A community becomes rigid, conformist, and ritualistic, forgetting the values that animated it at its foundation. A group of people (often younger people) find the community stifling. They long to live more authentic and open lives; dispensing with the conformity and rigidity of the dominant community.
I think about this constantly. I did my college senior project on communes, and a major theme that seemed clear to me was that when communities cohere and persist, they tend to do so either around a charismatic leader (or, possibly absolute best case, a small group of charismatic leaders), or else around a clear ideology/set of rules...and of course, there are major problems with both. I think, in some cases, the tension between community rules and powerful leaders can provide some balance. I also wonder about the specific dynamics of spiritual communities – obviously they're not immune to either of these excesses, but at least maybe there's some kind of touchstone of direct experience for participants to ground themselves in? Anyway, I look forward to reading your follow-up thoughts.
I think about this constantly. I did my college senior project on communes, and a major theme that seemed clear to me was that when communities cohere and persist, they tend to do so either around a charismatic leader (or, possibly absolute best case, a small group of charismatic leaders), or else around a clear ideology/set of rules...and of course, there are major problems with both. I think, in some cases, the tension between community rules and powerful leaders can provide some balance. I also wonder about the specific dynamics of spiritual communities – obviously they're not immune to either of these excesses, but at least maybe there's some kind of touchstone of direct experience for participants to ground themselves in? Anyway, I look forward to reading your follow-up thoughts.