by Kate Hutchinson
With its black-cloaked adherents, Satanic imagery and apocalyptic teachings, the Process Church of the Last Judgment was in many ways a counterpoint to the optimism and inclusiveness of the hippie movement. Their controversial theology put Christ and Jehovah on equal footing with Satan and Lucifer, finding admirable qualities in Gods both dark and light. Practitioners followed a strict code of conduct bordering on the monastic, the goal of which was individual spiritual evolution. Drawing its congregation from the youth counterculture of the 1960s and early 1970s, the Process employed psychedelic graphic design and folk rock-infused anthems in order to appeal to new recruits.
The liturgical music of the Process has been resurrected by Sabbath Assembly, a musical project established in 2009 and named after the Church’s most holy rite. Formed by drummer Dave Nuss, Sabbath Assembly performs music originally written by Process Church members
