An Eikas Manifesto: A Clarion Call to Revive an Epicurean Tradition that Strengthens Friendships and Communities

The following essay was written for Society of Epicurus. I am sharing it here as well because SNS offers a space to consider questions of identity, ritual, community, and meaning without supernatural claims. Eikas is a tradition that goes back 2,300 years, and Epicurean philosophy has affinity with many of our modern ideas about the … Read more

On Natural Holiness

The above video on the Epicurean gods helps to contextualize the following discussion–an abridged version of a Society of Epicurus essay. Natural holiness implies non-supernatural holiness as it is empirically observed and experienced by mortals. Although these discussions originate in Epicurean scriptures and communities, I’m sharing them here for the benefit of other SNS members … Read more

An Epicurean Approach to Secularizing Rites of Passage

The near-universal presence of rites of passage in almost every human culture is a strong sign that these rites serve an important psychological and social function, helping communities to understand, encourage, and celebrate the roles of their members. These rites also discourage actions and attitudes that go against right behavior, helping individuals understand their role … Read more