Société du Témoin Perpétuel
The Société du Témoin Perpétuel (Istvanistani: Society of the Perpetual Witness), commonly known as the Société or STP, is a religious community and new religious movement founded in 1736 AN by Le Témoin Perpétuel in Valencia, Nouvelle Alexandrie. The organization is centered on teachings of ego dissolution, spiritual androgyny, and contemplative practice, derived from the spiritual experiences claimed by its founder following an unexplained recovery from terminal cancer in 1735 AN.
The Société maintains its headquarters at Val-Perpétuel, a communal settlement in the hills northwest of Chambéry, where approximately 240 members live in permanent residence. As of 1750 AN, the organization counts roughly 6,800 adherents across Valencia, Boriquén, and Santander, including both residential community members and lay associates who participate in teachings while maintaining conventional lives outside the settlements.
The movement occupies an ambiguous position within New Alexandrian religious life. The Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria has neither endorsed nor formally condemned the Société, characterizing it as theologically novel but not explicitly heretical. Religious scholars classify the organization variously as a heterodox Nazarene sect, an independent mystical tradition, or a syncretic movement blending Alexandrian Nazarene, Melusinianism, and contemplative practices from multiple traditions. The Société enjoys legal protection under the religious freedom provisions of the Proclamation of Punta Santiago and participates in interfaith dialogue through organizations such as the Interfaith Dialogue Council.
Demographics
As of 1750 AN, the Société du Témoin Perpétuel counts approximately 6,800 adherents distributed as follows:
| Category | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Residential members (Val-Perpétuel) | 240 | 3.5% |
| Residential members (satellite communities) | 80 | 1.2% |
| Lay associates | 6,480 | 95.3% |
| Total | 6,800 | 100% |
Membership is concentrated in Valencia (approximately 60%), Boriquén (approximately 25%), and Santander (approximately 15%). Small numbers of adherents reside in other regions of Nouvelle Alexandrie and abroad, though no formal communities exist outside the three core regions.
Demographic studies conducted by academic researchers indicate that members are disproportionately female (approximately 65%), educated (approximately 70% hold university degrees), and drawn from middle and upper-middle class backgrounds. The movement attracts relatively few working-class adherents. Members who joined following the Spring Crisis of 1739 tend to be younger than earlier converts, reflecting the crisis's particular impact on young adults.
See also
- Le Témoin Perpétuel
- Religion in Nouvelle Alexandrie
- Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria
- Political pressure groups and organizations of Nouvelle Alexandrie
- Valencia
- Melusinianism
- Interfaith Dialogue Council
