Call for a Co-Presenter: Is Wokeism a Religion?
I'm putting together a proposal for a dialog series promoting civil discourse and the free exchange of ideas. Dialog works best with more than one perspective presented. Who wants to play?
I’m looking for some help.
New College of Florida, where I’m proud to be working at the forefront of higher ed reform, hosts a series of dialogs we call the “Socratic Stage.” The program is designed to promote civil discourse and the free exchange of ideas—including from the audience.
The central property of an “exchange of ideas” is that it works best when there’s more than one perspective presented on stage. The perspectives need not be antagonistic—though they may be—but they do need to differ. The purpose of such an exchange is less to persuade than to provoke thought.
I’ve got a proposal pending for a dialog addressing the question “Is Wokeism a Religion.” Those of you who’ve been following along here, or readers of American Spirit or Great Awokening?, know that I’ve been working on this question for at least the past few years. In fact, here’s a recent discussion with my friend Ron Coleman on his podcast, Coleman Nation.
The question is, who can we invite to present a different perspective?
To be fair, any such discussion should begin with a concession: There is no consensus on either what it means to “be a religion” or the definition of “Wokeism.” So with the two key nouns in the question gloriously ill defined, there should be plenty of room for differing perspectives.
I’ll start with a spoiler—my own definitions:
A “religion” is a shared set of metaphysical beliefs helpful in making sense of the world. Religions begin with answers to the unknowable—life, death, justice, luck, purpose, morality, etc.—then translate these answers into behaviors and expressions.
“Wokeism” is a modern religion, grounded in the utopian tradition, that deploys contemporary language and metaphor to describe its metaphysical beliefs. Its constellation of beliefs and values includes apocalyptic climate change, the intersectional struggle for equity, the transformational fluidity of gender, enforced communal action in the face of contagion, and (as a reaction to the faiths that preceded it) a disdain for Biblical morality.
The Woke espouse clear and distinctive views of economics, commerce, sexuality, community, behavior, and belief. They have heroes, villains, martyrs, shrines, chants, holidays, and symbols. They police blasphemy and dictate righteousness of thought. They ground their sense of justice in sources they deem unassailably True. They have well-defined views of repentance, redemption, humanity’s role in the universe, and the end of times. They have embraced unique rituals and religious garb.
Pretty clear then that, according to my definitions, Wokeism is a religion. That means that we should start to treat as one—both in ways that show greater respect for adherents and those that force adherents to exhibit greater responsibility.
So…to make the proposal fly I need to find someone who would like to share the stage with me.
Good presenters should be serious people, capable of civil discourse, unafraid of disagreement, and able to point to a body of relevant work.
Call today’s posting a request for proposals. Names are welcome. Pointers and introductions are even better.
Feel free to direct answers to my New College e-mail or to reply below.
And please share this note as broadly as you can. My reach works best when magnified.
For more information about Bruce D. Abramson & American Restorationism, visit: www.BruceDAbramson.com
To learn more about America’s Spiritual Crisis and the new religion of Wokeism, see: American Spirit or Great Awokening? The Battle to Restore or Destroy Our Nation (Academica Press, 2024).
To learn more about how America’s elites destroyed the republic, see: The New Civil War: Exposing Elites, Fighting Utopian Leftism, and Restoring America (RealClear Publishing, 2021).
To learn more about the ideology driving today’s anti-American leftism, see: American Restoration: Winning America’s Second Civil War (Kindle, 2019).
To learn more about our work at the American Coalition for Education and Knowledge, visit us at The Coalition for America.
To learn more about how I turn the ideas I discuss here into concrete projects that serve the interests of my clients, donors, and society at large, please e-mail me at bdabramson@pm.me.