Deep Play

The Case for Religious Fictionalism: or How to Lead a Religious Life Without Faith or Belief

Rob Wheeler writes on the subject of religious fictionalism for the Spiritual Naturalist Society: A major benefit of the fictionalist approach to religion is that cuts through a host of theological conundrums and excuses us from participation in interminable debates over anomalies and inconsistencies in doctrine. For instance by treating all religious texts as fictions, … Read moreThe Case for Religious Fictionalism: or How to Lead a Religious Life Without Faith or Belief

The Cult of Reason (1793)

Oscar Wilde’s radical notion of the Confraternity of the Faithless – posited during his incarceration in Reading Gaol during 1897 – had a practical precedent in the Cult of Reason, which had formed in the maelstrom of the French Revolution a little over one hundred years previously. The avowedly atheistic founders of the Cult – … Read moreThe Cult of Reason (1793)

“The Weird Travails of a Post-Satanist”

Stephen Bradford Long reflects on his time in the Satanic Temple: I didn’t have to work to see Satan as a hero. I didn’t have to contort my mind to see him — and the attendant iconography, dark though it may be — as beautiful and inspiring. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t become a … Read more“The Weird Travails of a Post-Satanist”

Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud: Mythopoetic Paganism

From the countercultural beginnings of the neoPagan movement, belief in literal gods and magic have been more nuanced, ambiguous, playful and experimental than critics, outsiders and even many insiders often assume. Entire currents of Pagan practice began not with metaphysical certainty but with immersive theatricality, deliberate mythmaking or even outright satire. Discordianism remains the clearest … Read moreSaying the Quiet Part Out Loud: Mythopoetic Paganism

“Poetic Faiths Vol. I” Reviewed for the International Journal for the Study of New Religions

Click here to read the full review by Finnish scholar Essi Mäkelä: Since their basis of practice is not a historical writing or tradition/ritual that has been followed for hundreds of years, for many new religious movements it might be hard to see themselves as belonging to the category, while at the same time they … Read more“Poetic Faiths Vol. I” Reviewed for the International Journal for the Study of New Religions

Visiting the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (Hudson Valley, New York)

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors … The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors represents the life’s work of pioneering visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey. After outgrowing their New York City studio in 2009, the Greys moved to the small town of Wappingers Falls in the Hudson Valley. CoSM is now a campus-like arrangement in the woods, … Read moreVisiting the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (Hudson Valley, New York)

The Cortège: A Festive Funeral for Our Times

According to The Cortege website: The Cortège is a participatory procession occurring outdoors at dusk. It is a revival of the lost arts of mythic pageantry, and a festive funeral for our times. The evening begins with a brief orientation, followed by a preshow with food & beverage options, and live music. At nautical twilight, … Read moreThe Cortège: A Festive Funeral for Our Times