Against Progressive Pseudo-Religion

Last December, The Washington Post ran an article about “spiritual collectives” emerging across America. These progressive, post-Christian alternatives to church sing Beatles and Bono tracks, rather than hymns. They welcome “people of all faiths and no faiths.” Most important, they preach questions instead of answers. According to the Post, “spiritual collectives” are defined—and distinguished from churches—by their resistance to dogma. But are they really? A closer read makes it abundantly clear that these communities are united by articles of faith. They just happen to be articles of progressive politics, rather than of traditional religion.