Claude Nowell
Encyclopedia
Claude Rex Nowell, also known as Corky King, Corky Ra, and Summum Bonum Amon Ra (November 2, 1944 – January 29, 2008), was the founder of Summum
, a 501(c)(3), philosophical
and religious
organization that practices a modern form of mummification
which has become known worldwide.
, in the United States
. When he was four years old, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved to Southern California
. That same year (1948), his mother married Robert Williamson King and she had Claude's name legally changed to Claude Rex King. When he was young, Claude was given the nickname "Corky" which was how he was known to friends and family.
Up until 1959, Corky King lived in Monrovia, California
. Then his family moved to Tustin, California
, where he graduated from Tustin High School
in 1962. He went on to attend Orange Coast College
in Costa Mesa and graduated in Construction Technology. Corky King moved back to Salt Lake City in 1964 and about that same time, he legally changed his name back to Claude Rex Nowell.
He attended Brigham Young University and graduated from the University of Utah.
development. In 1980, Nowell legally changed his name to Summum Bonum Amon Ra as a representation of his spiritual path.
that would be used as a winery
to produce Summum Soma
Nectar. Despite Utah's strict liquor laws and the rigid controls it places on alcoholic beverages, a Utah law allowed him to establish the winery provided the wine was used for religious purposes. The winery was finally established in 1980 and is one of a very few in the state of Utah. The Soma Nectar is also referred to as Nectar Publications and are used in a practice of meditation
for the purpose of developing mystical
potentials.
in the state of California. Nowell has been referred to as "the father of modern mummification," and the mummification services offered by Summum have received attention in international publications.
The process begins with the body's submersion in special fluids for 77 days and is otherwise complex, requiring about 1,000 hours of labor over six months. Those wishing to be mummified write a "spiritual will" outlining where they hope their soul will go in the next lifetime, to be read to their body at least once a day during its 77 days of submersion.
The first human to undergo the mummification process was Nowell himself, who died in January 2008. His body is encased inside a bronze mummiform (casket) that is covered in gold and stands inside the group's pyramid.
. In one of the books, Ra outlines principles upon which the Summum philosophy is based. Summum has requested that monuments displaying these principles, known as the "Seven Aphorisms", be placed next to Ten Commandments
monuments in city parks. In one case, where the city of Duchesne, Utah rejected the request, Summum filed a lawsuit on the basis of freedom of speech and discrimination. The city opted to relocate its monument rather than allowing Summum to erect its monument, rendering the lawsuit moot
and leading to its dismissal. Another lawsuit, Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
, was unanimously decided by the Supreme Court against Summum. The case could have national implications and could potentially impact many of America's cities.
Summum
Summum is a religion and philosophy that began in 1975 as a result of Claude "Corky" Nowell's claimed encounter with beings he described as "Summa Individuals"...
, a 501(c)(3), philosophical
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
organization that practices a modern form of mummification
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
which has become known worldwide.
Biography
Nowell was born in Salt Lake City, UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. When he was four years old, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. That same year (1948), his mother married Robert Williamson King and she had Claude's name legally changed to Claude Rex King. When he was young, Claude was given the nickname "Corky" which was how he was known to friends and family.
Up until 1959, Corky King lived in Monrovia, California
Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
. Then his family moved to Tustin, California
Tustin, California
-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
, where he graduated from Tustin High School
Tustin High School
Tustin High School is a public high school located in Tustin, California, United States. Tustin High was originally founded in 1921 as Tustin Union High School.Tustin High School is officially a Title I school and was a California Distinguished School...
in 1962. He went on to attend Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College is a community college in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges...
in Costa Mesa and graduated in Construction Technology. Corky King moved back to Salt Lake City in 1964 and about that same time, he legally changed his name back to Claude Rex Nowell.
He attended Brigham Young University and graduated from the University of Utah.
Founding of Summum
In 1975, Nowell founded Summum following an experience he describes as an encounter with highly intelligent beings. The purpose of Summum is to share with others the information he received from his encounter and to provide an environment for those on a path of spiritualSpirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
development. In 1980, Nowell legally changed his name to Summum Bonum Amon Ra as a representation of his spiritual path.
Pyramid and winery
In 1978, Nowell began construction of a pyramidPyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
that would be used as a winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
to produce Summum Soma
Soma
Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
Nectar. Despite Utah's strict liquor laws and the rigid controls it places on alcoholic beverages, a Utah law allowed him to establish the winery provided the wine was used for religious purposes. The winery was finally established in 1980 and is one of a very few in the state of Utah. The Soma Nectar is also referred to as Nectar Publications and are used in a practice of meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
for the purpose of developing mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
potentials.
Modern mummification
Through Summum, Nowell re-introduced mummification in a modernized form and at one point was a licensed funeral directorFuneral director
A funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...
in the state of California. Nowell has been referred to as "the father of modern mummification," and the mummification services offered by Summum have received attention in international publications.
The process begins with the body's submersion in special fluids for 77 days and is otherwise complex, requiring about 1,000 hours of labor over six months. Those wishing to be mummified write a "spiritual will" outlining where they hope their soul will go in the next lifetime, to be read to their body at least once a day during its 77 days of submersion.
The first human to undergo the mummification process was Nowell himself, who died in January 2008. His body is encased inside a bronze mummiform (casket) that is covered in gold and stands inside the group's pyramid.
Summum philosophy and litigation
Since founding Summum, Nowell, under the name of Summum Bonum Amen Ra, authored books published by Summum that delve into the organization's philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. In one of the books, Ra outlines principles upon which the Summum philosophy is based. Summum has requested that monuments displaying these principles, known as the "Seven Aphorisms", be placed next to Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
monuments in city parks. In one case, where the city of Duchesne, Utah rejected the request, Summum filed a lawsuit on the basis of freedom of speech and discrimination. The city opted to relocate its monument rather than allowing Summum to erect its monument, rendering the lawsuit moot
Mootness
In American law, a matter is moot if further legal proceedings with regard to it can have no effect, or events have placed it beyond the reach of the law...
and leading to its dismissal. Another lawsuit, Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, 555 U.S. 460 , is a legal case heard by the United States Supreme Court on 12 November 2008 and decided on 25 February 2009...
, was unanimously decided by the Supreme Court against Summum. The case could have national implications and could potentially impact many of America's cities.
See also
- SummumSummumSummum is a religion and philosophy that began in 1975 as a result of Claude "Corky" Nowell's claimed encounter with beings he described as "Summa Individuals"...
- Summum PyramidSummum PyramidThe Summum Pyramid is a sanctuary and temple used by the organization of Summum for instruction in the Summum philosophy. It is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was built during 1977 to 1979. The pyramid is 40 feet long at the base, 26 feet high, and is oriented towards True North of the Earth...
- American philosophyAmerican philosophyAmerican philosophy is the philosophical activity or output of Americans, both within the United States and abroad. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that while American philosophy lacks a "core of defining features, American Philosophy can nevertheless be seen as both reflecting and...
- List of American philosophers