As you read this note, Lord willing, I’m in the middle of the Black Rock Desert, inside the City of Man — Burning Man, 2026 — with our ragtag team of dusty travelers.

For most Christians who have heard of this annual gathering, the image portrayed is one of a hedonistic, pagan festival, “an orgy in the desert.” It has been described as a modern Bacchanalian, and this is understandable — it is a clothing optional place where moral lines are loosened.

Although these Bacchanalian aspects can certainly be found there, this is only part of the story. Much more takes place. In fact, I have likened it to a mix of Mardi Gras and the World Economic Forum and Silicon Valley; put these elements in a blender, add a lot of heat and dust, blend on high and then let the content ooze back into society.

Wrestling through the meaning of Burning Man and its function as a social change pressure cooker, I’m posting a four-part series of Orbis Sentry interviews. The three people in the discussion, myself, Audrey Vanderkley and George Olson — all part of Orbis Sentry — have been to the Burn numerous times, have studied the culture, and have attended other events associated with the movement. Together, we tackle this through four lens:

1. Axis Mundi — the 2026 theme and what this reveals about spiritual imagination.

2. The Earthly City, and the inability to escape worship.

3. The search for Self divinity: You shall be as God.

4. Utopia’s struggle, ecology, and ritual.

Below these four interviews, and like the last article posting I made, I’ll include the fund raising letter as released by our camp. It offers more info in a concise manner, along with links to our Camp of the Unknown God/Orbis Sentry fundraising page.

Thank you!

In the heat and dust of northern Nevada, a week-long gathering of over 70,000 people takes place. Burning Man, renowned for its hedonism and pagan spirituality, draws to itself attendees from around the world, with ramifications spilling into our culture.

Since 2017, a small group of evangelical Christians have intentionally attended under the thought-provoking banner, “Camp of the Unknown God.” Pulled from Acts 17 wherein Paul visited Athens and leveraged the pagan culture-of-the-day to advance the Christian message, our camp likewise seeks opportunities to engage in this most unusual place. And yes, lives have been changed by the Gospel; even at Burning Man!

The background for this Christian mission offers some insight. It began in 2017 when an evangelists/apologist and Christian social researcher decided to see if a dedicated camp inside the Burn would be feasible; something small yet engaging. With the hype around Burning Man’s decadence, would it be possible to have good conversations about God, Jesus Christ, and the Christian message? Might a positive impact be made in people’s lives — a seed planted, a seed watered — and furthermore, could this experience be used as a springboard to encourage other Christians to engage more broadly? Yes, many times, yes!

This year, twelve people from three countries are planning to construct the Camp of the Unknown God, living as Ambassadors for Christ in a physically exhausting and spiritually hungry place. We’re excited to see how encounters will unfold, and how God’s Spirit moves people.

Would you be willing to pray for us? For wisdom and discernment? We need to recognize when to speak and when to remain quiet, when to advance the conversation and when to walk away. As Burning Man is exhausting on every level, we desire prayer for our team to remain healthy and energized, and to function well — to be servants to one another as we also serve our neighbors. Pray especially for those whom we will be interacting with; that God would open hearts and minds, soften and prepare, and that they would be receptive to the call of the Holy Spirit.

Would you be willing to partner financially? Attending is expensive with ticket prices and travel costs (our closest team members are a two-day drive from the event), along with supplies and necessary gear to maintain oneself in a harsh environment. The cost per person to attend is approximately $2,500. This year, unlike other fundraisers, the non-profit ministry Orbis-Sentry is acting as an umbrella organization, meaning that donations are receipted and tax deductible.

Orbis Sentry Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations and contributions are tax-deductible. All donors will receive a receipt.

https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

A little more information:

As mentioned in last year’s post about our camp, the reasons for going are multidimensional: Christian outreach, studying the movement’s cultural impact, and researching world trends as Burning Man is a platform for serious conversations. Here is our explanation from last year’s post:

1) To have genuine conversations in a way that exhibits Christian truth and grace. Sometimes the discussions are long and continue over many days, and other times it’s as simple as gifting an item of crucifixion jewelry, telling the person to trust Jesus, and in that moment the person’s heart softens and the tears pour. We don’t know their stories — where they came from or why they are attending; but we do know they are our brothers-and-sisters in Adam, and we desire they become our brothers-and-sisters in Christ. Effective outreach is the prayer, the hope, and the heartbeat of the Camp of the Unknown God.

2) To research the movement itself. Numerous Christian apologetic and worldview ministries already exist, tackling a range of beliefs and trends, but very little has been done specific to the Burning Man phenomenon. Some of our team, however, have been on the cutting edge; doing on-site surveys, conducting interviews, and attending workshops on the movement’s growth (there are over 100 regional Burns around the world). This information is used in classroom settings, podcasts, and other venues to help Christians grasp the cultural and spiritual context, and begin formulating responses (hint: Acts 17:16-34 is an important model).

3) Research broader worldview issues. Although the event is renowned for its party atmosphere, there is a serious side that is little known or understood; that is, Burning Man is a place for global conversations, with workshops on a range of issues — from new economic models to United Nations’ programs to the in-roading of psychedelics to new social trends. For some in our camp, this level of research is crucial to understanding the issues of our day, which is then communicated back to the Christian community.

Link for fundraiser page: https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

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This week, and for the duration of the next two, I’ll be in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada, setting up and working with our informal theme camp at Burning Man, the “Camp of the Unknown God.” For myself, this is the seventh time to the Nevada Burn, and this year our team is the largest it has ever been with people coming from three countries. There’s a lot of logistics involved, a lot of relationship building as many in our team have never met in person before, a lot of traveling (I’m driving for 8 days in total), a lot of work and expense.

Is it worth it? In our experience, and something you’ll pick up from this interview — a resounding yes!

To explore and better explain what has been described as a modern Bacchanalia, and our purpose in attending this annual gathering, I’m posting a recent interview with Canary Cry Radio. Moreover, I’m re-posting our camp’s public fundraising campaign letter with appropriate links.

Thank you!

In the heat and dust of northern Nevada, a week-long gathering of over 70,000 people takes place. Burning Man, renowned for its hedonism and pagan spirituality, draws to itself attendees from around the world, with ramifications spilling into our culture.

Since 2017, a small group of evangelical Christians have intentionally attended under the thought-provoking banner, “Camp of the Unknown God.” Pulled from Acts 17 wherein Paul visited Athens and leveraged the pagan culture-of-the-day to advance the Christian message, our camp likewise seeks opportunities to engage in this most unusual place. And yes, lives have been changed by the Gospel; even at Burning Man!

The background for this Christian mission offers some insight. It began in 2017 when an evangelists/apologist and Christian social researcher decided to see if a dedicated camp inside the Burn would be feasible; something small yet engaging. With the hype around Burning Man’s decadence, would it be possible to have good conversations about God, Jesus Christ, and the Christian message? Might a positive impact be made in people’s lives — a seed planted, a seed watered — and furthermore, could this experience be used as a springboard to encourage other Christians to engage more broadly? Yes, many times, yes!

This year, twelve people from three countries are planning to construct the Camp of the Unknown God, living as Ambassadors for Christ in a physically exhausting and spiritually hungry place. We’re excited to see how encounters will unfold, and how God’s Spirit moves people.

Would you be willing to pray for us? For wisdom and discernment? We need to recognize when to speak and when to remain quiet, when to advance the conversation and when to walk away. As Burning Man is exhausting on every level, we desire prayer for our team to remain healthy and energized, and to function well — to be servants to one another as we also serve our neighbors. Pray especially for those whom we will be interacting with; that God would open hearts and minds, soften and prepare, and that they would be receptive to the call of the Holy Spirit.

Would you be willing to partner financially? Attending is expensive with ticket prices and travel costs (our closest team members are a two-day drive from the event), along with supplies and necessary gear to maintain oneself in a harsh environment. The cost per person to attend is approximately $2,500. This year, unlike other fundraisers, the non-profit ministry Orbis-Sentry is acting as an umbrella organization, meaning that donations are receipted and tax deductible.

Orbis Sentry Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations and contributions are tax-deductible. All donors will receive a receipt.

https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

A little more information:

As mentioned in last year’s post about our camp, the reasons for going are multidimensional: Christian outreach, studying the movement’s cultural impact, and researching world trends as Burning Man is a platform for serious conversations. Here is our explanation from last year’s post:

1) To have genuine conversations in a way that exhibits Christian truth and grace. Sometimes the discussions are long and continue over many days, and other times it’s as simple as gifting an item of crucifixion jewelry, telling the person to trust Jesus, and in that moment the person’s heart softens and the tears pour. We don’t know their stories — where they came from or why they are attending; but we do know they are our brothers-and-sisters in Adam, and we desire they become our brothers-and-sisters in Christ. Effective outreach is the prayer, the hope, and the heartbeat of the Camp of the Unknown God.

2) To research the movement itself. Numerous Christian apologetic and worldview ministries already exist, tackling a range of beliefs and trends, but very little has been done specific to the Burning Man phenomenon. Some of our team, however, have been on the cutting edge; doing on-site surveys, conducting interviews, and attending workshops on the movement’s growth (there are over 100 regional Burns around the world). This information is used in classroom settings, podcasts, and other venues to help Christians grasp the cultural and spiritual context, and begin formulating responses (hint: Acts 17:16-34 is an important model).

3) Research broader worldview issues. Although the event is renowned for its party atmosphere, there is a serious side that is little known or understood; that is, Burning Man is a place for global conversations, with workshops on a range of issues — from new economic models to United Nations’ programs to the in-roading of psychedelics to new social trends. For some in our camp, this level of research is crucial to understanding the issues of our day, which is then communicated back to the Christian community.

Link for fundraiser page: https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

Share

The global interfaith movement is a theater of spiritual politics, a stage upon which religious leaders of all stripes hold hands, bow to the crowd’s applause, and proclaim one world. And the Parliament of the World’s Religions is a primary platform.

From November 1-7, 2018, about 8,000 spiritual leaders, social activists, UN advisors and government officials convened in Toronto. This was my second Parliament.

The following article is comprised of my observations from that week. I hope this will be of value, offering insights into the interfaith movement’s scale and scope.

Indeed, politics and religions do converge on the world stage.

Read more

In 2006 I attended the United Nations World Urban Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia. Although this Forum is now twenty years in the past (that’s hard to believe!), the observations and lessons are still worth considering, demonstrating roles and links between cities, global governance, and shifting visions of spirituality.

This article was originally published twenty years ago. It has been edited for better flow and added details, and numerous documents from the event have been included for your review.

Standing on the public promenade of the Canada Place Vancouver Convention Centre, I was awed by the magnitude of my surroundings. To my front and across Burrard Inlet was the city of North Vancouver with its spectacular mountain backdrop typical of beautiful British Columbia. Behind rose the skyscrapers, towers, and construction cranes of Vancouver, one of the most successful growth-cities of North America. All around flowed a sea of humanity.

More than 10,000 participants from over 100 countries had converged on Vancouver for the week of June 19-23, 2006. The reason for this influx of international officials and politicians, lobbyists and members of academia, urban planners and activists was the third iteration of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF3) — the flagship event of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT).

Turning to my agenda package, I leafed through the material hoping to organize my week. The program was immense; daily plenary sessions, round-tables and dialogue meetings, and over 160 training and networking events scattered over five days. Added to this mix were cultural festivities, side meetings, and guided tours. The purpose: to prepare the future of cities by…

• linking urban planning with sustainable development goals.

• connecting local governments to multinational mechanisms.

• offering a global network hub for governments, businesses, and civil society.

• building international solidarity around social issues.

• turning agreed upon principles into common policy actions.

Page 48 of the program stated: “the first steps towards global change start with us!”

Read more

NOTE: The following report was written in 2020 and re-released on Convergence.

PantheaCon was the largest indoor Pagan convention in the world. Started in 1994 by Glenn Turner, PantheaCon developed into one of the most important gatherings for the growing neo-Pagan community. Held at the DoubleTree Hilton in San Jose, California as an annual conference, the event attracted newcomers and notable personalities alike. It became a national focal point for the community, a place where Wiccans and Witches, Druids, Heathens, Shamans, Reconstructionists, and Fairy followers could learn from each other, network, and advance ideas and concepts.

As a Christian researcher on worldview issues, PantheaCon had been on my go-to list for a long time. Ironically, the first one I attended was to be the last. PantheaCon 2020, from February 14 to 17, was the final installment in its 26 years of operations.

Why?

First, Glenn Turner — the founder and organizer — wished to retire and was unable to find a successor. Running an event of this size was logistically and personally demanding, and Turner wished to retire. Months before the event date, it was apparent no one was stepping to the plate. Declining volunteer capacity was also a factor, and so it was announced that this would be its final iteration. A question hung over the conference: Was it really over?

News spread during the convention that another group, Between the Veils, would be starting an event in the Bay Area. However, it wasn’t until Monday afternoon during the closing ceremony when a formal announcement was made: Between the Veils, a tribe-network for non-traditional Pagans, would take the helm. The event would be renamed and reshaped. As BTV explained in a Facebook post, “[BTV] will be creating a new and truly inclusive convention to replace PantheaCon…” (Note: due to Covid and other issues, the BTV event never matched its predecessor’s success).

And this brings up an important ancillary reason for PantheaCon’s demise, or at least a better understanding of the community’s internal tensions.

Ongoing identity politics had created an additional burden; transgender demands and claims, charges of racism, and accusations of exclusionary practices within the Bay Area’s neo-Pagan community had placed a strain on attendees, volunteers and organizers. PantheaCon had become a stage whereby pressures of inclusion became amplified. Given that the Pagan network is, broadly speaking, politically and socially left-of-center, the unease over inclusion-and-exclusion carried a certain irony.

Helping attendees navigate this space was a lengthy anti-harassment policy, including a zero-tolerance position on racism. The program guide offered this statement as an aide to understanding the problem,

At PantheaCon we want to prioritize the voices of people who are often spoken over or erased in pagan spaces and make PantheaCon as accessible as we can to people form all racial backgrounds. Problems non-white attendees of pagan events talk about include:

– Being expected to be an authority on non-white characters in non-Western traditions.

– Being talked down to or assumed to be less knowledgeable about topics being discussed. This sort of behavior will not be tolerated.

On the first day I experienced an interesting hick-up with the anti-racism policy. Upon discovering I was a religious researcher from Canada, and that this was my first PantheaCon, I was invited by a Hispanic Witch to attend the Pagans of Color Caucus. I was thankful for the offer but pointed to the Caucus program write-up: “The caucus is a space for self-identified people of color only.”

I don’t color-identify, I explained, but stand on the fact that we are all humans irrespective of skin tone. The Witch agreed heartily and beckoned me to attend under her auspices.

“But that would be hypocritical,” I responded, saying that as I didn’t identify and the Caucus had placed upon itself racial limitations, I must be excluded by default. Her eyes dropped and she quietly said, “I see your point.”

Simmering tensions were evident in the program guide. For example, a description for the Trans*Caucus said: “If you’re cis, please don’t come — this is our time.” And the write-up for the workshop on 21st Century Norse Paganism revealed fissures: “Known promoters of bigotry are not welcome here.”

While these stress lines are important from an anthropological and sociological perspective, my research interests were more encompassing.

A special area of attention was that of post-Christian identity. Would I find claims of being formerly Christian? If so, what denominational connections, if any, would emerge? Could I recognize points of departure from the Christian faith — and, would this dovetail with what I observed at other Pagan gatherings?

Although I didn’t conduct a formal survey, something that would be helpful, the general observation was that many attendees had a Christian background. In one workshop, a coven priest explained he had grown up in an evangelical family, and that he had attended Bible college and studied apologetics with the hope of becoming a pastor. Overall, post-Christian histories were a common point of reference, and it was evident that a number of attendees were Biblically literate.

Denominations: No one church branch or grouping seemed to be weighted over others. Some emerged from a Catholic or Lutheran background, but I heard more voices of former Protestants and evangelicals. Detailed research in this area is needed.

Points of departure: Four main categories could be ascertained,

• The paranormal: Individuals claiming to have paranormal experiences or psychic abilities, and when they approached church leadership about it, they were told to ignore it or that it was “all in your head.” The search for answers then went outside the faith, and as Paganism offers explanations within a spiritual cosmology, this becomes a source with an attached sense of community.

• Theological problems: Receiving pat-answers or non-answers to personally troubling questions of faith, resulting in frustration and non-resolution, and then distancing from the church. Meanwhile, interest in spirituality remains, so the quest resumes outside the Christian faith. Quandaries I’ve heard while attending Pagan events: God’s apparent vindictive personality in the Old Testament, God’s seeming indifference to present suffering, Jesus’ exclusivity and the issue of good people going to Hell.

• Social concerns: Some blame church hypocrisy or lack-of-interest regarding LGBTQ issues, climate change and ecological concerns, economic inequality, and privilege politics. As the Pagan community is typically left-of-center, it becomes an attractive home for spiritual activists with progressive notions.

• Transformative Experiences: Christianity is dull, so the argument goes. Paganism, on the other hand, embraces mystery and ecstasy. Often borne out of a curiosity with the occult, and the desire to partake in something mysterious, the person is attracted by the claims of direct spiritual communion and radical encounters.

Lessons can be learned from these points, especially the need to listen to those who are struggling or having unusual encounters, and then to seek true and meaningful answers together. Counter positions could also be made, particularly regarding experiences, such as the fact that Christianity is primarily about trusting in God irrespective of personal ecstasies, individual feelings, or supra-normal occurrences. That said, a Wiccan who was once a church youth leader writes, “Somehow Christianity has made the resurrection of Jesus — think about it for a second, it’s a guy coming back from the dead! — boring.”1

Do we Christians sometimes hide our joy? Have we turned our faith into routine? Is there room for wonder and excitement?2 Yes.

As important as the Christian-to-Pagan question is, my research purposes included other dimensions: to better understand Pagan belief systems, to identify cultural intersections, to recognize new developments, and to observe how the community perceives itself. This meant paying attention to the messaging given by recognized leaders such as Selena Fox, Starhawk, Jason Mankey, Patrick McCollum, Megan Rose, and others. Representatives from Llewellyn Publishing and Weiser Books were in attendance, offering insights into the arena of Pagan publishing — and by default, pointing to consumer trends and issues. Covens and fellowships hosted hospitality suites, providing points of contact for specific subcultures. Vendors sold books, ritual tools and wares of all sorts; the vendor space itself was buzzing with conversations. A daily newsletter was released with schedule notifications and tidbits of information, and tables were set up for the free distribution of literature. Moreover, the event itself was filled with activities, and most time blocks contained seven to ten listings; workshops, lectures and panel discussions, concerts, divinations, and rituals.

Over four days I attended nineteen sessions, and I’ve included thoughts from each. It is my hope this will be beneficial in understanding the many facets of Paganism, allowing you to better grasp the changing religious culture.

1. Opening Ritual.

The opening was a time of acknowledgment and ceremony.

Glenn Turner was thanked for her many years of service. Indigenous tribal peoples were acknowledged, and ancient spirits were welcomed into the space — including Persephone, goddess of the underworld — in order to guide and direct this gathering. The four directions were honored, and non-binary deities were specifically invoked. One person reminded us that our divine Selves were being amplified. A circle was cast, and Turner explained that its power was magnified beyond the room, encompassing the hotel and parking lot. She reminded everyone that Paganism is, by its character, a religion of nature — a spiritual connection to the Earth.

After the ritual I had a conversation with two Witches on the topic of internal tensions. I was told that the non-binary invocation was in response to trans-sexual complaints, along with the placing of “Gender Neutral” signs on most of the hotel’s main floor restrooms. This, it was explained, was “clean up” from previous year’s dramas. Moreover, a substantial number of people were boycotting the event because of unresolved issues.

Moments before the ritual began I counted over two hundred people in the room, and from what I understood, this was about 10% of the event’s total attendance — down from previous years, a reflection of the community’s discontent.

2. Poly-Pantheism: Evolving with the Gods.

This workshop started by invoking the elements before inviting spirit beings into the room. Members of the hosting coven talked of how they achieved personal gnosis by linking to specific deities, including Aphrodite and Aries and Lucifer. Many of the coven members professed to being past Christians.

3. Circle for Planet Earth.

Selena Fox, famed Nature Mystic and writer-activist, described this Circle as an Earth Day 50th Anniversary prep-event. It was based on a similar workshop she conducted at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and so she asked who among us had attended the Parliament. In a room of fifty or so people, five or six hands went up, including my own.

Songs and reflections reaffirmed Mother Earth by recognizing the goddesses who represents her. Fox told us how she participated in the first Earth Day in 1970, leading student activities on a college campus. Here, at PantheaCon, she led the group in an original Earth Day chant: “Think Global, Act Local… Think Global, Act Local…”

We were told, repeatedly, that we are all one with the Earth’s sacred soul.

4. Has Paganism Gone Mainstream?

Short answer, yes.

Much of this workshop focused on Pagan chaplaincy services in hospitals and prisons. According to 2012 numbers, Paganism was the third fastest growing religion in the American prison system, and the need for Pagan services has increased. Community development needs were also outlined: attaining land for communal and spiritual space (cemeteries, youth camps, temples), a planned Pagan Credit Union, the need for seminaries and accredited training, the establishment of libraries and archives, and creating Pagan-friendly social services and legal representation.

It was also noted that many people in the general population are pagan-at-heart, but are not connected to the religious expressions of their worldview. In other words, large segments have accepted the perspective without adopting the spiritual practice.

Finally, the ongoing Christian influence within the military, prisons, and hospitals openly frustrated those in attendance. At the same time, one person recommended that successful Christian institutions be carefully studied. This person’s employment allows him to work closely with seminaries and church organizations, and he suggested Pagans needed to think about how Christian groups network and build infrastructure, and then apply those lessons for their own community’s growth.

5. The Passion of Aradia.

Aradia is a folklore spirit made known through an 1899 text on an obscure, Italian Witchcraft-cult. Today she is described as the “Spirit of the Witch,” and this was how she was introduced at the Passion of Aradia.

Led by members of the Black Rose, a magical fellowship, the Passion was a ritual of ecstatic movement and breath-work set in a mood of anticipation and mystery. From my observation, the ritual demonstrated the power of guided imagination, stimulated experience, and the weight of reinforced suggestion. This doesn’t mean the ritual was without a spiritual element; with the exception of myself, those in the room were keenly interested in feeling a direct connection with Aradia, and were raising energy to that end. Nevertheless, these three elements — imagination, body movement, and reinforcing verbal cues — when experienced in a dynamic group setting, act as a powerful lever for transformation. The resulting sensation of oneness solidified the central premise: that Aradia will guide our paths, and that all Witches are Aradia.

6. The Pagan Heart of the West.

This workshop was an overview of Pagan themes in Western civilization, with attention given to the French Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. Historian Randy Conner, author of the multi-volume set The Pagan Heart of the West, told us that “the French Revolution was not atheist, it was Pagan.”

The historical use of Isis iconography was explained; her acceptance as a cult figure by European intellectuals, and how this bridged into Mary veneration within Roman Catholicism. The American transcendental writers, Conner noted, were pagan-at-heart, expressing themes of immanence and holistic views of nature.

Conner outlined the Christianization of European pagan cultures: book burnings, banning of festivals, converting pagan temple sites into churches, and politico-religious persecution. Furthermore, the injection of Christianity within pagan cultures had the effect of deconstructing pagan community identity, and at the same time, a new form of Church folk-culture arose by assimilating pagan contexts.

It was an interesting discussion, compelling me to re-examine the social/religious forces that energized the Enlightenment period.

7. Plethon: The First Neopagan.

Plethon, born Georgius Gemistus in 1355, was a Platonic philosopher who shaped the direction of the Renaissance. In this lecture Plethon was recognized as the first neo-Pagan, reconstructing a magic-nature framework based on Hellenistic concepts.

Dr. John Opsopaus, who has translated the surviving texts of Plethon, outlined his own philosophical-esoteric roadmap and neo-Hellenistic cosmology. Suggestions were given for those who wished to pursue a course in magic using Plethon’s system.

8. Qi Wan: A Chinese Reconstructionist Rite.

This was an acrobatic-martial arts ritual dedicated to Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and to Gun Yam — also named Kuan Yin — the Chinese bodhisattva and goddess of compassion and mercy. The purpose: “call upon the deities to use their powers for both the good of humanity and the planet, and to bring the two back into balance.”

Although the ritual performance itself was well executed, the structure of the event was chaotic as organizers were unable to prepare the space ahead of time: the inability to bring the basics of balance into the room was not lost on me.

9. Ego-Magical Activism.

The description reads: “In this workshop, we’ll explore tools for personal practice, group ritual, and collective spell-work, as well as how to weave our magic into our activism and how to see our activism as a magical path.”

Starhawk, the famed Witch author, led discussions and training exercises on eco-activism, including practicing protest responses to the police. Magical movements were performed, such as grounding and aura work, to relieve the stress of intense activism while empowering the practitioner.

Magic was defined as such: The art of changing consciousness at will.

10. Reclaiming Warlock.

Alexander James Adam explored the meaning of warlock and its connotations. The stage was set by recounting Adam’s life story; a family history of psychic abilities, and her/his female-to-male transition journey.

Adam’s spiritual outlook centered on mental projection, the notion of gods and spiritual entities originating from the power of our minds. “We are the divine,” Adam said, “that’s the secret.”

It was explained that the word warlock originated from early Christianity and referred to someone who was an oath-breaker. It was a label given to pagans who embraced the Christian message and converted, but then reverted to their former pagan beliefs. Another possible meaning ascribed to it was “free agent of free will,” for magic at its source is “will” and “word.”

Adam hoped the negative associations of this label would diminish, allowing it to become culturally acceptable, similar to the perception change that has happened with the word “witch.”

11. Magick and Myths of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

A small group of Pagans traveled to northern Scotland, touring the country and stopping at castles, groves, and sacred places. For our benefit, we were treated to their travel slide show as they highlighted Scotland’s mystical places, natural beauty, and cultural history.

12. EcoActivism & Climate Change.

Selena Fox of Wisconsin’s Circle Sanctuary, Charlotte Bear — a Climate Reality Leader trained by Al Gore — and Andrew Bear of Extinction Rebellion inspired us to network, organize and take action.

Fox said that this panel was an Earth Day 50th anniversary preparatory event, and encouraged us to create community rituals for eco-rights. Moreover, as a participant at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, she touted the importance of interfaith work, including reaching out to the Christian evangelical community. In this respect she highlighted Christian-based eco-activism, such as the “creation care” movement, and explained that alliances were forming with Christian groups under the banner of interfaithism. Andrew stated that the Evangelical Environmental Network was a positive step, and Charlotte told us about the Green Bible, noting that it countered the Christian “alt right,” “fascists,” and “religious fundamentalists.”

Andrew suggested targeting people groups not normally associated with activism, specifically mentioning rural communities for the intent of building coalitions. Charlotte encouraged us to use personally compelling stories to create empathy when talking to those who are on the fence about climate change. And Selena reminded us to phone public officials as the call goes on record; if enough calls are made, it gives the impression that a large base of support exists within the voting jurisdiction.

Charlotte and Andrew reminded us that the eco-centric perspective — the heart of Paganism — is a fast growing worldview with a purpose, that of saving the planet. As Selena said: “We are doing eco-ministry.”

13. A Goddess for Every Need: Divine Feminine in Ancient Near East.

Archeologist Jehon Grist gave a detailed lecture on goddesses in the ancient Near East, including Isis and Hathor in Egypt, and Inanna in Mesopotamia. His talk focused on the syncretistic nature of goddess worship, how attributes and traits culturally migrated, and their morphological influence across the region. The inherent concepts of fertility and divine sexuality were expounded, and special mention was made regarding the symbolism of trees.

Upon demonstrating cross-cultural goddess worship within the Near East, the lecture turned to the Old Testament and a looming question: Did Yahweh have a wife?

Dr. Grist argued that Asherah was the bride of Yahweh. As a Semitic goddess, Asherah was the consort of the Ugaritic supreme deity El, and as Grist contended, this divine union was eventually transferred into the Hebrew belief system and then edited out of Scripture. In making his case, Grist pointed to select Old Testament passages such as 1 Kings 11:5, an acknowledgment that Solomon pursued the goddess, albeit as a negative development. Proverbs 3:13-19 and Proverbs 8:22-9:1 were described in light of “Asheratah” inscriptions from archeological sites, and Hebrew cult artifacts were used to show the worship of a divine Mother figure.

The professor’s arguments was received favorably by the audience; nevertheless, other Near East and Biblical scholars have soundly critiqued the notion of a union between Yahweh and Asherah. But Grist was correct in that the Hebrew people worshiped the goddess in various forms. Indeed, a major Old Testament theme is Israel’s syncretistic and idolatrous worship, and Yahweh’s plea to faithfully return to Him.

The response from Grist’s audience was, in some ways, more important than the subject itself. Keep in mind that many Pagans have a church background or Christian upbringing, and Grist acknowledged his own Christian past. As comments from the audience indicated, this Yahweh-Asherah argument bolstered their religious choice. Here, finally, was proof that Judeo-Christian monotheism was pagan at its core, thus justifying their own path.

14. Cerridwen – Witch, Muse, Goddess.

Druid Chief, Kristoffer Hughes, is an author and popular speaker with a dynamic style. His topic was Cerridwen, the Welsh heroine who, through cultural apotheosis, is now venerated as a goddess. Hughes explained that while she is renowned worldwide, even generating excitement on the US west coast, Cerridwen is little remembered in present-day Wales.

Besides the story of how Cerridwen has been perceived, Hughes dropped important nuggets regarding the question of Pagan authenticity, a very relevant topic as the community is wrestling with its lack of roots. As Hughes explained, it’s not about upholding an authentic Pagan lineage — the search for historic credibility — but honoring the past, being inspired by it, and then creating your own experience now.

Cerridwen, Hughes elucidated, was more than just a lady of mystery steeped in ancient lore and mythic tradition — she was and is the journey, a path to apotheosis, a realization of divinity.

15. Ancient Greek Heroes and the Initiatory Quest.

This lecture pealed back layers of meaning found within Greek mythology, and was led by author and artist Daniel Gautier. His view of the Logos was of central importance; that the Logos is the “seed-pattern” for all things, the “fundamental principle of order and knowledge in the universe.” It is thus the ultimate template, the foundation of form, of thought and reason, of law, knowledge and meaning.

Gautier’s approach incorporated Jungian psychology and symbolism, finding interpretative parallels with the Kabalistic Tree of Life, and points of contact with Yogic spiritual teachings. The primary point of this lecture was to employ Greek mythology in the quest for personal transformation, to discover the Logos within you.

16. Getting Straight With Spirit.

Like so many who embrace Paganism, the speaker was raised in a Christian home. His childhood was marked by intense and terrifying paranormal encounters, prophetic and reoccurring dreams, and spirit visitations. But as he explained, being raised Baptist and attending a private Christian school with a pre-ordered view of reality, “I clearing wasn’t going to tell the church about this.”

His high-school years were completed in a public school where he took a personality test plotting gender identity and partner preference. The results closely aligned with androgynous. Later he had an unusual spiritual experience leading him to gender-identify with his spirit, and not his physical body.

After reading Witchcraft books in his teenage years he embraced the Feri Tradition, which remains his Pagan home. Hence, Feri origin cosmology was shared with the group: Before time began, the divine s/he — “God Herself” — looked upon the void curvature of space and saw her own reflective beauty. As the deity and image embraced in an act of “holy lust,” her orgasm burst forth a stream of creative energy that birthed the physical universe and the realm of spirit — including Shining Ones and humankind. Spirit and matter are, therefore, fractals of “God Herself.”

With the above in mind, the workshop pondered the following: How is gender culturally understood? Why does spirit “need gender”? How are we interconnected?

Current cultural tension over gender politics, it was understood, was a positive sign. Society is breaking the old to refashion a new reality, a total Oneness.

The Biblical narrative, primarily the Genesis account, was also briefly explored. Because of the Christian background of many Pagans, some having a comprehensive knowledge of Scripture, there is an interest in approaching the Bible through a symbolic restructuring; that is, the re-interpretation of Biblical stories through the Pagan lens of polarity and union, myth and continuity.

The final takeaway was this: As humanity discards the gender binary we move into a new phase of evolution. And as we dissolve our gender, freeing ourselves from the bonds of separation, so Mankind will be liberated and advance when we become One with Beings of Light, with Faeri and Angels. Then, as these sentient species blend, We return to “God Herself” as the Divine-Androgyny.

Gender fluidity thus functions as a spiritual driver of evolutionary Oneness.

17. Altered States of Paganism.

This was an open discussion on psychedelics and Pagan intersections, and each person in the room was asked to explain their reason for attending this workshop. Responses varied; curiosity and knowledge seeking, personal recreational use, micro-dosing for peak performance, spiritual discovery, ceremonial aspects of ayahuasca in Santo Daime, and self-medicating to combat depression. Only a handful had no personal history of psychedelic usage. Nevertheless, there was general consensus that psychedelics has moved into a renaissance phase with serious cultural ramifications.

The conversations circled around legal issues, medical and mental health dangers, finding the right dose and setting, and how psychedelics might be employed in Pagan practices. It was also noted that psychedelics — “plant medicine” — has been at the core of many indigenous Pagan traditions.

18. Spirit Marriage: Cultivating a Bonded Relationship with Spirits.

Spirit marriage is exactly what it sounds like; a contractual union between a non-human spiritual entity (sometimes multiple entities) and a human being. The person leading this workshop, Dr. Megan Rose — a former Pentecostal now of the Faery Faith tradition — talked about her own spirit marriage, including how it happened and challenges in the relationship. Rose explained that a spirit marriage is an act of possession wherein the entity is formally invited into a relationship. We were also told that the entity seeks to feel and experience through the person, and may even re-wire the host’s brain and nervous system.

Rose gave examples of unions from Hindu and neo-Pagan backgrounds, and described her interviews with those involved in spirit marriages — as she herself has been. In most cases, she explained, it is the spirit who initiates the relationship, choosing the person who it wishes to engage in a bonded contract. While entering a spirit marriage was described as voluntary, it was admitted that to refuse the spirit’s proposal is potentially detrimental. Her advice? Accept the relationship and negotiate boundaries.

Five themes emerged,

1. The importance of community: A public affirmation of co-participation, including vows and mechanisms of support, giving the community and “couple” a sense of greater relational value and integrity (it takes a human/spiritual village).

2. Empowerment through surrender: Personal sacrifices may be necessary as the marriage makes new demands. In turn, the person will be remade in the spirit’s image, and thus become empowered.

3. Sexuality and divine union: A deeper sexual experience is reported as the indwelling spirit partakes in the union — “making love to a spirit is a way to revitalize the body, making it a temple of divine awakening.”

4. Co-creation and conscious evolution: The person’s consciousness is expanded, almost moving beyond the human, and thus experiencing an evolutionary change that enhances extrasensory perception and psychic capacity.

5. Entheosis: Awakening the Divine Self, the birthright of all people.

19. Closing Ritual.

Before the closing ritual commenced, I had a fascinating talk with two Witches regarding the social stresses underlying PantheaCon. These tensions, it was explained to me, extend beyond the event and reach into covens and orders. However, as PantheaCon had allegedly mishandled sensitive issues in the past — transgender and women’s concerns, white supremacy from the Heathen community, and the exclusion of certain individuals — this year’s attendance was down significantly, and the energy was lagging compared to other years.

The closing ritual itself was a reversal of the opening invocation. Songs were sung, the powers of the four directions were acknowledged, and those spirits who were previously asked to inhabit the conference were thanked and released.

Glenn Turner was publicly recognized for guiding the event over its 26-year history, and it was announced that a new conference would be built on the foundation of PantheaCon. Between The Veils would host the next iteration in 2021, re-named as “A Convention for the Otherworldly.” Of course, in a handful of weeks after PantheaCon concluded, the world shuttered itself with Covid lockdowns.

I left PantheaCon with much to ponder; the troubling nature of the Christian-Pagan switch, gender identity and spiritual dynamics, interplay within the environmental movement, the potency of human-spirit relationships, growth pains and tensions within the community, the search for authenticity and experiential validation, and the reach and scope of the worldview exchange now underway in the Western world.

Indeed, we are living in a Romans 1 reality — the intentional veneration of the creation over the Creator.

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Endnotes:

A number of months ago I uploaded a video lecture delivered during the Covid years on the subject of World Federalism and international order. You can watch it by following the link below. In the lecture’s description, I mentioned that I would be following up with documents — materials not found on the web. To that end I’ve added important items to this article; images of documents and PDFs for download. In fact, this report is a result of being granted access to specialized papers, many more than what’s dropped here. At the same time, this article is a primer on the historic interplay between one side of the world government movement, and the role of faith groups and Christian bodies. They walked together.

If you’re interested in this subject, consider a copy of Game of Gods as I detail the history and influence of World Federalism in chapter 11. As alluded to in my book, the investment I’ve made in studying this development has been robust. From 1997 until 2012 I purposely involved myself with the movement for research purposes, attending events of the World Federalist Association and its sister group, the Campaign for UN Reform. During the year 2000, I was a delegate to the UN Millennium Forum, embedding myself through World Federalist connections (World Federalists essentially ran the UNMF). Then in 2012 I, along with a colleague, attended the congress of the World Federalist Movement… there are too many other events and research activities to list, and the work continues, and probably always will…

You can purchase a copy of Game of Gods here.

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Another person who has jumped into this fray is Dr. Martin Erdmann. There are few Christian researchers, probably less than a handful, who have truly explored the connection between World Federalism and church organizations. Dr. Erdmann is one of them. His book, World Federation: The Ecumenical Agenda, is a detailed analysis of church alignment and promotion of world order. Follow and subscribe to Dr. Erdmann at Musings of the Court Jester.

Musings of the Court Jester

The purpose of this publication is to defend the Christian faith against anti-Christian tendencies in society.

By Dr. Martin Erdmann

Over a decade ago I had the opportunity to examine World Federalist records from the 1940s and early 1950s. Unique to that period was the public’s enthusiasm for world government. Millions had perished in the World War and threats of another great conflict loomed. Proposals for world federal government and other collective arrangements, therefore, widely circulated within policy circles and the general citizenry. Church groups, too, lined up in support of international authority.

This wasn’t a surprise. Decades before the 1940s, and predating the Great War, religious leaders had expressed hope in a grand unity — righteous internationalism.

Consider the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Chicago during the World’s Colombian Exposition. In the Parliament’s official proposal, Point 10 stated: “To bring the nations of the earth into a more friendly fellowship, in the hope of securing permanent international peace.”1 Then, a few weeks before the Parliament commenced, the General Committee issued a Universal Prayer connecting “common religious fraternity” with “a divine order in the governance of the world, and who work and wait for the kingdom of God on earth.”2 Christian ministers and leading Parliament members presented a letter to the assembly, giving “our approval of the formula of the Brotherhood of Christian Unity as a suitable bond with which to begin the federation of the world upon a Christian basis.”3

Presbyterian minister John Henry Barrows, chairman of the Parliament, had adopted the famed poem by Tennyson, Locksley Hall, as a “kind of unofficial motto,”

Till the war-drum throbb’d no longer, and the battle-flags were furl’d

In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world.4

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This Convergence report offers a glimpse into the world of transformational culture through the lens of Burning Man, arguably one of the most important events within the genre of transformational-evolutionary culture.

To help navigate this subject, and anticipate a more robust report in the near future, this page contains three sections:

1. Part 1 and 2 of a multipart video series between George Olson, Director of Geopolitical and Economic Research at Orbis Sentry, Audrey Vanderkley, Project Research Assistant at Orbis Sentry, and myself. In these two segments we explore how Burning Man ignites modern “spiritual imaginations” in the age of Re-enchantment, and how it contrasts the City of God.

2. Because our team is returning to Burning Man under the umbrella of the Camp of the Unknown God, based on Acts 17, I have added the text of our appeal letter, explaining the purpose of our camp. If you desire to support this endeavor, a link to our fundraising page will be included. Financial donations are tax-deductible via Orbis Sentry: https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

3. For full-subscribers: An updated edition of my 2019 report, providing an outline of our time at that year’s Burn, officially themed as Metamorphoses. Plus! Downloadable documents and media files offer a taste beyond the text.

Orbis-Sentry Interviews:

Part 1 and 2 - Axis Mundi and The Earthly City.

Camp of the Unknown God Support Letter

In the heat and dust of northern Nevada, a week-long gathering of over 70,000 people takes place. Burning Man, renowned for its hedonism and pagan spirituality, draws to itself attendees from around the world, with ramifications spilling into our culture.

Since 2017, a small group of evangelical Christians have intentionally attended under the thought-provoking banner, Camp of the Unknown God. Pulled from Acts 17 wherein Paul visited Athens and leveraged the pagan culture-of-the-day to advance the Christian message, our camp likewise seeks opportunities to engage in this most unusual place. And yes, lives have been changed by the Gospel; even at Burning Man!

The background for this Christian mission offers some insight. It began in 2017 when an evangelists/apologist and Christian social researcher decided to see if a dedicated camp inside the Burn would be feasible; something small yet engaging. With the hype around Burning Man’s decadence, would it be possible to have good conversations about God, Jesus Christ, and the Christian message? Might a positive impact be made in people’s lives — a seed planted, a seed watered — and furthermore, could this experience be used as a springboard to encourage other Christians to engage more broadly? Yes, many times, yes!

This year, twelve people from three countries are planning to construct the Camp of the Unknown God, living as Ambassadors for Christ in a physically exhausting and spiritually hungry place. We’re excited to see how encounters will unfold, and how God’s Spirit moves people.

Would you be willing to pray for us? For wisdom and discernment? We need to recognize when to speak and when to remain quiet, when to advance the conversation and when to walk away. As Burning Man is exhausting on every level, we desire prayer for our team to remain healthy and energized, and to function well — to be servants to one another as we also serve our neighbors. Pray especially for those whom we will be interacting with; that God would open hearts and minds, soften and prepare, and that they would be receptive to the call of the Holy Spirit.

Would you be willing to partner financially? Attending is expensive with ticket prices and travel costs (our closest team members are a two-day drive from the event), along with supplies and necessary gear to maintain oneself in a harsh environment. The cost per person to attend is approximately $2,500. This year, unlike other fundraisers, the non-profit ministry Orbis-Sentry is acting as an umbrella organization, meaning that donations are receipted and tax deductible.

Orbis Sentry Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations and contributions are tax-deductible. All donors will receive a receipt.

https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

A Little More Information

As mentioned, the reasons for going are multidimensional: Christian outreach, studying the movement’s impact, and researching global trends.

A) To have genuine conversations in a way that exhibits Christian truth and grace. Sometimes the discussions are long and continue over many days, and other times it’s as simple as gifting an item of crucifixion jewelry, telling the person to trust Jesus, and in that moment the person’s heart softens and the tears pour. We don’t know their stories — where they came from or why they are attending; but we do know they are our brothers-and-sisters in Adam, and we desire they become our brothers-and-sisters in Christ. Effective outreach is the prayer, the hope, and the heartbeat of the Camp of the Unknown God.

B) To research the movement itself. Numerous Christian apologetic and worldview ministries already exist, tackling a range of beliefs and trends, but very little has been done specific to the Burning Man phenomenon. Some of our team, however, have been on the cutting edge; doing on-site surveys, conducting interviews, and attending workshops on the movement’s growth (there are over 100 regional Burns around the world). This information is used in classroom settings, podcasts, and other venues to help Christians grasp the cultural and spiritual context, and begin formulating responses (hint: Acts 17:16-31 is an important model).

C) Research broader worldview issues. Although the event is renowned for its party atmosphere, there is a serious side that is little known or understood; that is, Burning Man is a place for global conversations, with workshops on a range of issues — from new economic models to United Nations’ programs to the in-roading of psychedelics to new social trends. For some in our camp, this level of research is crucial to understanding the issues of our day, which is then communicated back to the Christian community.

Link for fundraiser page: https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

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A few weeks ago, George Olson, Director of Geopolitical and Economic Research at Orbis Sentry, sat down with myself to do a three-part podcast on geopolitical trends and worldview issues. At the time, George had recently returned from a research trip that included his attendance at SOF Week. Find below our three-part conversation.

NOTE: Orbis Sentry is a non-profit ministry existing to equip and educate the body of Christ regarding worldview changes, trends, and challenges. We are not monetizing through analytics or advertising, and are supported by generous donations from supporters like yourself. If you believe in what we are doing and would like to contribute to our ministry, please click the link below to access our donation page. Orbis Sentry is a registered non-profit organization in the State of Texas and has approved non-profit 501(c)(3) status with the IRS.

Donation URL

Part 1: A Christian Look Inside SOF Week.

Part 2: What is the Catalyst?

Part 3: Internal Tensions

Links intersecting with Orbis-Sentry:

Carl Teichrib’s book about the changing worldview landscape: Game of Gods.

Orbis Sentry website: https://orbis-sentry.org/

Carl Teichrib’s substack:

Convergence: Power and Belief

Analyzing the convergence of global governance, religious change, and cultural transformation - from the desk of Carl Teichrib. Convergence is reader supported; become a subscriber today.

George Olson’s substack:

Intersections with Orbis-Sentry

Here I will discuss the effects of the changing worldview trends on international relations, geopolitics, macro-economics, risk management, and global missions. I will be working closely with Carl Teichrib on tracking changing worldview trends.

By George Olson

Orbis Sentry Rumble channel for the 2025 NATO Dayton Dialogue: https://rumble.com/c/c-7813298

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The conference room filled quickly. Greetings and hugs were shared; old friends reconnected, and newcomers were welcomed with nods and smiles. Everyone anticipated the opening movement, setting the tone for the weekend convention.

The room was devoid of chairs, and so the crowd gathered three-and-four deep along the edges, clapping and moving to the sound of inviting rhythms. The center area, being free of attendees, held a focal point: a draped table with seven pillar-candles, a vase, and a large bowl. When things finally settled down, it was explained that what we beheld in the middle was a sacred well, and we were all encouraged to add water to it as we felt led.

A witch stepped forward. Wand-in-hand she cast a magic circle around the well. The energy of this circle, it was explained, encompassed the whole room and extended outward to include the building itself. This gathering, we were told, was a sacred grove — we were the trees, mystically connected through branches and root.

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Anthony Costello of the Kirkwood Center for Theology and Ethics, along with Joshua Farris of Soul Science Ministries and myself with Orbis-Sentry have engaged in a series of video discussions on the development of modern Paganism. In this conversation we explore Artificial Intelligence and sexuality within the Pagan context.

Commenting on our conversation, Joshua Farris posted the following,

As materialism fails to explain human consciousness, a new and ancient “Liturgy of Self-Making” is rising. In this deep-dive, Anthony Costello, Carl Teichrib and myself, Joshua Farris, explore how AI, Neo-Paganism, and the sexual revolution are converging to redefine what it means to be human.

Is the world becoming more technological, or more theological? In this episode, we go behind the scenes of SXSW and Paganicon to witness the birth of a new cultural era. We move beyond surface-level politics to examine the “Sexual Monism” and “Radical Individualism” driving today’s headlines.

To catch up on our other conversations…

If you’re interested in wrestling through the many facets of Re-Enchantment, check out my book, Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment.

I would also encourage you to check out Orbis-Sentry, a ministry dedicated to equipping Christians to be Ambassadors in the age of Re-Enchantment.

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Prelude: A “people’s world government” — a Global People’s Assembly — is an idea that has ebbed-and-flowed within the peace movement for decades. In this research article, originally published in 1998, I take you along for a ride in the northern suburbs of Chicago looking for a place named DreamHouse. Here, in this unlikely location, a handful of important personalities from the World Federalist/World Government movement gathered to outline a new vision for global order.

Receipts: Free subscribers can read the entire article. However, paid subscribers have access to the receipts as I have taken the time to pull event documents from my files, scan the pages, and embed them as PDF downloads beyond the paywall.

Postscript upfront: Many years after the event in question, I connected with the organizer, Glen Nuttall via social media. Then, as this article was used to help build the front section of chapter 10 in my book, Game of Gods, I sent the organizer a PDF copy of my book. Glen confirmed that my account was, indeed, accurate. We have since maintained a cordial online relationship.

Editing note: Seeing that this article was originally published 28 years ago, then later posted on my Forcing Change website, I have edited it for better flow and added a few extra details.

To the residents of a weathered looking section of north Chicago, I must have looked lost. After the fourth drive around the block, I still hadn’t found what looked like the right building. The sun had set hours before and the street lighting was poor. Large hardwood trees lined the sidewalk, and all the houses looked the same: dark.

This was where elite globalists were supposed to meet, in an old residential section? This was where, for the next two days, world thinkers would develop directives to bring Chicago on-line with global government? Something didn’t seem right.

Finally, after 20 minutes of frustrated searching in the gloom of a November evening, I stopped the car and ran up the steps of the only building that vaguely fit what I was looking for. No lighted signs announced my location, just a plain piece of paper with simple type posted on the door. Walking in, I was welcomed to DreamHouse.

Unknown to all but a handful, Chicago was the setting for a small but intense conference on world government in early November 1997. For two days (7th and 8th), the United Planetary Federation (UPF), under the leadership of Glen Nuttall, hosted the United Peoples Advocates and Global Virtual Assembly. The meeting place, DreamHouse as the place was called, was a former Salvation Army chapel. It was from this location, still equipped with a podium embossed with a wooden cross, that the message of global consensus was preached.

A few months earlier I had talked to Glen Nuttall, the conference organizer, about the up-coming Assembly. Optimistic, he explained that this meeting was meant to unite the peace movement and work to bring Chicago to the forefront of the emerging global system. He also hoped to have a substantial crowd for the conference. The crowd never showed. Less than twenty people were in the building.

A Meeting of Minds

At first it seemed the UPF Assembly was a bust. With so few attending, what could happen? Little did I know that those in the room were some of the most influential players within world government advocacy circles,

• Lucile Green: member of the World Constitution and Parliament Association (WCPA), 4th signer of the WCPA Constitution for the Federation of Earth, founder and co-chair of the World Government Organization Coalition, member of the American Humanist Association, the World Future Society, and an executive of the Action Coalition for Global Change (ACGC). From the mid-1990s until 2004, the ACGC was a United Nations advocacy organization based in San Francisco.

• Nari Safavi: President of the World Federalist Association of Chicago and on the World Federalist Association National Board.

• Tom Hudgens: President and CEO of the Association to Unite the Democracies (AUD was influential in the development of NATO’s Parliamentary system), a member of the World Federalist Association, and a member of the World Citizens Assembly.

• Robert Stuart: Chairman of the Board of the Association to Unite the Democracies, member of the World Federalist Association.

• Howard Cort: member of the International Public Policy Institute, and a task force member to organize a United People’s Assembly under the guidance of the Action Coalition for Global Change.

• Roy Corr: member of the World Federalist Association and Worldwatch.

• Amos El-Roy: key developer of the Grassroots World Government (GWG) web site and author of GWG working papers.

Summing up the gathering, Lucile Green, during her Saturday morning speech, stated,

I feel that I’m speaking to a room full of VIPs. Robert Muller loved to quote Margaret Mead, saying, ‘You know it takes only a few committed people to change the world.’ And it’s the only thing that ever does change it. So I think we have here a few important people, this is an important event, and we could change the world.

Because of the small size, and because most in attendance knew one another, the discussion and planning time was overt to the cause of world federalism. For myself, an unknown to the group, it was a time of education concerning the goals and principles of global government.

Special Interest Groups

Key to the UPF meeting was the development of strategies to bring Chicago into a unified world’s People’s Assembly. Although the concept was new to me, I soon discovered that the idea of a People’s Assembly spanned decades [Note: an early Emergency World People’s Congress was held in 1947].

Back in 1978, Green recommended that non-governmental organizations act in an official capacity within the world community. That year, an NGO forum — a “People’s Assembly” — ran parallel to the 1978 United Nations Special Session on Disarmament. After the Special Session ended and the People’s Assembly closed, Green suggested the following line of action,

…the Peoples Assembly… will continue as a precedent and possible nucleus for forming a truly global institution to represent the common interests of people rather than the competing interests of nations. A Peoples Assembly will be held every time and place the U.N. special sessions are held on problems that concern people in general, such as the future of the oceans, technology, and childrens rights. The Peoples Assembly should be… soundly incorporated into the structure of the U.N. as a permanent house — a Peoples Assembly with the voting power to change the no-win game of dis-united nation…

In 1997, the idea of a People’s Assembly witnessed a renewal. Lucile Green, Robert Muller (former UN Under-Secretary General), Canadian Senator Douglas Roche, and Lady Rhyl Jansen (president of the UN Association of New Zealand), organized an NGO network with the goal of creating an Assembly. At the same time, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for the sitting of a People’s Millennium Assembly in the year 2000. NGOs such as the World Federalist Association and Green’s Action Coalition for Global Change recognized this historic opportunity, anticipating the time when NGO’s would act as the collective voice of people around the world.

So what does this mean?

NGOs with UN status would have more say, on “behalf of the people.” Groups such as Planned Parenthood, the Global Futures Network, the World Federalist Movement, the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, the Bahá’í International Community and Lucis Trust, among other like-minded and similarly configured organizations, would act as the official voice of humanity. This would be done by steering the narrative, lobbying and enabling the democratically elected representatives sitting within a future United Nations People’s Assembly. Global Members of Parliament would work hand-in-glove with the UN’s accredited NGO community.

[Note: the United Nations Millennium Forum, the Assembly promised by Annan, was funded in part by Lucis Trust and essentially managed by the World Federalist Association and Movement. As someone on the inside of the Forum, I personally witnessed how the World Federalists stacked the deck. One final point — the Forum’s outcome document helped shape the upcoming Millennium Declaration, which helped set the stage for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.]

Targeting Cities and the Year 2000

Developing the foundation for the anticipated People’s Assembly was a chief reason for the Chicago meeting. Many other gatherings, we were told, would take place. Major cities planning like-minded events included Boston, Bombay, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, New Delhi, Paris, Philadelphia, Tokyo, The Hague, and Wellington. Each was scheduled to host meetings leading to the creation of an Assembly.

San Francisco and New York, I discovered, already hosted gatherings. In Perugia, Italy, organizers were hoping 80,000 participants would march in support. However, because of an earthquake in the area, only 10,000 attended. Even as the UPF conference in Chicago was taking place, an important NGO/People’s Assembly was happening in Geneva, Switzerland. On Saturday morning, Green presented salutations from the Geneva group, as well as from Perugia Assembly organizers.

Why target cities? Simple: cities are strategically significant. To illustrate, we were given a list of 94 of the largest cities. Together these centers housed a significant slice of the planet’s population, being hubs for economic, political, corporate and academic energy at the regional and national levels. By bringing cities on-line as players in a UN People’s Assembly, possibly being the springboard for democratic representation, it was believed that governance on a planetary scale could be achieved. Green provided extra context,

…the idea of a People’s Assembly has gone from a long, long dream, at least ‘78 and probably earlier than that… into an embryo. It’s no longer a question of if it will happen but a question of what will it be like? And there are already signs of life in all of these Assemblies around the world… life signs of this embryo about to be born. We even know the date when it will be born, which will be the year 2000. And between now and then, my friends, we are in labor. And there will be pain in labor. Plenty of it, I’m sure. But our labor pains will bring forth a new life in the year 2000.

Glen Nuttall was confident in the realization of this People’s Assembly, but thought the year 2000 might be too soon before the necessary pieces come together. However, he did see the millennium year as being important to the future of an Assembly.

Problems

Twice during the UPF conference I overheard participants talking about the Christian problem. Simply stated, Biblical Christianity doesn’t fit in the new global paradigm. Christianity is built on the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, a narrow view that doesn’t mesh with a pluralistic world. Another problem Christianity poses is that of child rearing: children are “infected” with a “backwards” worldview. Glen Nuttall explained what the new ideal should look like: “We need to teach children about global government, global governance, and the world at large. We must encourage them to devise and explore alternatives to modern realities.”

During the lunch hour another problem emerged. Because of the size of the group and that everyone, except myself, contributed to the discussions, I stood out. Within a few minutes of our lunch break, Robert Stuart from the Association to Unite the Democracies, along with Green, questioned my silence and lack of participation. Pulled aside and questioned, I explained that I was attending because I felt this meeting would be of historical value; a truism. I explained that as an obvious outsider, I didn’t feel comfortable contributing to the discussions.

At this point I was given an interesting insight. Green and Stuart explained that what we were doing was secretive, and that the general public was not aware of world government developments. This work, I was told, was theoretical in nature.

Democracy & Representation

Tom Hudgens, CEO of the Association to Unite the Democracies, gave an alternative scenario to the concept of a planetary assembly. Rather than using the United Nations as a basis, Hudgens outlined how NATO could be the framework for a unified democratic system. If NATO nations would join on a macro-level — politically, economically, militarily — he believed other countries would desire to join this global democratic alliance. Others in the audience thought this approach had merit.

Another person who contributed to the meeting was World Federalist, Nari Safavi,

I cannot hide my sense of excitement and exultation because I think a lot of the goals and principles that the World Federalists have been advocating now are coming to fruition. The historical forces are aligning… All of a sudden what was unachievable, what was unthinkable, is thinkable and is achievable.

Safavi elaborated on the link between world government and a People’s Assembly,

To the idea of a world government, World Federalists nowadays basically respond that the world government is already here. When you look at organizations such as the World Trade Organization or IMF (International Monetary Fund) or… the World Bank; what are these? These are instruments of global governance. World government is here, but we just don’t have any voice in them… if we want to have a Federation to be democratic, we need to have people’s representation… so we hope to see a People’s Assembly ultimately to evolve into the Constituents Assembly body of the world government, where the citizens of the world, their representatives, will have the power to legislate for the whole world.

At one point, someone asked about the electoral process of a global People’s Assembly. What values and ethics would be required for global Members of Parliament? After a lengthy discussion it was obvious that a global MP would have to meet a set of criteria,

– No pro-nationalism or country specific patriotism. First and foremost, a global MP must hold allegiances to the Earth community.

– Western views of development and economics, primarily capitalism, would have to be downplayed. Instead, a more holistic approach would be necessary.

– A global MP couldn’t be someone who held narrow religious and philosophical beliefs. Rather, he/she must embrace spiritual pluralism and a wider set of ethics.

– His/her focus must be on the Earth first: environmental concerns must supersede human growth and development.

– A global MP must be in lockstep with the agenda for world government. Period.

Democracy? Representation? The words rang hollow.

Getting To The Point

Deborah Burris-Kitchen, a Marxist who teaches at the University of LaVerne, California, gave a speech outlining the dangers of global capitalism. Her presentation added much to the discussion, but it also caused uneasiness within the group.

Was it that her message acted as a mirror, revealing the nature of world government? In any case, even as participants disagreed with Burris-Kitchen, the consensus was that a global system must not be Westernized, but based on a larger methodology. Green demonstrated what this would look like in her book Journey to a Governed World,

A new consciousness is also emerging from a growing awareness in the West of the wisdom of the Eastern world-view. Buddhism, Hinduism, Taosim and Shinto, while they differ in many respects, portray the world as a multi-dimensional, organically interrelated eco-system of which man is one of many inter-dependent parts. Perhaps we can learn through them to see the world whole, as it really is, and together — West and East — begin to build the foundations of a new world order.

The most urgent item on the planetary agenda is to set the limits of freedom and order in supra-national, global affairs. A constitution for the world is needed which combines the achievements of both hemispheres: that is, constitutional limitations and a bill of rights from the West and a spacious world-view from the East.

Helping us work through the idea of global representation, a survey was passed around with questions meant to open deeper discussion. The survey painted an interesting picture of world government and global democracy: Should potential Members of the Parliamentary Assembly provide “evidence of global citizenship either by formal declaration or reputation”? Should constituents be pulled from non-governmental organizations? What about a global electoral college? Is it important to “promote a global world constitution convention” in light of continuing to develop a People’s Assembly? How should “a permanent Global Peoples Assembly be financed?”

Direct taxation on the world’s people? Yes? No? Undecided? Fees for use of our Common Heritage, including oceans, air, water, and the total biosphere… Dues from electoral contributions… Taxes on international money exchanges…

All of the above caused me to reflect: What kind of world will my children inherit? It was an unsettling thought.

Something else was unsettling. Approaching the supper hour I found myself questioned again regarding my purpose and intent. Now, however, the message was clear: I was an infiltrator.

Knowing when your time’s up is important. And yet, in the space of a few short hours, I had been given a glimpse, a vision of a planetary pseudo-democracy.

A people’s world government: who’s fooling whom?

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Each year that our camp sets up at Burning Man, people ask why we do it. To answer this question, here is the explanatory letter on our camp’s crowdfunding page. Please pray for our wisdom and insight, and for "divine appointments" — if you follow this outreach, you already know this is a reality. And if you are able and willing to help out, this year's fundraiser is directed through Orbis Sentry with the ability to issue tax-deductible receipts for your support.

Here's our information letter and link. Thank you!!

In the heat and dust of northern Nevada, a week-long gathering of over 70,000 people takes place. Burning Man, renowned for its hedonism and pagan spirituality, draws to itself attendees from around the world, with ramifications spilling into our culture.

Since 2017, a small group of evangelical Christians have intentionally attended under the thought-provoking banner, “Camp of the Unknown God.” Pulled from Acts 17 wherein Paul visited Athens and leveraged the pagan culture-of-the-day to advance the Christian message, our camp likewise seeks opportunities to engage in this most unusual place. And yes, lives have been changed by the Gospel; even at Burning Man!

The background for this Christian mission offers some insight. It began in 2017 when an evangelists/apologist and Christian social researcher decided to see if a dedicated camp inside the Burn would be feasible; something small yet engaging. With the hype around Burning Man’s decadence, would it be possible to have good conversations about God, Jesus Christ, and the Christian message? Might a positive impact be made in people’s lives — a seed planted, a seed watered — and furthermore, could this experience be used as a springboard to encourage other Christians to engage more broadly? Yes, many times, yes!

This year, twelve people from three countries are planning to construct the Camp of the Unknown God, living as Ambassadors for Christ in a physically exhausting and spiritually hungry place. We’re excited to see how encounters will unfold, and how God’s Spirit moves people.

Would you be willing to pray for us? For wisdom and discernment? We need to recognize when to speak and when to remain quiet, when to advance the conversation and when to walk away. As Burning Man is exhausting on every level, we desire prayer for our team to remain healthy and energized, and to function well — to be servants to one another as we also serve our neighbors. Pray especially for those whom we will be interacting with; that God would open hearts and minds, soften and prepare, and that they would be receptive to the call of the Holy Spirit.

Would you be willing to partner financially? Attending is expensive with ticket prices and travel costs (our closest team members are a two-day drive from the event), along with supplies and necessary gear to maintain oneself in a harsh environment. The cost per person to attend is approximately $2,500. This year, unlike other fundraisers, the non-profit ministry Orbis-Sentry is acting as an umbrella organization, meaning that donations are receipted and tax deductible.

Orbis Sentry Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations and contributions are tax-deductible. All donors will receive a receipt.

https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

A little more information:

As mentioned in last year’s post about our camp, the reasons for going are multidimensional: Christian outreach, studying the movement’s cultural impact, and researching world trends as Burning Man is a platform for serious conversations. Here is our explanation from last year’s post:

1) To have genuine conversations in a way that exhibits Christian truth and grace. Sometimes the discussions are long and continue over many days, and other times it’s as simple as gifting an item of crucifixion jewelry, telling the person to trust Jesus, and in that moment the person’s heart softens and the tears pour. We don’t know their stories — where they came from or why they are attending; but we do know they are our brothers-and-sisters in Adam, and we desire they become our brothers-and-sisters in Christ. Effective outreach is the prayer, the hope, and the heartbeat of the Camp of the Unknown God.

2) To research the movement itself. Numerous Christian apologetic and worldview ministries already exist, tackling a range of beliefs and trends, but very little has been done specific to the Burning Man phenomenon. Some of our team, however, have been on the cutting edge; doing on-site surveys, conducting interviews, and attending workshops on the movement’s growth (there are over 100 regional Burns around the world). This information is used in classroom settings, podcasts, and other venues to help Christians grasp the cultural and spiritual context, and begin formulating responses (hint: Acts 17:16-34 is an important model).

3) Research broader worldview issues. Although the event is renowned for its party atmosphere, there is a serious side that is little known or understood; that is, Burning Man is a place for global conversations, with workshops on a range of issues — from new economic models to United Nations’ programs to the in-roading of psychedelics to new social trends. For some in our camp, this level of research is crucial to understanding the issues of our day, which is then communicated back to the Christian community.

Link for fundraiser page: https://orbis-sentry.org/donate-burningmanoutreach

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Humor me.

This is a personal story that has nothing substantive to do with my research and writing. It’s simply a strange encounter; a glimpse into my life from a different angle. I hope you enjoy it. If you’re shaking your head in disbelief, well, I am too.

Riddle me this: What do these four have in common?

- The bewildered driver of a sharp-looking BMW sedan.

- A criminal with a sawed-off shotgun and a stolen motorcycle.

- Booze cruising senior citizens.

- The founder and CEO of a Luxembourg-based global agribusiness and asset company.

Any guesses?

Here you go: All these folks have accidentally stumbled into our yard.

Now, here’s the kicker — our home is off-grid and in the woods, the last place people should randomly happen upon. In fact, our nearest gravel road is almost two miles away, and our connecting route is little more than a byway of field and bush lanes that I keep open. Anyone turning off the gravel should immediately see that this isn’t a normal course of travel.

But that’s not how it works. Over the years we’ve had more folks bumble into our place than I can probably recount. The four listed above are highlight moments; the guy who is clearly lost and has driven his expensive car into the middle of a bush clearing; the criminal with a stolen motorcycle that he can’t restart and is now stuck in my yard, with a gun, drugs, and a girlfriend passenger who’s failing to intimidate me (this story is so crazy); a nice group of older adults out for an evening of drinking-and-driving (hey, come in for a while and let’s get some coffee going); and then last night... Luxembourg showed up.

Shortly after 9:00 I’m walking across the yard wearing a whitish work shirt, blue-checked pajama pants, and dark green rubber boots — a hillbilly fashion show. Then I hear it; a truck is coming through our bush road. It rumbles around the corner and stops in front of me, with a wide-eyed stranger behind the wheel.

What am I going to say? I look like a dork.

The first words out of my mouth are self-mocking: “Didn’t mean to scare you with my fashion statement.”

The gentleman looked me up-and-down, smiled, then retorted in a foreign accent: “You look very French!”

We visited for the next hour. Then, my wife who had been away all day, returned home to find a tall man — taller than myself by at least three inches — in her home having an engaging conversation with her husband. She was bewildered when she learned the backstory... just as I was, and still am.

And then we visited some more.

So here it is. This gentleman — a French citizen with a Luxembourg business, a sailboat in Montevideo, Uruguay, and a global vision — was in Winnipeg, my province’s capital, for a series of business meetings. Before flying to Montreal for a conference this weekend, he decided to rent a pick-up truck and randomly drive country roads, “to how do you say it, feel the land?”

Almost 200 km from his starting point, he happens to wander down a back-trail and dead-ends in front of a fashion freak show.

From his point of view, “the universe brought me to you” — from my point of view, “God brought us together.”

It was a fantastic two hours! In the end we exchanged contact information. I gave him a copy of my book. Then, sometime after 11 PM, we watched him drive into the night.

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During the Covid years I had the opportunity to participate in a number of virtual conferences. Here’s a presentation from one such event, a talk exploring the concept of Re-enchantment from a broad approach but with specific examples demonstrating the heart of the matter. This talk, taken together with the other essays and podcasts published on Convergence, provides a panorama of information and insights.

I trust this will be of value.

For more detailed analysis on the many facets of Re-Enchantment, check out Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment.

I would also encourage you to support Orbis-Sentry, a ministry dedicated to equipping Christians to be Ambassadors in the age of Re-Enchantment.

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Anthony Costello of the Kirkwood Center for Theology and Ethics, along with Joshua Farris of Soul Science Ministries and myself with Orbis-Sentry have engaged in a series of video discussions on the development of modern Paganism. In this conversation we explore Panpsychism, the belief that matter — the universe — is imbued and permeated with mind or consciousness.

Follow along as we dive into a cosmology that informs much of the New Age movement, and by default reaches into the realms of religion, culture, and politics. It’s a worldview that Christians need to be informed of.

Placing this paradigm within the construct of planetary consequences, a 2021 article published by Noema explains,

If the panpsychists are right, it could cast doubt on the foundations of a worldview that has been deeply embedded in our psyche for hundreds of years: that humans are superior to everything around them, disconnected from the insensate matter of nature, marooned on a crumbling planet in a cold and mechanical universe. Panpsychism re-enchants the world, embeds us profoundly within the climate crisis and places us on a continuum of consciousness with all that we see around us.

To catch up on our other conversations…

If you’re interested in wrestling through the many facets of Re-Enchantment, check out my book, Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment.

I would also encourage you to check out Orbis-Sentry, a ministry dedicated to equipping Christians to be Ambassadors in the age of Re-Enchantment.

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NOTE: The following was penned sometime in 2017 as I was writing my book, Game of Gods. It is excerpted from chapter 7, and lightly edited for better continuity. Additional materials have been added; select and rare photos, and a PDF download of a key document — the entire program guide for the event outlined in my essay. Although this was written nine years ago, the information is relevant. More articles in our Re-Enchantment series will add to this article, as I have attended iterations of this event and other associated gatherings. In other words, there’s still more to the story.

We finished washing our hands at the same time. I walked to the motion-activated blow dryer on my side of the restroom, and the young professional went to his. Nothing happened as I passed my hand under what I thought was the sensor, and his dryer stayed silent. We each crossed to the other machine, his to mine and mine to his, and — surprise! — nothing worked.

Evidently it was time for drastic action. Stepping into the middle of the room and facing the first dryer, he stretched out his hands to a focal point. His arms trembled from the strain of concentrating invisible energies, but the blow dryer remained unchanged. Turning to my machine he repeated the gesture, with the same result.

In frustration he wiped his hands on his pants and said, matter-of-factly, “My magic’s not working today.”

And then he walked out.

For a moment I stood in the silence, processing this unusual encounter. Then, with water dripping, I returned to my dryer and thrust my hands deeper under the machine… whoosh! I was in the right place.

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How has the Christian community responded to Re-enchantment, and in particular, the Green Revolution? In four general ways.

My own experience has been that for many Christians there is a disassociation. We either disbelieve that the world has or is changing this radically, or we view it as happening “over there” — a phenomenon taking place on the other side of the fence, but not in our living room. This is akin to burying our heads in the sand. Of course, in doing this we intentionally fail to see the challenges and opportunities, and we are unable to navigate the social changes happening in the space around us. Yet, we still feel that something is amiss; there is pain and confusion, like an unseen adversary is kicking us. When we do finally pull our heads free, we are shocked by the cultural animosity aimed at Christianity, and we foolishly wonder, “how did it come to this?”

When our heads are buried, our ass is exposed. Are we surprised it gets kicked?1

NOTE: The other essays in this series, based upon and built-up from chapter seven in my book, Game of Gods, are found below.

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It happened thirteen years ago this month…

I was greeted with a warm smile and a friendly handshake, immediately followed by what sounded like a provocative statement. The comment was, in reality, an astute observation and candid acknowledgment: “You’re brave to be here.”

“You’re brave to have me,” I sincerely replied.

We were both right.

Looking at this unusual situation from his side, I knew that as a Mormon he had taken a risk by inviting a Christian critic. There was little doubt that he would later receive push back, for it was a controversial move on his part to platform a contrarian.

Seeing it from my own side, my host, Lincoln Cannon, knew I was walking into a challenging situation; that of being the lone Christian voice in opposition at a transhuman event. Moreover, this was the 2013 edition of the annual conference of the Mormon Transhumanist Association, an organization incorporating Mormon perspectives with technological futurism. And then there was the reason for my invitation. My task was to present an evangelical Christian criticism of religious transhumanism to the attending members of the MTA.

I was under no illusions. My stance was at odds with the audience’s. In fact, as word spread that I was going to be a speaker at the MTA, a number of well-meaning people warned me that I was walking into hostile territory. Some suggested I back out. Hence, before I arrived in Salt Lake City, I had a feeling that I was going to be used as an intellectual punching bag. This wasn’t so much fear, but more of a resignation.

Sleep was elusive before I arrived. I was seriously wrestling with what to say, and it consumed my days and nights as the event drew near. Part of the problem was my time allotment. Like the other conference speakers, with the exception of the keynote presenters, I had fifteen minutes to make my case.

Fifteen minutes! What could I say in fifteen minutes?

At first I was boggled. However, what seemed like an insurmountable challenge turned into a blessing. This tight time frame forced me to focus on fundamentals, and keep me on track. Many drafts were written, rehearsed and scrapped. In fact, I was still stroking out thoughts and refining my notes right up to when the moderator began his introduction to my talk.

What did I say?

Find below a Youtube of my presentation as posted on the MTA channel. I’m also posting an introduction video from the founder and then President of the MTA, Lincoln Cannon, as he explains the purpose of his association.

How was I treated? With genuine hospitality and honor. Even though our worldviews were in opposition there was an openness, a recognition that we could still engage with respect. And I respected that.

After the conference concluded, I was asked to write a paper expounding on my presentation and position. This essay would be reviewed by someone assigned from the MTA; not to control or shape what I would say, but to help keep the paper on target, challenge weak points in my arguments, and critique for clarity. Then, my paper would be circulated to MTA members as part of the conference follow-up.

Find below a copy of my essay, published in 2013 by the MTA, with some light editing and a few refinements to help with context and flow.

It is my hope you find these resources helpful in wrestling through the Christian response to transhumanism.

Evangelical Christian Critique of Christian/Religious Transhumanism

By Carl Teichrib

As an evangelical Christian contemplating what to share with the Mormon Transhumanist Association, I considered the more obvious paths of debate. I thought about the bio-ethical arguments, the concern that technology may negatively influence values and social norms, and the provocative topic of “what it means to be human.” However, each of these talking points are in no way exclusive to concerned Christians. Religious and secular transhumanists wrestle with these same themes. I was therefore compelled to explore the core tension between the two camps of religious transhumanism and evangelical Christianity.

The main tension doesn’t lie in technology or science per se, nor does it rest on bio-ethical or techno-social concerns. The core strain rests on the view of salvation.

Both sides recognize that humanity is limited and hampered by our present natural condition, that we suffer, and that death is the ultimate enemy. Transhumanism seeks immortality and salvation from the fallen human state, looking to achieve this through human endeavor. This represents a technical-material salvation, and in the case of religious transhumanism, it usually incorporates a spiritual element or quality. Conversely, evangelical Christianity sees salvation – a spiritual rebirth and future bodily resurrection — as coming from outside our fallen human enterprise. This salvation comes solely through the finished work of God-in-flesh, Jesus Christ.

In order to understand the evangelical perspective I will present a rough and short survey of the historical/evangelical position. In doing so I recognize that the MTA audience, and other transhumanists, will not be in agreement. However, grasping the tension requires that we explore the context.

Before doing so, three points need to be considered. The first demonstrates that followers of evangelical and orthodox Christianity are not opposed to science,1 and this needs to be said as I have encountered some in the transhumanist community who feel Christians have done little to advance the human condition from a material/technical position. The second offers a general reference when considering the broad scope of what could be labelled as Christian/religious transhumanism, and the third point recognizes that historic Christianity looks to an endpoint marked by resurrection and immortality. In this way, Christianity shares a thematic vein with some transhumanists; that there is a future hope.

Where — or in whom — our hope is placed, is the real question.

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1. Historical Christianity is not opposed to achieving human betterment, longevity, expanding capabilities, striving for medical breakthroughs or overcoming problems through technology. David F. Noble, an historian of science and technology who taught at Toronto’s York University, recognized that Western science is rooted in Christian thought and philosophy.2 The French sociologist, Jacques Ellul, also noted the important role of Christianity in the modern context of technical advancement, as did the American cultural-historian and Christian thinker, Francis A. Schaeffer, who not only recognized Christianity’s influence in the Scientific Revolution, but the part it played in progressing art and culture.3

Although Noble, Ellul, and Schaeffer acknowledged schisms and shortcomings in respect to the Christian influence upon science, the larger context remains firm: The Judeo-Christian worldview played a monumental role in forwarding modern science for the bettering of the human condition. Indeed, while the perceived cleft between science and religion is frequently bantered in the public square, the fact remains that Christians and adherents of theological thought4 have been, and are, an important part of the scientific community. This is true historically and in today’s context; From Pascal to Isaac Newton to Michael Faraday to Werner Heisenberg to Francis Collins of the Human Genome Project, to synthetic chemist and nano-tech engineer James Tour.5 Each of the persons named, and many other notable figures from the realm of science, expounded a Christian position.

Furthermore, Christianity has a long and unprecedented track record of human betterment through the establishment of institutions for the social good: hospitals and clinics, schools, orphanages, food-banks, safe houses and shelters [Note: this is not to say that problems did or do not exist]. Likewise, the Christian framework was instrumental in laying the foundation for many universities: Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown and Dartmouth are a few examples. Generations of Christians have followed the command of Jesus Christ to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), exemplifying the calling of the New Testament book of James to live with “faith and deeds.” The bottom line is that many Christians, spurred through a Biblical worldview, have done much to advance human betterment through science, knowledge, and action.

2. Under the banner of “religious transhumanism” we can find an assortment of ideas and movements weaving through various traditions, obscure branches of mystical philosophy, and newer expressions such as Terasem, which identifies as a “trans-religion.” However, when exploring the idea of “Christian transhumanism,” three possible dimensions need to be considered.

A) Individual advocates of transhumanism who place their view of technical human advancement within a claimed Christian-orientation or identity.

Historical personalities in this category would include Nikolai Fedorov (1829-1903) and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955). Fedorov couched his ideas of technical human ascension in a mix of Russian Orthodoxy, scientific futurism, and alternative spiritual and esoteric beliefs.6 Teilhard de Chardin, the controversial Catholic mystic who wrote of a coming “Trans-human” and “Ultra-human” conception, envisioned a psychic unity with the “Cosmic Christ” alongside technical achievements.7

Here it must be noted that a claimed Christian orientation does not mean an orthodox view is adhered to. In fact, the nature of Christian transhumanism — with Fedorov and Chardin as classic examples — would be considered outside the norm of traditional Christianity.

B) Faith-based movements that attach a Christian persuasion, or a Christian claim or label, to beliefs of human-induced ascension.

Mormon transhumanism as a faith-based movement within a Christian asseveration would fit this context. However, claims of a Christian designation does not necessarily mean the declaration is universally accepted or beyond contesting. For example, in a 2012 Pew Research report it was demonstrated that 97% of Mormons consider their faith a “Christian religion,” at the same time a sizeable percentage of evangelical Protestants (47%) did not hold to this view, and even more Protestants, 66%, said that “Mormonism and their own religion are very or somewhat different.”8 Furthermore, Protestant/evangelical theologians and apologists routinely take the position that Mormonism is a unique religion based on Joseph Smith’s message, while highlighting fundamental differences with orthodox Christianity.9 Thus, the example of Mormon Transhumanism represents the perplexity of labeling, as Mormonism itself is considered distinctive by a sizeable percentage of orthodox/evangelical Christians, even though the designation is frequently claimed by Mormon leaders and laity.

C) Transformative ideas with Christian attachments: Finally, Christian transhumanism may include intellectual movements that advocate for human transformation while incorporating Christian social benefits. This may include movements that have opposed orthodox Christianity, yet retained Christian sentiments. The historical example below is a broad brushstroke.

Henri de Saint-Simon, a 19^th century social thinker and father of socialism, might fit this categorization. His argument was clearly anti-orthodox, claiming that the notion of God was “outworn.” Thus, he envisioned a “New Christianity” that would, “pronounce anathema upon theology, and to condemn as unholy any doctrine trying to teach men that there is any other way of obtaining eternal life, except that of working with all their might for the improvement of the conditions of life of their fellow man.”10

His vision of the new society was filtered through a scientific lens; that is, he believed and championed the re-ordering of humanity via the power of technical engineers. Salvation would be attained through the social planning efforts of industrialists and scientists and technical experts. Nevertheless, his framework still mirrored broad Christian social values: the improvement of the poor, and the idea of brotherhood.

Obviously Saint-Simon pre-dates the rise of transhumanism as an intellectual movement, but his work finds a measure of correlation: the attempt to better mankind through techniques of science, and the notion of salvation through human ingenuity.

From individual transhumanists and faith-groups making Christian claims (along with counter-arguments coming from the Christian community), to the intersecting of revolutionary ideas with Christian cultural sentiments, the categorization of “Christian transhumanism” isn’t clearly delineated. Nuances and complexities and pitfalls exist as we try to define Christian transhumanism

[Note: not long after writing this essay, the Christian Transhumanist Association was established with assistance from the Mormon Transhumanist Association.]

3. Evangelical Christianity looks to a future point of bodily resurrection, immortality, and perfection. This is a transformation away from the flaws of our present human condition, Biblically understood as the result of sin (turning from God’s order — see Romans 5:12-22). It is a condition marked by disease, moral failings, troubles and death. Thus, a future and final enhancement is anticipated, as Christians await the promise of Jesus Christ who said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26a).11 Job, the Old Testament personality who famously endured great pain and suffering, spoke of a coming redemption,

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!12

Salvation that comes from Christ lifts people up from the way of sin and death, bringing us back to the way of Life. This is first a spiritual salvation and then, at an appointed time, physical translation.

Surface commonalities do exist between traditional Christianity and religious transhumanism; the recognition of a flawed human condition, the hope of a better existence, and — depending on the version of transhumanism — the anticipation of immortality. Both transhumanism and evangelical Christianity have future-perfect aspirations and visions of salvation, and this is where the core tension is located.

Dr. Brent Waters, a fellow with The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, wrote in his essay, “Whose Salvation? Which Eschatology?,”

For transhumanists humans have fallen short of achieving their true potential, whereas for Christians humans have not yet become the kinds of creatures God intends them to be. In response both agree that humans require release from their current condition. For transhumanists this release is attained through technological transformation, whereas for Christians humans are transformed by their life in Christ.13

This is the primary point of tension. Transhumanism places salvation chiefly within a physical transformation via human endeavor. Traditional Christianity, and the evangelical position I adhere to, views salvation as derived from outside our capability. Let’s explore this with a short, 5-point survey.

A: In The Beginning.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” Genesis 1:1. Here, in this foundational revelation, the identity of the one who created is expressed; God did it. Furthermore, in Genesis 2:4 we are given the more precise title of Yahweh Elohim, the personalized name for the God of the Israelite people. Yahweh Elohim is thus the Creator; the one who ordered matter into being.

In Genesis 1 we find Yahweh introducing Himself to His creation. This is not an abstraction. Rather, it implies a relational setting among real and existing entities: God wants to be known. Because identity is being communicated, a meaningful relationship between Creator and the creation is possible.

Identity in Genesis 1 and 2 also demonstrates legal ownership. As Creator, Yahweh, and no one else, has the first and final legal claim to the universe. This ownership aspect is seen in Deuteronomy 10:14, “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.” This extends to people too, placing God above humanity; “Know that the Lord [Yahweh] is God; It is He who made us, and not we ourselves...” (Psalm 100:3).

His creative capacity is also demonstrated in the Genesis account. Yahweh did not use pre-existing material to fashion the “heavens and earth,” materials that could be recalled or revoked by another. Rather, as Genesis tells us, He spoke all things into existence. Psalm 33:6 says; “By the word of the Lord [Yahweh] the heavens were made, and all the host them by the breath of His mouth.”

Dr. Yehezkel Kaufmann, past Judaic and Biblical scholar with Hebrew University, put it this way,

Nowhere do we find that the cosmic elements – e.g., earth, heavens, sun – were fashioned out of pre-existing stuff... the Bible has no need of a pre-existent realm. To be sure, the biblical God fashions some of his creatures out of matter already at hand. But this matter is not alive, charged with divine forces; it neither opposes nor participates in creation.14

God spoke-and-breathed matter and life into existence. How this technically came about remains a mystery, and the complexity and scale of creation causes us to marvel. Considering God’s ways King David penned the following, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3). The Apostle Paul writes, “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” (Romans 11:34). God’s greatness and positional authority are unmatchable, confirming uniqueness in the universe. This is amplified in Isaiah 44 where Yahweh declares that He is Israel’s Redeemer; “I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God... Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.”15 Isaiah 45 states this in unequivocal terms, “And there is no God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the Earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”16

Finally, the New Testament brings a fuller understanding of God’s salvific claim. Jesus Christ [Yeshua in the Hebrew, meaning “Savior” and “Liberator”17], who parallels the claim of Isaiah 44 as “the First and the Last” in Revelation 22:13, is God manifested in the flesh (John 1:1,14) — deity who literally participates in the nature of humanity with the purpose of redemption — and is subsequently acknowledged as Creator. “For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:16-17). John 1:3 affirms this position; “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

B: Created in God’s Image.

In Genesis 1:26-27 we find that Mankind is created in God’s image. This does not imply equality with Yahweh, but the language expresses the positional uniqueness of humanity in comparison to the rest of nature. It also gives us a hint about how God relates to us. John 4:24 tells us that God is spirit, however, numerous Old Testament metaphors, analogies, and examples are used that employ human physical characteristics for God. In doing this we can see how God, a spirit, is making a connection with us through what we understand. When God talks about His “right hand,” we can relate.

But it is in the New Testament where we find the most profound implication of God’s revealed image, His incarnating within a human body for the purpose of salvation as Jesus Christ.18 Moreover, Jesus Christ is given the title “last Adam” and the “heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15:45,49), both titles that bear witness to the Genesis 1 concept of “God’s image” and the restoration of the relationship we had with God before our Fall. As the Apostle Paul noted, we who are in Christ Jesus “shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”19 Finally, in language reminiscent of Genesis 1, Jesus Christ is upheld as the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), par excellence.

Being made in “God’s image” also reflects some of His characteristics; love, moral consciousness and righteousness, rationality, and the capacity to enter relationships. God’s “likeness” imparted within mankind is communicating a transcendent quality meant to reflect His goodness, love, and righteousness — we are meant to be His representatives on Earth, His stewards, His ambassadors. A meaningful relationship between the Creator and humanity can hence take place, as exemplified in the events of Genesis 2 wherein God communes directly with His people.

Because of the fact we are created in God’s image, mankind’s value is not ultimately gauged by human standards: economic classifications, political edicts, or technical measurements. Created in the likeness of God, each person has intrinsic and eternal value, and it is in this we discover the foundation for human dignity. Ideally our technical and scientific endeavors should, therefore, be aimed at upholding and advancing this fundamental vision of human worth.

C: Choosing the Way of Death.

God is the author of love, and choice is required if love is to exist, for love without choice is bondage. In Genesis 2 an option is placed before Adam and Eve, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the choice is open to partake of it or obey God and abstain. However, with this choice comes a warning; If you eat of it, you will die. The rationality for this seemingly harsh consequence has a logically consideration. As God is Creator and therefore legal holder of life, to intentionally choose a path other than His is to enter the way of death.

In Genesis 3 humanity is faced with a tempter, variously called Satan or the Devil. While artistic interpretations of this adversary have spanned the gamut from a medieval-inspired monster to a comic-book figure with horns to a suave businessman, 2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us that he comes as an “angel of light.”

In Genesis 3 the tempter offers justification to disobey God’s earlier command, reversing God’s warning: “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”20 Three interlocking aspects come together in this pitch. First is the prospect of enlightenment. Next is the promise to be “like God” or “as God,” and last is the subsequent empowerment that comes through knowledge, which is perceived as the “gaining of wisdom.”21 All of this is presented as a positive development – to be as God – even as Yahweh’s warning of death is pushed aside.

The information presented to Eve and Adam by the tempter was a half-truth. Yes, they would attain the knowledge of good and evil, a fact God Himself recognizes in Genesis 3:22, but something needs to be considered. Note that Adam and Eve did not lack knowledge prior to eating the fruit, for they were presented with God’s moral will before the encounter with the tempter and were making knowledgeable choices (Genesis 2:15-25). Moreover, Eve demonstrated moral knowledge prior to intentionally disobeying God’s directive (Genesis 3:2-3). Thus, their pre-fall existence was not one of ignorant bliss, nor were they innocent of sexual relations as some have suggested, as procreation and becoming “one flesh” was instituted in Genesis 1:28 and 2:24. Rather, their pre-fall existence was placed in moral obedience to God’s designed order; that changed with eating the fruit.

What the “knowledge of good and evil” is has been debated in theological circles, although the core meaning of this knowledge may rest on something basic: To know and experience autonomy outside of God’s established order and provisional wisdom. It was a choice solidified in an action, and humanity imbued knowledge that previously was known only in the heavenly realm — following the lead of an angelic tempter who had blazed the trail in pride.

Indeed, their “eyes were open.” However, this was not a blessing but a curse. Fellowship with God was broken, and humanity was distanced from true wisdom. Death, not the angelic false promise of immortality, was set in motion. Likewise, relational animosity, pain and toil and failure, entered our now-mortal existence.

Neither did human-ascended deity, to “be as God,” come to fruition. God recognizes that they had become “as one of us” in Genesis 3:22, but the context is in the knowledge of good and evil, not in becoming a deity. Moreover, God stated this as a fait accompli. In other words, Adam and Eve’s fall was not a progression but a completed act of disobedience. They had deliberately stepped outside of God’s order and now sin and death was embedded in humanity’s spiritual and physical existence, the very opposite of perfected Godhood.

Proverbs speaks into the error committed. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Romans 5:12 fleshes it out with a direct link to the Genesis account: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

Since the Fall of Man, humanity has worked to regain that which was lost. We have attempted to enter Paradise via rituals, religions and esoteric teachings, endless cycles of good works, burdens of obligations, the pursuit of personal enlightenment, and the unending weight of attempted but failed acts of self-perfection — including the dream of technological perfectibility.22 It is the unrelenting drama of systems, methods, programs, and techniques. The claim that Man can become God through evolutionary self-discovery and/or experiences is legion,23 often with angelic or other-worldly revelations acting as the catalyst.

D: God Walks With Man.

Two thousand years ago God entered humanity’s domain through Jesus Christ, literally God-in-flesh among men, as the antidote to our problem of sin and death — “manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

This “taking away our sins” and abolishing death “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). It required that Jesus Christ Himself, the Savior and liberator, experience the pain of humanity — the sting of death. This was foreshadowed in the sacrificial system of the Jews for hundreds of years beforehand. But something more was needed than just the experience of death, for anyone can die. Rather, death itself needed to be overcome. Jesus Christ, as the author of life, would need a bodily resurrection — to be free from the grave and corruption. In this act of physical resurrection, the fullness of God was revealed as God the Father raised Jesus (Romans 10:9), Jesus raised Himself (John 19:19-22), and the Spirit raised Him: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

The book of Hebrews relates that this act was a finalizing work. For how else could anything be added? The Old and New Testament repeatedly tells us that there is no one equal to God, no one who matches His holiness. Instead, we find out that to God our “righteousness are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), and that we have all sinned and fallen short of His standard (Romans 3:23). We are, therefore, unable to justify ourselves in our own power.

However, even in this sacrificial act of Christ, a choice is presented. And here we do have a part to play in salvation. As Adam and Eve fell from God’s order by actively taking that which was forbidden, we must now engage in a parallel opposite by surrendering our will of self-autonomy — our attempt to save ourselves, be it through works or systems or technique. This humbling admittance is an act of repentance, premised on the belief that Jesus Christ as Creator and now defeater-of-death provides salvation. We therefore anticipate the restoration of immortality, holiness and perfection, and live out our faith with this promise in mind. It is no longer about technique, but trust.

E: Faith and Works.

The importance of “faith and works,” hinted at in the above paragraph, needs to be explored. Usually this discussion is associated with the New Testament writings of Paul and James. However, we see a foreshadowing of repentance versus works with King David in Psalm 51. David, confronted with sin, realized that what God wants isn’t ritualistic sacrifices, which were performed daily by the priests, but “a broken and contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise.”

King David’s story opens up the promise of grace: unmerited favor.

A striking example of unmerited favor and salvation takes place at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Upon being placed between two convicted thieves, Jesus began to receive curses from one of the convicted. The other criminal, recognizing his own lost situation, called out in fear of God and asked Jesus to remember him “when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

It is notable how Jesus Christ did not respond. He didn’t say to the thief, “first, get down off your cross and go do good works,” or, “go find a technical solution to your problem of death,” or, “too bad you weren’t baptized,” or, “sorry, you need to be part of the priesthood and perform your obligations before I can accept you.” Rahter, Jesus said, “today you will be with me in paradise.” The language here is important, for Jesus is not telling the thief that he will make it “partway to paradise” or to a certain level of salvation or exaltation. Instead, the thief will enjoy full fellowship with Christ.

The thief could do nothing of works to save himself. All he could do was the one thing required, to fear God and have a contrite heart: it was an example of trust. To recognize that we cannot save ourselves and must rely on Jesus Christ as the only Savior is humbling, and difficult, for it runs counter to the sin nature embedded in us since the Fall — our desire for autonomy outside of God’s order. The teaching that salvation is out of our hands is a vexing thought, and it has haunted and infuriated humanity for millennium. But what about or works?

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us; “For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Romans 4 provides extra insight,

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as [King] David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin’.

Evangelicals do recognize that works does play a vital role in the demonstration of a living faith. The Book of James (2:20-24), like the Romans passage above, gives the example of Abraham as one who exhibited faith with deeds. Noah likewise exemplified this faith-works dynamic (Genesis 6:9-22). Upon hearing God’s message of warning and believing God, Noah then acted with works in accordance to his faith. In the Noah account God communicated judgement and provided direction, sealed Noah and his family, and ultimately provided salvation. Noah didn’t rescue himself by simply building a boat. He believed and trusted God for deliverance from the coming calamity, and then worked in accordance with God’s directive. Noah and Abraham both demonstrated faith and action, and we see God’s grace extended to them.24

Ephesians 2:10 helps put grace and works into perspective: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

So how do evangelical Christians reconcile the writings of Paul, who peached “grace alone,” and James, who penned that “a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:24)? We would argue that the contrast is largely a matter of original audience and the intent of the message, and that the apparent contradiction isn’t as divisive as we’ve made it. For example, Paul himself acknowledged the importance of works as evidence of grace in Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians, Paul was writing to further strengthen the faithful, and he called them to walk “worthy of the vocation” (Eph. 4:1) — offering moral and spiritual instruction for what not to do and what to do. Paul was reminding the believers of the grace that saved them, and that good works should now follow. He said something similar to the Galatians in that faith needed to express itself with works of love (Gal. 5:6), it could not just be an intellectual belief.

And in writing to the Romans, Paul emphasized the requirement of grace over the “works of the law,” but noted that the law wasn’t and isn’t nullified — it just doesn’t save. Rather, the law, and the inability for anyone to uphold its high standard, demonstrated the need for a Savior who was perfectly righteous. In other words, hope was to be placed in the one who could measure up to the standard of the law, Jesus Christ. Repeatedly, Paul brings out that God’s righteousness through Jesus Christ is the basis of salvation, and in the process reminded them that God shows no favoritism to what man judges as being “good,” for “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It is important to note that what he wrote to the Romans and Ephesians didn’t contradict the importance of good works, it placed works in the right relational order to salvation.

Turning to the Book of James, it is important to understand the audience. James tells us that these people were already believers. That is, James recognized that they were saved and he repeatedly referred to them as his brothers. Based on the language and style used in the book, it is clear these were Jewish converts to Christianity.

The purpose of his letter is also evident: To encourage these believers to live their faith in a morally upright and tangible manner, for the text powerfully infers that these Christians had not put their faith into practice but were struggling with un-Christlike behavior. James was combating an intellectually expressed faith that lacked evidence of a changed life, as seen when he rightly said; “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is only one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble!” (James 2:18-19).

James and Paul were both tackling different yet connected problems. Paul was combating the error of having salvific faith in the law and works. James was battling the error of ignoring good works while claiming to be a believer.

Dr. Douglas J. Moo, New Testament scholar at Wheaton College Graduate School, explains it further,

Understood in their own contexts, and with careful attention to the way each is using certain key words, it can be seen that James and Paul are making complimentary, not contradictory, points... what can be done is to understand the point each was making from within his own sphere of thought and word usage, and then bring them together. When this is done a unified, theologically coherent picture emerges.25

Dr. Moo continues: “The difference between Paul and James consists in the sequence of works and conversion: Paul denies any efficacy to pre-conversion works, but James is pleading for the absolute necessity of post-conversion works.”26

The Book of Hebrews comes to mind when contemplating the role of works and salvation. In chapter 10 we discover, like King David did in Psalm 51, that religious sacrifice and temple work was insufficient. However, the author of Hebrews noted that one who is perfect, Jesus Christ as Redeemer — being above the angels and creation, and above all systems of religion — was willing to be the final sacrifice. This would be, literally, the final and only “good work” that would save humanity. Jesus Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins forever... For by one offering He has perfected those who are being sanctified.” (Heb. 10:12,15).

Here, then, is the tension: Transhumanism and religious/Christian transhuman thought focuses on what humanity can do through science and technology to advance salvation. Conversely, evangelical Christianity holds that salvation, resurrection and perfection are found outside our mortal techniques.

Transhumanism metaphorically repeats the Genesis account of taking the fruit (or in this case, engineering the fruit), a technique to supposedly gain godhood through the autonomy of our work. The orthodox Christian position, conversely, recognizes that stepping out of God’s order caused sin and separation, and that as fundamentally fallen creatures we cannot lift ourselves out of this self-imposed trap. The salvific act must come from beyond humanity, that is, the domain of “God alone.” Therefore, if an “angel from heaven” preaches “any other gospel,” thus pulling away from the “grace of Christ” as Galatians 1:8 tells us, we are to flee this “other gospel” – be it a message of salvation from the angel of technology or the angel of good works.

Although evangelical and conservative Christians may, in critiquing transhumanism, find themselves discussing and debating ethical considerations — even finding common ground with some transhumanists over ethical concerns — the fundamental and underlying salvific tension remains in play.

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Anthony Costello of the Kirkwood Center for Theology and Ethics, along with Joshua Farris of Soul Science Ministries and myself with Orbis-Sentry have engaged in a series of video conversations on the development of modern Paganism. Past editions explore the historical roots of neo-Paganism, and in this conversation we dive into the subject of contemporary environmentalism as a paganistic worldview.

To catch up with our previous conversations…

If you’re interested in wrestling through the many facets of Re-Enchantment, check out my book, Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment.

I would also encourage you to check out Orbis-Sentry, a ministry dedicated to equipping Christians to be Ambassadors in the age of Re-Enchantment.

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If you’ve read my book, Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment, specifically chapter 11, you understand that the dream of “one world” has been circulating for generations. Indeed, more than a century ago, Unitarian reformer William C. Gannett (1840-1923) issued a 5-point vision for world order. Today, this near-forgotten document stands as an historic testament to the broader scope of progressive internationalism.

Gannett graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1868, then went on to pastor Unitarian congregations in Milwaukee (WI), East Lexington (MA), St. Paul (MN), Hinsdale (IL), and Rochester (NY). He was well connected within the Unitarian network and was known for his involvement with social reform movements. Gannett corresponded with the likes of Elihu Root, William Howard Taft, Booker T. Washington, and Frank Lloyd Wright. His faith approach was liberal within the Unitarian movement, and he was part of the New York Parliament of Religions, an interfaith organization that spun out of the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions. Gannett was also a member of the Unity Publishing Committee, the editorial board behind Unity magazine.

In 1912 Gannett presented an argument for world peace through world government. It wasn’t a lengthy report; rather, it laid out the skeletal structure for world administration in only a few paragraphs, centering the concept around the Hague process. Today, this text would be described as a visioning statement, incorporating,

1) A world judicial system.

2) An international parliament or congress.

3) World laws.

4) A global military force.

5) A binding architecture to ensure compliance under an international protectorate.

Gannett’s world order outline was part of his pamphlet titled International Good-Will as a Substitute for Armies and Navies. This was published by the World Peace Foundation, a recipient of Carnegie funding. The following is Gannett’s five-points, along with a download of his entire International Good-Will pamphlet in PDF.

From Gannett’s International Good-Will as a Substitute for Armies and Navies,

The organization of the world in relations of peace and good-will! It is no longer a dream, it is a beginning. More than in any other specific direction, I said, we are looking toward the Hague to discern that beginning. But, looking from the Hague Conference onward, we think we can see clearly five steps in the coming organization:

First. The International Court of Arbitral Justice, already existing in embryo, and even in that condition with six international quarrels settled by it; but not such a court as now, summoned with difficulty and only at pleasure of disputants, – not that, but one in permanent session, with regular judges, and easy of access. The nations, meanwhile, are making treaties of pledge with each other to refer to its final adjudication their questions of difference, – even those involving ‘honor and vital interests,’ if President Taft has his way. All blessings upon him! Between the two Conferences already held thirty-three separate treaties of ‘obligatory’ arbitration for certain classes of dispute were registered, and two of these made by Denmark, one with the Netherlands, one with Italy, stipulated arbitration for all differences without exception. Little Denmark was six years ahead of our big President. By the end of 1909 the number of arbitral agreements had grown to two hundred and eighty-eight. (I quote Ambassador Hill, who was part of the events he describes in his new book called ‘World Organization and the Modern State.’)

Second. An International Congress, like the present Interparliamentary Union, but official, with regular session, and with members delegated by the nations to represent them; its work to be the discussion and shaping and recommendation of measures that make for the commonweal of the world.

Third. A Code of International Laws, gradually evolving from the decisions of the International Court and the recommendations of the International Congress. Mr. Hill reminds us that ‘the price of a single battleship has never yet been expended by all the nations of the earth combined for the judicial organization of peace.’ Folly? Yes; and what in such matter was folly yesterday and insanity to-day is to-morrow criminality. If ten Powers – England, France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Italy, the United States, the South American Republics as a group, China, Japan – were to contribute each one tenth of a battleship’s cost to endow at The Hague the Arbitral Court of the Nations and a Commission on the Codification of World Law, that one-tenth apiece would save whole fleets of battleships on the seas, and promote more happiness on the earth than probably any other million which any of those nations ever has spent, or could spend today.

Forth. The Establishment of an International Police, – an international army and navy, with constituents furnished by nations in league for the purpose; at first by a few, and then by more; at first having very limited and then with widening function, all under treaty arrangements. A police system is needed by the world, and, until something international of the kind is created, it is hard to see how, with the nations under present conditions of distrust, disarmament on any large scale can be effected. It may not be so far off as we think, the day for this international police in place of the separate armies and navies with their ruinous cost. Even Sir Edward Grey, in responding to President Taft’s proposal, ventured to predict it. One or two hundred policemen, with three or four courts and a jail, are enough to represent all the force-element necessary to maintain justice in huge communities of hundreds of thousands of citizens. Peace rules between them, order is kept, the rogues are awed, the criminals are held at bay, and measures for the common good are carried out, because the public opinion of the whole community is back of the tiny blue-coat army that wears the buttons and carries the night-stick of authority. A small army, a small navy, with the united strength of the great Powers behind them, would insure national protection and the world’s peace more effectively, and with incomparably less cost to humanity, than the rival armies and navies that now strut and sidle and growl and dare each other to cross the boundary lines.

Fifth. An International Protectorate; that is, the employment of the joint public opinion of the nations thus organized, and, when necessary, employment of the International Police, as a Protectorate against national crimes. Under such a Protectorate we may look for a great extension of three international methods of maintaining peace in the world, – Mediation, Intervention, and the Neutralization of nations and territories.

Call this a dream, if you will. The soldiers will. Half the diplomats will. Politicians will, unless they are statesmen. Many, not all, of the business men will. Most of us will. But some of us will add, ‘A dream that is even now beginning to come true, and which the twentieth century will carry far toward fulfillment.’ The years will decide.

International Good-Will as a Substitute for Armies and Navies

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