008)<\/p>\n

Representations of Jonestown in the Arts<\/a>\u00a0(2006)<\/p>\n

The Sacrament of Suicide<\/a> (2006)<\/p>\n

Garrett Scott – An Appreciation<\/a> (2006)<\/p>\n

Katrina and Jonestown<\/a> (2005)<\/p>\n

FOIA Lawsuit Results in Release of Thousands of Documents<\/a> (2005)<\/p>\n

The Strange Case of Garry Scarff<\/a> (2005)<\/p>\n

Drinking the Kool-Aid: The Cultural Transformation of a Tragedy<\/a> (2002)<\/p>\n

Reconstructing Reality: Conspiracy Theories About Jonestown<\/a> (2002)<\/p>\n

\n

Comments on Reconstructing Reality: Conspiracy Theories About Jonestown<\/em><\/a> by Ken McCarthy<\/p>\n

A Response to Ken McCarthy’s Comments<\/a> by Rebecca Moore<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jim Jones and the Conspiracists<\/a>\u00a0by Jim Hougan<\/p>\n

Response to Jim Hougan<\/a> by Rebecca Moore<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Demographics of Jonestown<\/a> (2002)<\/p>\n

American as Cherry Pie<\/a> (2000)<\/p>\n

Is the Canon on Jonestown Closed?<\/a> (2000)<\/p>\n

Last Rights<\/a> (1988)<\/p>\n

A Sympathetic History of Jonestown: The Moore Family Involvement in the Peoples Temple<\/em><\/a> (1985) (selected chapters)<\/p>\n

Chapter 9: Tim Stoen, 1977<\/a> (this chapter appears as a pdf)
\nChapter 11: The Vise<\/a>
\nChapter 12: The Last To Die<\/a>
\nChapter 13: Closing the Books<\/a>
\nChapter 14: Residual Suspicion<\/a>
\nExcerpts from Chapter 16: McGehee v. CIA<\/a>. The complete chapter appears here<\/a> as a pdf.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rebecca Moore also edited two collections of letters from her two sisters who died in Jonestown. Letters from Annie Moore<\/a>\u00a0and Letters from Carolyn Moore Layton<\/a> appear in the Primary Sources<\/a> section of the site.<\/p>\n

In addition to writing the articles above, Rebecca Moore appeared as a speaker<\/a> during the Griot Institute of African Studies lecture series entitled Jonestown: 35 Years Later<\/a> at Bucknell University; her presentation appears here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rebecca is the author of several books on Jonestown and Peoples Temple, including:<\/p>\n

A Sympathetic History of Jonestown: The Moore Family Involvement in the Peoples Temple<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1985.<\/p>\n

The Jonestown Letters: Correspondence of the Moore Family 1970\u20131985<\/em><\/a>. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1986.<\/p>\n

In Defense of Peoples Temple<\/em><\/a>. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1988.<\/p>\n

The Need for a Second Look at Jonestown<\/em><\/a>, co-edited with Fielding McGehee III<\/a>. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.
\n(Editor\u2019s Note<\/strong>: This book includes an article by Gary Scarff, who had presented himself falsely as a former member of Peoples Temple. An article about the subterfuge \u2013 and Mr. Scarff\u2019s apology for misleading the editors \u2013 appears here<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

New Religious Movements, Mass Suicide, and Peoples Temple: Scholarly Perspectives on a Tragedy<\/em><\/a>, co-edited with McGehee. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.<\/p>\n

Peoples Temple and Black Religion in America<\/a><\/i>, co-edited with Anthony B. Pinn and Mary R. Sawyer<\/a>.\u00a0Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 2004.<\/p>\n

Understanding Jonestown and Peoples Temple<\/em>. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2009; paperback revision 2018.<\/p>\n

Peoples Temple and Jonestown in the Twenty-First Century<\/em><\/a>. Cambridge University Press (2022).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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