“Poetic Faiths: New Religions and Rituals as Works of Living Art”
The first volume of the Poetic Faiths interview anthology is now available!
“The Inevitable Death of Fascism”: Cults of Life and Death in “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Furiosa”
The Genetically Modified Skeptic YouTube channel offers a cogent comparison of religious/cultic themes in the Mad Max universe with real-world fascistic (and anti-fascistic) movements. Readers with a taste for Mad Max cult action may also enjoy this behind-the-scenes glimpse into the training of the actors and stuntmen who played Immortan Joe’s War Boys.
“I believe in everything; nothing is sacred. I believe in nothing; everything is sacred.”
Tom Robbins (July 22, 1932 – February 9, 2025)
“The New American Religions of Nature –a Compilation of 15 Essays”
An overview of contemporary Pagan movements by Wayne Martin Mellinger, PhD: This collection of essays explores the diversity and vitality of Nature Religions in North America, tracing their historical roots, cultural contexts, and contemporary expressions. By engaging with these traditions, we gain insight into the enduring appeal of nature as a sacred source of meaning … Read more“The New American Religions of Nature –a Compilation of 15 Essays”
“Cyborgs Need a Trustworthy Religion”
According to The Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth: If compassionate and wise beings don’t create the religion of this age, others will. In recent years, religion has evolved more quickly than any other force on Earth. Powerful leaders are now publicly claiming things that would have seemed absurd ten years ago, … Read more“Cyborgs Need a Trustworthy Religion”
“When Talking to Aliens is Your Religion”
The New York Times offers some insight into the Aetherius Society, one of the OG UFO religions of the 20th century.
“The Land Where Elves Rule”
A short but fairly insightful BBC presentation on Iceland’s curious national attitudes towards its legendary huldufólk (“hidden people”), which seem to combine tourist attraction/the impulse to mess with tourists, sentimental respect for cultural tradition, a sense of national pride and symbolic respect for/fear of natural forces in a genuinely unpredictable landscape.
“The Man and the Monster”
Rüdiger Weida, a.k.a. Bruder Spaghettus explains his practice of Pastafarianism in this short, entertaining documentary by filmmaker Alex Alford: … when I actually met Rüdiger I discovered there was much more to his story than initially met the eye. As a student growing up in oppressive East Germany post-WWII, he fell in love with satire … Read more“The Man and the Monster”
“How to Not Start a Cult”
Matt Arnold speaks at the September 2024 Fluidity Forum in Detroit, Michigan: It all started with good intentions. A group had heightened emotional and psychological experiences, and years later, some of the participants wrote regretful blog posts saying they gained a sense of purpose but lost their sense of self; their sense of proportion; and … Read more“How to Not Start a Cult”