“The Religion of Relaxing”
Elder Brett Larsen of the Church of Gnome offers positive commentary on Dudeism.
Zeitgeist
Texas Mandates Display of “10 Commandments” Posters in Classrooms; One Teacher’s Response
Children in this Texas classroom have a wonderful opportunity to learn something of the First Amendment, Islam, the Satanic Temple, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism thanks to this nifty display comparing various systems of religious and secular ethics.
The Disappearance of Rituals and the Exhaustion of Constantly Becoming
Nina Montagne offers a sophisticated analysis of the benefits of ritual inspired by the writings of Byung-Chul Han.
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
Dumpster Catholicism
In David James Duncan’s epic novel Sun House, Portland urban mystic Jervis McGrath creates (or at least names) the “churchless, priestless, popeless, moneyless street religion” that he calls Dumpster Catholicism: “(…) I looked into our adoptive Mother (Church) not by reading what her own priests and historians said but by poking around in the Church … Read moreDumpster Catholicism
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
American Gods
Speculations on the future of American religion in a post-United States: The fragmented, multipolar political landscape of future America will tend over time towards something like a feudal or tribal condition. As above, so below—polytheistic paganism will appeal in this cultural habitat in a way that it doesn’t under a more centralized and hierarchical social … Read moreAmerican Gods
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
“The TRUTH About Bread and Puppet”
An intrepid reporter goes undercover to expose the bizarre “Bread and Puppet” cult in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom mountains … In actuality, the Bread and Puppet Theater is a venerable and beloved mainstay of the Vermont counterculture scene. Hats off to the vlogger for her hilariously convincing homage to conspiracy nut Alex Jones’ infamous “infiltration” of … Read more“The TRUTH About Bread and Puppet”
“How Spirituality Went from Taboo to Trendy in the Art World”
Eleanor Heartley writes for Art in America: (…) at the advent of the second quarter of the 21st century, a pileup of crises—social, political, environmental, and technological—seems to have all but extinguished the sense of optimism about the future that flared periodically throughout the 20th century. Af Klint’s mysterious, luminous abstractions offer a salve to … Read more“How Spirituality Went from Taboo to Trendy in the Art World”