KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� Feb. 9, 2026 鈥� In the early 20th century, Benjamin and Mary Purnell traveled the Midwest spreading the Christian Israelite faith before the married couple moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan, to form a commune which, at the time, went beyond what society normally considered to be 鈥渞eligious.鈥�
While those who joined the House of David were required to fully commit to the Christian Israelite faith鈥攖urning over their assets, practicing celibacy, not eating meat and cutting traditional family ties鈥攖he sect pushed the boundaries of how Americans defined religion. The commune embraced popular culture, including running an amusement park and fielding traveling jazz bands and baseball teams, and embracing economic success while seeking refuge from the abuses of industrial capitalism.
鈥淭he House of David didn’t fit most people’s conception of what a religion should look like. In the early decades, people did meet regularly for songs and sermons, but they didn’t have formal worship services, rituals or sacraments,鈥� said , history professor and director of the . 鈥淚t was an unusual faith that merged religion with popular culture. By expanding the definition of what a religion could be, it speaks to larger questions about the boundaries of religious freedom in the United States.鈥�
With its entrepreneurial focus, the House of David sparked repeated charges that it was a business posing as a religion to enjoy tax breaks, Sterne said. Plus, controversy, scandals and a myriad of lawsuits in the 1920s shook the House of David, fueling the public鈥檚 already-intense criticism against the group.
Sterne鈥檚 eight-year odyssey uncovering the history of the House of David鈥攚hich still exists today鈥攁nd its community members culminated into a new book she published at the start of this academic year. 鈥�,鈥� published in September by Oxford University Press, examines who joined this Christian Israelite community and why. It also shows what their choices reveal about the strategies that immigrants and native-born Americans embraced at a time of disorienting economic, social, and cultural change.
Sterne鈥檚 research work into the House of David has already received high praise nationally. The Library of Michigan named her new book a 2026 Michigan Notable Book. An article by Sterne published by Nova Religio in 2024 titled 鈥� won the 2025 Outstanding Article Award from the Communal Studies Association.
鈥淩eceiving these awards means a tremendous amount to me,鈥� Sterne said. 鈥淲e historians work in the trenches for years, doing the painstaking research fueled by our passion for a project. I feel really honored and validated to have received these recognitions.鈥�
A challenged community
The House of David in the early decades of the 20th century served as much of a source of inspiration as a cautionary tale to others considering developing their own communal religions at that time, Sterne said. The commune was founded on the premise by the Purnells that if members followed strict religious orders for the good of the community, they would never die, she said.
But bad public perception was just the beginning. The House of David became notorious due to a series of lawsuits and scandals in the 1920s that alleged Benjamin Purnell had defrauded followers of their savings and committed gross immoralities with young women.
鈥淭he frequent accusation was that he told the women that sleeping with him would ensure both their own immortality and his, despite the community鈥檚 commitment to celibacy, and that they felt they could not refuse because they were so in awe of him,鈥� Sterne said. 鈥淭hey saw him as a divine figure; they thought he could do no wrong.鈥�
Sterne also said House of David members complained about poor living conditions within the commune in its early years, such as bad food, poor medical care and substandard plumbing.
When Benjamin Purnell died in 1927 after being sentenced for fraud after a lengthy trial, sex scandals within the House of David ceased. The accusations against Purnell, however, caused an irrevocable split within the commune.
After this split in 1930, Judge Harry Dewhirst presided over the original House of David, while Mary Purnell reorganized a group called The City of David. Sterne said the original House of David was financially successful and community members became integrated into political and economic life. Mary Purnell鈥檚 City of David also thrived, but was more spiritually focused and less entrepreneurial, Sterne said.
Sterne says she includes history about the House of David in a few of her classes, including the History of Religion in the United States (HIS 357) and Religious Freedom in America capstone course (HIS 441). She finds students are intrigued by learning about communal societies, especially those with vivid histories such as the House of David.
鈥淚 think they find the popular culture piece of the House of David particularly interesting,鈥� Sterne said. 鈥淭hey find that very fascinating because it was quite unusual for a religion to do things like have baseball teams and an amusement park. I also found on the flip side that students in this era of #MeToo are very disturbed by the allegations of sexual harassment against Benjamin Purnell, so that resonates with them in a negative way, too.鈥�