Continuing from the previous post, I am working further on plans for an “event” in a few months. Step one is gathering together the calendar information relevant to the cycles of Venus and Mercury. This is done and available here. Based on the current date and the upcoming events, I see two particularly good dates […]
Fellowship: sketching a calendar
September 20th, 2014 · Comments Off on Fellowship: sketching a calendar · fellowship, intentional communities, ritual
Tags: faith·paganism·post-modernism·practice·sustainable living·theology
Fellowship: Keystone Point approaching
September 18th, 2014 · Comments Off on Fellowship: Keystone Point approaching · culture, fellowship, intentional communities, ritual
I was reminded about my Fellowship project last night when I saw that my birthday this year is the day Mercury is hidden by the Sun. It will remain invisible for 12 days. (It’s actually passing in front of the Sun from our perspective, but you can’t see it without special lenses, because Sun.) Two […]
Tags: concepts·post-modernism·practice·sustainable living·theology·utopia
Fellowship: Pentafest Ritual
February 15th, 2012 · Comments Off on Fellowship: Pentafest Ritual · fellowship, ritual
The Pentafest commemorates the conjunction of the Sun and Venus. As this occurs on one of the same five days each time (see Venus Mysteries), so all five days are celebrated each year. On the Pentafest date that coincides with a Sun/Venus conjunction, a special theatrical production is produced. The Pentafest celebration is part theatrical […]
Tags: genius loci·paganism·theology·venus
Is There a Place for Augustine?
November 16th, 2011 · Comments Off on Is There a Place for Augustine? · christianity
If you were to create a new religion from scratch and could pick and choose any doctrines or theologies you felt appropriate, which stance is better: “I’m the only one who can help you” or “I’m okay, you’re okay”?
Tags: concepts·post-modernism·practice·theology
Evolution and Faith
August 25th, 2011 · Comments Off on Evolution and Faith · christianity, culture, media
Normally, this is a topic I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. I also don’t get into arguments with people who claim the world is flat, doomed to end, or cursed by demons. It’s simply not worth the bother: folks don’t come to these conclusions through logic, so logic isn’t going to dislodge them. Evolution, […]
Tags: bible·concepts·creation mythos·critical review·faith·heresy·literalism·theology
Religion and Deity
June 21st, 2011 · Comments Off on Religion and Deity · culture, metaphysics
I posted a link to my Facebook page, with a snarky heading and comment, and this drew some attention. Particularly, it drew me into a brief discussion with my friend, Litch. The link in question was to an essay about what Atheists get wrong about religion. I said: “This essay clearly breaks out the fundamental […]
Tags: atheism·concepts·post-modernism·theology
Personal Spiritual Sovereignty
March 24th, 2011 · Comments Off on Personal Spiritual Sovereignty · christianity, history, Janus in Nicea
Among many other great cultural losses that occurred after Christianity was made the exclusive mode of religious expression allowed in the Empire, was the idea of personal spiritual sovereignty. There was once a great diversity of theology and practice. People were not exclusive to any one church any more than people today are exclusive to […]
Tags: concepts·post-modernism·practice·theology
Fixing a Hole
December 21st, 2008 · Comments Off on Fixing a Hole · christianity, history
In recent months, I have grown exceedingly confident in the theory that Constantine was the originator of Christianity. Not only has it illuminated many elements of Christian history, it explains a lot about our culture. It explains the relatively late perspective of the Church Fathers, and how all of the Imperial political hierarchy became Church […]
Tags: constantine·eusebius·roman empire·theology
Diocletian and the Roman Recovery
December 11th, 2008 · Comments Off on Diocletian and the Roman Recovery · christianity, history, media
Here’s something I’ve enjoyed greatly this last week: Stephen Williams’ Diocletian and the Roman Recovery. This book from 1985 was apparently one of the first biographies of the man written in English. The genius here is the clear and concise comparison between the Empire under the “Good Emperors” and the Empire under “Crisis”. Williams provides […]
Tags: early church·persecution·persian·roman empire·theology
Assertions
October 11th, 2008 · Comments Off on Assertions · christianity, culture, history
Following are the assertions I currently use regarding the origin of Christianity. These will likely each be expanded upon over time. 1. Evidence: There is no physical evidence for the existence of a single, rapidly developed mystery cult whose theology or structure singularly informed the post 4th-century Christian church. There is no art, architecture, ritual […]
Tags: anachronisms·constantine·early church·faith·roman empire·theology