DOWIE, John Alexander, American leader of a religious sect: b. Edinburgh, Scot land, 1847; d. Chicago, Ill., 9 March 1907. He studied for the ministry and held two pastorates in Sydney, Australia, but subsequently became an evangelist preacher. While in Australia he organized the International Divine Healing As sociation of which he became president. In its behalf he traveled in England and America and finally settled in Chicago in 1890. Here he built his wooden "tabernacle) in Woodlawn, which was opened in 1893, and attracted ,large crowds by his preaching and faith cures. He later organized the Christian Catholic Church in Zion, which grew rapidly, adding many aux iliary lines of work, such as a college for Zion preachers, a training school for deaconesses and a number of charitable institutions. Dowie had already established a publishing house, which became a part of the organization, and had full control of a bank, known as the bank. He finally organized a land association and pur chased a large tract of land on the shores of Lake Michigan, where he and his devotees built Zion City, the centre of all the numerous activi ties of the Christian Catholic Church; here he also established a lace industry. In this city he
was practically dictator, forbade smoking, drinking, card playing, etc., and oversaw all branches of the work. He also preached fre quently and gave special attention to the healing of the sick. In 1901 he made the claim of being "Elijah the Restorer?' In 1903 he built the new tabernacle at Zion City, near Chicago. On 2 April 1906, he was suspended by his followers from the leadership and from membership in the church on charges of fraud, tyranny and polyg amous tendencies. Consult Buckley, 'Dowse Analyzed and Classified' ; Century Magazine Vol. LXIV, pp. 928-932) ; Napes, 'John Alex ander Dowie and his Zions' (Independent, (Vol. LIII, pp. 1786-1791) ; Napes, 'John Alex ander Dowie) (Century Magazine, Vol. LXIV, pp. 933-944).