The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th Century America

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1994

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Part 2, IntroductionChapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2: “Robert Matthews”

Part 2, Introduction Summary

Elijah Pierson's life was changed forever when he and Robert Matthews (also known as the Prophet Matthias) met on May 5, 1832. Pierson, mentally unstable and delusional, was in a vulnerable position, and Matthews convinced Pierson that Matthews was a prophet. Pierson financed the establishment of Matthews’s cult, which became known as the Kingdom. Pierson’s diminished mental capacity and his desperate need to belong made him easy prey for Matthews’s charismatic personality.

Part 2, Introduction Analysis

The death of Pierson’s wife Sarah left a significant void in Pierson’s life; he had lost his wife as well as the person who led him and influenced him in his spiritual life. When Pierson first met Matthews, Matthews quickly filled this void, demonstrating Pierson’s weakened mental state and susceptibility to Matthew’s charisma. Pierson’s Calvinist upbringing also enabled him follow Matthews’s orders without question. Matthews’s patriarchal behavior was familiar to Pierson, and Pierson became willing to believe that Matthews was the prophet he claimed to be. Pierson’s status as a follower is confirmed in this introduction to Part 2. Unassertive and passive, Pierson continued to allow others to make decisions for him, as Sarah did before she died.