Christian Spiritual Alliance, Church of the
(CSA)
In spite of its name, the Church of the Christian Spiritual
Alliance (CSA) was a Hindu organization with teachings derived
from Swami Paramahansa Yogananda. However, the organization
was originally founded in 1962 by H. Edwin ONeal,
formerly a Baptist; his wife, Lois ONeal, a Religious Scientist;
and William Arnold Lynn, all of whom embraced a form of
metaphysical Christianity. ONeal took over Orion, an older
metaphysical publication founded by Ural Murphy, and made
it a CSA periodical.
In the late 1960s ONeal was joined by Roy Eugene Davis,
a former minister with the Self-Realization Fellowship in Phoenix,
Arizona, who left that group to found the independent
New Life World-Wide. Davis contributed his periodical, Truth
Journal, and his national speaking tours brought many new
members to CSA. In 1977 ONeal resigned as chairman of the
board and president of the CSA Press and turned the organization
over to Davis. Soon after, all hint of metaphysical Christianity
was dropped in favor of the kriya yoga teachings advocated
by Davis.
By the early 1990s the church had centers across the United
States and Canada and had expanded to Germany, Ghana, and
South Africa. The headquarters complex in Lakemont, Georgia,
included facilities of the CSA Press, the Center for Spiritual
Awareness, an educational arm, and the Shrine of All Faiths
and Sacred Initiation Temple. Last known address P.O. Box
7, Lakemont, GA 30552-0001.
Sources
Davis, Roy Eugene. An Easy Guide to Meditation. Lakemont,
Ga. CSA Press, 1978.
. God Has Given Us Every Good Thing. Lakemont, Ga.
CSA Press, 1986.
. The Teachings of the Masters of Perfection. Lakemont,
Ga. CSA Press, 1979.
. The Way of the Initiate. St. Petersburg, Fla. New Life
World-Wide, 1968.
