Bibliography of the Order of the Solar Temple

The Templar cross used by the OTS

Following the Order of the Solar Temple affair – a case that gained international notoriety when members of the group, a then-obscure Neo-Templar cult or new religious movement, orchestrated several mass suicides and mass murders in the 1990s – there have been several books and studies published about the events and organization.[1][2] The case became a media sensation, with many conspiracy theories promoted by the media; as described by Susan J. Palmer, "false or unverifiable trails have been laid: secondhand testimonies are traded by journalists, ghost-written apostate memoirs are in progress and conspiracy theories abound."[3]

Several academic studies have been published, focusing mostly on ideological aspects such as violence, leader charisma, and the concept of apocalypticism. Journalists also wrote books, such as Arnaud Bédat, Gilles Bouleau and Nicolas Bernard's 1996 work Les Chevaliers de la mort.[1] Former members of the group also wrote memoirs, including Thierry Huguenin's Le 54e and Hermann Delorme's Crois et meurs dans l'Ordre du Temple Solaire.[1][2]

## Academic literature

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Books and book chapters written by academic authors.

### English

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* Bogdan, Henrik (2014). "The Order of the Solar Temple". In Lewis, James R.; Petersen, Jesper Aa. (eds.). Controversial New Religions (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-931531-4.
* Bogdan, Henrik (2014). "Purification, Illumination, and Death: The Murder-Suicides of the Order of the Solar Temple". In Lewis, James R.; Cusack, Carole M. (eds.). Sacred Suicide. Ashgate New Religions. Burlington: Ashgate. ISBN 978-1-4094-5086-3.
* Bromley, David G.; Melton, J. Gordon, eds. (2002). Cults, Religion, and Violence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-66064-8.
* Clusel, Shannon; Palmer, Susan J. (2020). "The Solar Temple in Quebec and the Saint-Casimir "Transit"". In Palmer, Susan J.; Geoffroy, Martin; Gareau, Paul L. (eds.). The Mystical Geography of Quebec: Catholic Schisms and New Religious Movements. Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 217–245. ISBN 978-3-030-33061-3.
* Côté, Pauline, ed. (2001). Chercheurs de dieux dans l’espace public - Frontier Religions in Public Space. Actexpress (in English and French). University of Ottawa Press. doi:10.1353/book.12414. ISBN 978-2-7603-2693-4. ISSN 1480-4743.
* Hall, John R.; Schuyler, Philip D. (2000). "The Mystical Apocalypse of the Solar Temple". Apocalypse Observed: Religious Movements and Violence in North America, Europe, and Japan. London; New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-97766-8.
* Introvigne, Massimo (2000). "The Magic of Death: The Suicides of the Solar Temple". In Wessinger, Catherine (ed.). Millennialism, Persecution, and Violence: Historical Cases. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0-8156-0599-4.
* Lewis, James R. (2005). "The Solar Temple "Transits": Beyond the Millennialist Hypothesis". In Lewis, James R.; Petersen, Jesper Aagaard (eds.). Controversial New Religions (1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515682-9.
* Lewis, James R., ed. (2006). The Order of the Solar Temple: The Temple of Death. Controversial New Religions. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-5285-4.
* Lewis, James R., ed. (2011). Violence and New Religious Movements. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-973563-1.
* Mayer, Jean-François (2014). "The Order of the Solar Temple: From Apocalypse to Court". In Richardson, James T.; Bellanger, François (eds.). Legal Cases, New Religious Movements, and Minority Faiths. Farnham; Burlington: Ashgate. ISBN 978-1-4724-2874-5.
* Richardson, James T., ed. (2004). Regulating Religion: Case Studies from Around the Globe. Critical Issues in Social Justice. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. ISBN 978-0-306-47887-1.
* Walliss, John (2004). Apocalyptic Trajectories: Millenarianism and Violence in the Contemporary World. Oxford, Bern, Berlin: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-03910-290-7.
* Wessinger, Catherine (2000). "Other Cases Briefly Considered: Solar Temple and Heaven's Gate". How the Millennium Comes Violently: From Jonestown to Heaven's Gate. New York: Seven Bridges Press. ISBN 978-1-889119-24-3.

### French

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* Abgrall, Jean-Marie (1999). "L'Ordre du Temple solaire". Les sectes de l'apocalypse: gourous de l'an 2000 (in French). Paris: Calmann-Lévy. ISBN 2-7021-2954-4.
* Caillet, Serge (1997). L'Ordre rénové du temple: aux racines du Temple solaire (in French). Dervy. ISBN 978-2-85076-924-5.
* Campiche, Roland J. (1995). Quand les sectes affolent: Ordre du Temple Solaire, médias et fin de millénaire (in French). Labor et Fides. ISBN 978-2-8309-0794-0.
* Côté, Pauline, ed. (2001). Chercheurs de dieux dans l’espace public - Frontier Religions in Public Space. Actexpress (in English and French). University of Ottawa Press. doi:10.1353/book.12414. ISBN 978-2-7603-2693-4. ISSN 1480-4743.
* Introvigne, Massimo (1996). Les Veilleurs de l'Apocalypse: Millénarisme et nouvelles religions au seuil de l'an 2000 (in French). Claire Vigne. ISBN 978-2-84193-024-1.
* Mayer, Jean-François (1996). Les Mythes du Temple Solaire (in French). Genève: Georg. ISBN 978-2-8257-0554-4.
* Mayer, Jean-François (1999). "Les chevaliers de l'Apocalypse: l'Ordre du Temple Solaire et ses adeptes". In Champion, Françoise; Cohen, Martine (eds.). Sectes et Démocratie (in French). Paris: Éditions du Seuil. pp. 205–223. ISBN 2-02-031209-3.

## Journalism

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Books written by journalists.

* Aubert, Raphaël; Keller, Carl-A. (1994). Vie et mort de l'Ordre du Temple Solaire (in French). Vevey: Éd. de l'Aire Éd. Jouvence. ISBN 978-2-88353-080-5.
* Bédat, Arnaud; Bouleau, Gilles; Nicolas, Bernard (1996). Les Chevaliers de la mort: Enquête et révélations sur l'Ordre du Temple Solaire (in French). TF1 Éditions. ISBN 978-2-89111-707-4.
* Bédat, Arnaud; Bouleau, Gilles; Nicolas, Bernard (2000). L'Ordre du Temple solaire: Les Secrets d'une manipulation (in French). Flammarion. ISBN 978-2-08-067842-3.
* Chaumeil, Jean-Luc (2001). L'Affaire de l'ordre du Temple solaire: Le dossier secret (in French). ACM Édition. ISBN 978-2-84087-116-3.
* English, Christian; Thibaud, Frédéric (2004). "Le suicide collectif de l'ordre du Temple solaire". Affaires non classées (in French). Vol. 2 (1st ed.). ISBN 978-2-87691-909-9.
* Facon, Roger (1995). Vérité et révélations sur l'ordre du Temple solaire: Opération Faust, chronique d'un massacre annoncé (in French). Savoir pour Être. ISBN 978-2-87387-068-3.
* Fusier, Maurice (2003). Des Mots qui font des morts: Le proces Tabachnik et le Temple Solaire (in French). Bursinel: Pandora Publishing. ISBN 978-2-9700386-0-3.
* Fusier, Maurice (2006). Secret d'Etat ? Enquête au cœur d'une secte... Ordre du Temple solaire... (in French). Brignais: Editions des Traboules. ISBN 978-2-915681-16-1.
* Fusier, Maurice (2010). O.T.S.: l’impossible procès (in French). Brignais: Editions des Traboules. ISBN 978-2-915681-87-1.
* Leleu, Christophe (1995). La Secte du Temple Solaire: Explications autour d'un massacre (in French). Paris: Claire Vigne. ISBN 978-2-84193-004-3.
* Marhic, Renaud (1995). Enquête sur les extrémistes de l'occulte: de la loge P2 à l'ordre du temple solaire (in French). Bordeaux: Horizon Chimérique. ISBN 978-2-907202-56-5.

## Memoirs

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Books written by those with personal involvement in the OTS, either as an ex-member or a relative of a member.

* Dauvergne, Charles (2008). Temple Solaire, un ex-dignitaire parle: Vingt ans au soleil du Temple (in French). Paris: Desclée de Brouwer. ISBN 978-2-220-06036-1.
* Delorme, Hermann (1996). Crois et meurs dans l'Ordre du Temple Solaire (in French). Favre. ISBN 978-2-8289-0509-5.
* Huguenin, Thierry (1995). Le 54e (in French). Paris: Fixot. ISBN 978-2-221-08045-0.
* Jaton, Rose-Marie (1999). Ordre du temple solaire: En quête de vérité (in French). Slatkine. ISBN 978-2-05-101785-5.
* Tabachnik, Michel (1997). Bouc émissaire: dans le piège du Temple solaire (in French). Paris: Michel Lafon. ISBN 978-2-84098-308-8.
* Vailly, René de (1995). La vérité sur l'Ordre du Temple Solaire (in French). Outremont: Les Éd. Qubecour. ISBN 978-2-7640-0005-2.
* Vuarnet, Alain (2007). Ma rage de vivre: Un destin dans la tourmente de l'Ordre du Temple solaire (in French). Éditions du Rocher. ISBN 978-2-268-06268-6.
* Vuarnet, Jean (1996). Lettres à ceux qui ont tué ma femme et mon fils (in French). Paris: Éditions Fixot. ISBN 978-2-286-10270-8.

## Journal articles

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* Haught, James A. (1995). "And Now, the Solar Temple". Free Inquiry. 15 (1): 31. ISSN 0272-0701.
* Introvigne, Massimo (July 1995). "Ordeal by Fire: The Tragedy of the Solar Temple". Religion. 25 (3): 267–283. doi:10.1006/reli.1995.0023. ISSN 0048-721X.
* Krompecher, T; Brandt-Casadevall, C; Horisberger, B; Perrier, M; Zollinger, U (June 2000). "The challenge of identification following the tragedy of the Solar Temple (Cheiry/Salvan, Switzerland)". Forensic Science International. 110 (3): 215–226. doi:10.1016/S0379-0738(00)00176-6. ISSN 1875-1741.
* Mayer, Jean-François (January 1993). "Des Templiers pour l'Ere du Verseau: les Clubs Archédia (1984–1991) et l'Ordre international chevaleresque Tradition Solaire". Mouvements Religieux (in French) (153): 2–10. ISSN 0242-7931.
* Mayer, Jean-François (April 1999). "'Our Terrestrial Journey is Coming to an End': The Last Voyage of the Solar Temple". Nova Religio. 2 (2). Translated by Siegler, Elijah: 172–196. doi:10.1525/nr.1999.2.2.172. ISSN 1092-6690.
* Palmer, Susan J. (October 1996). "Purity and Danger in the Solar Temple". Journal of Contemporary Religion. 11 (3): 303–318. doi:10.1080/13537909608580777. ISSN 1353-7903.

## Documentaries

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* "Death of the Solar Temple". Witness. 8 October 1995. Channel 4.
* Boisset, Yves (2 February 2006). Les Mystères sanglants de l'OTS (Television production) (in French). France 2.
* Brénéol, Nicolas; Rouyer, Raphaël (June 2022). Temple Solaire: l'enquête impossible (Television production) (in French). TMC.
* Lemasson, Eric; Georgeault, Eric; Ledu, Lionel; Bequet, Annie-Claude (21 March 1996). "Soleil trompeur". Envoyé spécial. Episode 244 (in French). France 2.
* Morath, Pierre; Lemasson, Eric (February 2023). La Fraternité (Television production) (in Swiss French). Radio Télévision Suisse.

## Reports

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* Mayer, Jean-François (13 November 1998). Apocalyptic Millennialism in the West: The Case of the Solar Temple (Report). Critical Incident Analysis Group at the University of Virginia.
* Michaud, Roger C. (20 June 1996). Rapport d'investigation du Coroner (Report) (in Canadian French). Gouvernement du Québec: Bureau du Coroner.
* Naud, Yvon (8 October 1997). Rapport d'investigation du Coroner (Report) (in Canadian French). Gouvernement du Québec: Bureau du Coroner.

## References

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1. ^ a b c Clusel, Shannon; Palmer, Susan J. (2020). "The Solar Temple in Quebec and the Saint-Casimir "Transit"". In Palmer, Susan J.; Geoffroy, Martin; Gareau, Paul L. (eds.). The Mystical Geography of Quebec: Catholic Schisms and New Religious Movements. Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 218–219. ISBN 978-3-030-33061-3.
2. ^ a b Clément, Éric (30 March 1997). "Pour en savoir plus sur l'Ordre du Temple solaire" [Find out more about the Order of the Solar Temple]. La Presse (in Canadian French). Montreal. p. B6. Retrieved 28 June 2024 - via BAnQ numérique.
3. ^ Palmer, Susan J. (October 1996). "Purity and Danger in the Solar Temple". Journal of Contemporary Religion. 11 (3): 303–318. doi:10.1080/13537909608580777. ISSN 1353-7903.

* v
* t
* e

Order of the Solar Temple

Leadership|

* Joseph Di Mambro
* Luc Jouret

Members|

* Edith Bonlieu
* Michel Tabachnik

Investigation|

* Arnaud Bédat
* Gilles Bouleau
* Jean Vuarnet
* Jean-François Mayer
* Jean-Marie Abgrall

Response|

* Centre intercantonal d'information sur les croyances
* About–Picard law

Media|

| Books|

* Bibliography of the Order of the Solar Temple
* Vie et mort de l'Ordre du Temple Solaire (1994)
* Les Mythes du Temple Solaire (1996)
* Les Chevaliers de la mort (1996)
* How the Millennium Comes Violently (2000)
* The Order of the Solar Temple (2006)
* The Mystical Geography of Quebec (2020)

|

Film and television|

* Les Mystères sanglants de l'OTS (2006)
* Temple Solaire: l'enquête impossible (2022)
* Anthracite (2024)

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