How could we call a coming age of participation?

Philippe Van Nedervelde suggests two possible names, both drawn from classical Greek:

1) Synergos, from "sun/syn" = together; "ergos" = work

2) Metechos, denotes sharing/participating

Context

1.

For an intro, read Michel Bauwens on the Great Cosmic Mash-Up, which focuses on P2P and common projects and their role in the construction of our identity:

"Postmodernism was all about deconstructing oppressive mental structures that we inherited from modernity. Amongst other things the Cartesian subject/object split and the alienating effects of Kantian's impossibility of knowing true reality; it was a necessary destructive passage, a cleaning out process, but it didn't, as its names "post"- indicate, construct anything. So in my view, if modernity was about constructing the individual (along subject/object divisions), and postmodernity about deconstructing this, then this new era, which I'ld like to call the era of participation, is about constructing relationality or participation. We are not going back to the premodern wholistic era and feelings, but just as modernity was about rigorously individualising everything, eventually reaching the current dead-end of hyper-individualism, we are now just as rigorously 'relationising' everything. If in premodernity we thought, we are parts of a whole that is one and above us, and in modernity we thought we are separate and unified individuals, a world onto ourselves, and in postmodernity saw ourselves fragmenting, and pretty much lamented this, then this is the mash-up era. We now know that all this fragments can be reconstructed with the zillions of fragment of the others, into zillions of commonalities, into temporary wholes that are so many new creative projects, but all united in a ever-moving Commons that is open to all of us..

So the fragmentation of postmodernity is a given for us now, but we are no longer lamenting, we are discovering the technologies (infrastructural, collaborative-software-ish, political, but above all the mental and epistemological) that allow us to use this fragmentation to create the Great Cosmic Mash-Up. That is the historical task of the emerging Peer to Peer Era."

2. From: The Next Buddha Will Be a Collective. By Michel Bauwens

"the 3 paradigm shifts (open/free, participatory, commons), although only emerging as seed forms at this stage, are letting themselves be felt through contemporary spiritual practices. It suggests a new approach to spirituality which I would like to call a contributory spirituality. This approach would consider that each tradition is a set of injunctions set from within a specific framework, and which can disclose different facets of reality. This framework may be influenced by a set of values (patriarchy, exclusive truth doctrines, etc…), which might be rejected today, but also contains psycho-spiritual practices which disclose particular truths about our relationship with the universe. Discovering spiritual truth then, requires at least a partial exposure to these differential methods of truth discovery, within a comparative framework, but it also requires intersubjective feedback, so it is a quest that cannot be undertaken alone, but along with others on the same path. Tradition is thereby not rejected, but critically experienced and evaluated. The modern spiritual practicioner can hold himself beholden to such a particular tradition, but need not feel confined to it. He/she can create spiritual inquiry circles that approach the different traditions with an open mind, experience them individually and collectively, and where the different individual experiences can be exchanged. In this way, a new collective body of spiritual experiences is created, which is continuously co-created by the inquiring spiritual communities and individuals. The outcome of that process will be a co-created reality that is unpredictable and will create new, as yet unpredictable spiritual formats. But one thing is sure: it will be an open, participatory, approach leading to a commons of spiritual knowledge, from which all humanity can draw from."

The Fourteen Precepts of Interbeing

As proposed by Thich Nhat Hanh:

1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people
10. Do not use the community for personal gain or profit
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature
12. Do not kill, do not let others kill
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others
14. Do not mistreat your body, learn to handle it with respect"

Source: Thich Nhat Hanh, The Fourteen Precepts from Interbeing , 2003

Long Citations

The liberation of the self involves, above all, a social process. In a society that has shriveled the self into a commodity — into an object manufactured for exchange — there can be no fulfilled self. There can only be the beginnings of selfhood, the emergence of a self that seeks fulfillment — a self that is largely defined by the obstacles it must overcome to achieve realization.

- Murray Bookchin [1]

"The reference to “northward arm” and “southward arm” is typically Wintu, and its usage suggests a cultural wisdom so deep and unconscious that it was embedded in the very structure of language. In English we refer to the right arm and left arm, and we might describe a certain mountain as being to our right or left, in front or in back of us depending on which way we are facing at the moment. We use the body — the self — as the point of reference against which we describe the world. The Wintu would never do this, and indeed the Wintu language would not permit it. If a certain mountain was to the north, say, the arm nearest that mountain would be called the northward arm. If the Wintu turned around, the arm that had previously been referred to as the northward arm would now be called the southward arm. In other words, the features of the world remained the constant reference, the sense of self was what changed — a self that continually accommodated and adjusted to a world in which the individual was not the center of all creation."

- From the Book: The Way We Lived: California Indian Stories, Songs and Reminiscences. [2]

Jesus, in the Gospel, did not say, "My kingdom is not of this world; that was the bad translators who, by suppressing three words in one phrase of St. John, have made it say this. Jesus said literally, "My kingdom is not yet of these times." And as his kingdom, as it is explained in the same passage, is the reign of justice and truth, and as it adds that this kingdom will come on the earth, it follows that, very far from have prophesied that the principles of equality will never be realized on earth, Jesus on the contrary prophesied their realization, their reign, their arrival.

- Pierre Leroux [3]

"If what we are calling the ontology of the One rejects what is not itself – by positing a radical commensurability by which only that which is its Self is valued, and all that is Other is devalued – and what we are calling the ontology of the Zero rejects everything – by positing a radical incommensurability by which nothing can be valued at all – then the ontology of the Many succeeds because it rejects nothing (out of hand) – by positing a perpetual flux of commensurables and incommensurables by which subjects/objects, Nature/Society, humans/nonhumans, are continually constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed, in other words, e-value-ated."

- Paul B. Hartzog

Short Citations

"Moral insight is not, like mathematics, a product of rational reflection. It is instead a matter of imagining a better future, and observing the results of attempts to bring that future into existence."

- Richard Rorty [4]

There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.

- Hindu Proverb

Simply I learned about her, and ungrudgingly do I share -- her riches I do not hide away

- Old Testament, The Book of Wisdom 7,13 [5]

Technology and Spiritual Traditions

Buddhism

To be done

Christianity

Paganism

Classical Paganism would be as practiced in the times of the Roman Empire.

Neo-Paganism and Wicca would have many elements of more modern philosophies incorporated in them.

Norse paganism should be considered separately from these broad forms.

Paganism as seen as non mainstream religion is very broad - so please say which form you are talking about as clearly as you can. And list under here if it is not one of the forms above.

Wicca

This belief system contains inherent aspects of p2p ethics. Commonly the wicca meet in a coven and nowadays these are oft called circles. Circle shows a peer equality element.

enDOTwikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_circle#In_Wicca shows the circle as a ritual space and is DIFFERENT from the meaning of circle as a group. Many different sorts of circles (they are found in Native American forms - medicine wheels and also in Finland Samí religion - here circles have a wide variety of different meanings and applications - for a good analogy think of a room and what it is used for.) The discussion section on that wikipedia article touches on some aspects worth considering-

There are several writings that have p2p elements in them:

here at wwwDOTsacred-texts.com/bos/bos258.htm

The Laws from Lady Sheba

"51. If you would keep a book (your Black Book) let it be in your own

         hand of write, let Brothers and Sisters copy what they will, but never
         let the book out of your hands and never keep the writings of another."

" 57. And our oppressors know well: "Ye may not be a Witch alone.""

" 95. Ever recognizing there be people who can never agree to work under

         others.

         96. But at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly.

         97. To those who ever must be chief, there is one answer.

         98. Void the Coven, or  seek another one or make a Coven  of your own,
         taking with you those who will go.

         99.  To those who cannot rule justly  the answer be, "Those who cannot
         bear your rule will leave you."

         100. For none  may come to meetings  with those with whom  they are at
         variance.

         101.  So, an either cannot agree, "Get  hence, for the Craft must ever
         survive.""

This deals with group dynamics and tries to keep peers still in a network and working to the same ends even when it may be they have slightly different directions.

" 108. That none shall use the Art in any way to do ill to any.

         109. However much they injure us, HARM NONE"

shows an awareness of spiritual equality.

" 136. Let the Craft keep books with the names of all herbs which are

         good for men, and all cures, so all may learn.

         137. But keep another book  with all the Bales and Apies  and let only
         the Elders and other trustworthy people have this knowledge."

wwwDOTsacred-texts.com/bos/bos259.htm

THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW

         [sources: The Book of The Law, The Old Laws for the Old Religion, The 
         Great Book of the Law, The Dragon Law]

"11. The Temples of the Gods, which are Their abode on Earth, shall

         belong to  all Their children, and each Circle shall be as a special 
         family.  Do naught against any Temple or any family of the Wicca, lest
         you do that thing unto the Gods, and against yourself. "

"25. You shall never take unduly from any human, animal or elemental

         that  which is not yours to take --  for if you steal from another, in
         the end you will have   to sacrifice something dearer to you  in order
         to attain the balance. "

"28. If a stranger sojourns with you, you shall do them no wrong; they

         shall be as  one of the  Circle, born amongst ye,  and you shall  deal
         with them as you would yourself. "

" 36. Remember that your children are Goddess-spawned, and are free

         spirits.  You  do not own nor control them.  They are your brethren, 
         come to visit for a while, that they may share in the vision of your 
         love and wisdom. Let each parent realize that although they may teach 
         and guide  with love, the child  shall also teach the  parent, and aid
         them in their growth and lesson "

under 39

"... For the children of

         the Wicca  must aid the Gods,  and work with Them,  otherwise the Gods
         cannot  aid and  work with  you.   Ever remember  that the  Priest and
         Priestess  are  the living  representatives  of  the  God and  Goddess
         Forces, and likewise that  all humans carry these forces  within them,
         though they may lie dormant and unawakened. "

"47. Let each of you inscribe your own record of our ways and teach-

         ings.  For the  course  of each  Wiccan  should be  charted,  that the
         patterns  of their life-web may be made  known and utilized.  Let each
         Wiccan start their Book of Light  with the teachings and lore of their
         tradition, yet  let it also  contain the  rites and ways  of each  in-
         dividual, which are the harvest of each child of the Wicca, to use the
         wisdom of their heritage as the seeds of their own wisdom.  Thus shall
         our lore and knowledge continue  to grow and unfold, like  a beautiful
         flower. "

"49. If your Circle owns any land, let all guard it, and help to keep

         it clean. Let  all justly guard all  monies of the Circle, as  well as
         the rights and property of all members of the Circle. "

"69. The Elders of the old and new Circles shall meet in peace and with

         respect, to decide the level of interaction and connection between the
         Circles.  Yet it is known that the splitting of a Circle often means 
         strife. So only if it is truly in a spirit of peace and harmony should
         the Circles meet for the celebration of the Great Festivals. 
            
         70.  None shall enter  the Circle that  have a sickness  or an ailment
         which  may be passed on to  the Lady's other children --  for to do so
         causes  harm to  yourself, as  well as  to the  others of  the Circle.
         Rather should  the Healers go unto the sick one, that through the love
         of the Gods they shall be made well and whole once more. "

THIS section may be useful too

" 78. Of those who would inquire as to the ways of the Goddess, or who

         wish to  become of the Wicca,  ye shall search their  hearts, and even
         into  their spirits you shall look, as you are able.  For the Wicca do
         not look to acquire  mere numbers.  Let  none be turned away  if their
         hearts are true, and their desire earnest. 
            
         79. The hidden children are like the strings of a harp: each one may 
         give a clear note, and when gathered together in sympathy and accord, 
         they shall give rise to a beautiful symphony.  Yet when struck without
         reason or thought, these notes may cause discord or disharmony. 
         Therefore the Gods decree to Their Teachers and  Priests that all must
         be taught to master their harp, and to pluck their  strings with care,
         that they cause no discord or imbalance. 
            
         80. Choose  the Priests and Teachers  of the Wicca with  diligence and
         with care. The  qualities that you should  search for within them  are
         Faith, Belief, Knowledge, Ability, Patience, Leadership, Humility, and
         a loving nature --  for they must lead and  teach the children of  the
         Goddess, and will thereby have the power to do great good, or to cause
         great imbalance. "

Resources

Key Articles

Our own contribution:

Michel Bauwens: The Next Buddha Will Be a Collective: spiritual expression in the peer to peer era. Draft of an essay written for ReVision journal.

Also:

Charles Eisenstein: Why the Age of the Guru is Over‎ [6], on Collective Spiritual Leadership‎
Essay / Book in progress: Paradise Unbound. Relational Spirituality and other Heresies in New Age Transpersonalism. G. A. Lahood, a critique of new age narcissism, and the emergence of relational spirituality as an alternative
John Heron on the concept and history of relational spirituality
Kingsley Dennis on The Great Acceleration: The Astounding Growth in the Psychological Evolution of the Human Self.
What Does It Mean to Live a Fully Embodied Spiritual Life? Jorge N. Ferrer, California Institute of Integral Studies: "This essay discusses the meaning of embodied spirituality — based on the integration of all human attributes, including the body and sexuality—and contrasts it with the disembodied spirituality—based on dissociation and/or sublimation — prevailing in human religious history."

Further reading:

Bruce Aldermann's three part introduction to intersubjective spirituality [7]
Gregg Lahood and John Heron with a case study of Collaborative Charismatic Inquiry
Commons-based Peer Production and Virtue: Yochai Benkler and Hellen Nissenbaum on the ethical values underlying peer production.
Commentary on the above Benkler/Nissenbaum text by catholic author Julian Fox: Virtue and the Digital Commons
John Heron warns us of the dangers of spiritual authoritarianism. Read Spiritual Projection and Authority, chapter 14 of his foundational book on Participatory Spirituality; also: Chapter 13: The Authoritarian Blight in Spirituality
Jean-Francois Noubel: Creating Invisible Architectures for Collective Wisdom
Nova Spivack: Towards Healthy Virtual Selves for Collective Groups [8]
John Stewart: The evolution of consciousness, rooted in complexity and cognitive sciences. See Stewart, J. E. (2007) The future evolution of consciousness, Journal of Consciousness Studies, Vol. 14, No. 8, Pp. 58-92.
Stuart Kauffman: A Shareable God
Madronna Holden on the Agency of Nature and the Partnership View
The Revival of Peering with Nature. By James William Gibson
Jorge Ferrer: Participatory Vision of the Future of Religion: on "The Plurality of Religions and the Spirit of Pluralism"
Paul Hartzog: Oneness, Nihilism, and the Multitude
Denis Postle: Psychological Commons, Peer to Peer Networks and Post-Professional Psychopractice
Micheal Daniels: The Difference between Descending Depth-Psychological vs. Relational-Participatory Extending Aprroach to Spirituality. From the Paper: Perspectives and vectors in transpersonal development. Michael Daniels. Transpersonal Psychology Review, Vol 13, No. 1, 87-99. (April, 2009)
Wolfgang Hoeschele on the Art of Living Abundantly
Kingsley Dennis: How the Internet Creates Relational/Ecological Forms of Awareness

Also:

Read our entries on Relational Spirituality and Participatory Spirituality
Participative Epistemology, and Transdisciplinarity

Key Books

Spiritual Theory:

John Heron's Participatory Spirituality - A Farewell to Authoritarian Religion.
John Heron's Sacred Science
Jorge Ferrer's Revisioning Transpersonal Psychology.
Christian De Quincey. Radical Knowing
Beatrice Bruteau. The Many and the One
The Participatory Mind
Evolution's Arrow. John Stewart (the evolution of cooperation as rooted in science)
Robert Wright. The Evolution of God: how the image of the divine humanizes in the course of history, under the influence of increased human cooperation.
A Reenchanted World: The Quest For A New Kinship With Nature by James William Gibson. Metropolitan Books, 2009

Sociological/Descriptive Approaches:

Participative Technology and the Ecclesial Revolution: technology and the global church

Also of note:

Key Resources

A Catholic approach to ICT

Key Thematic Issues of P2P News

P2P and Nature, Issue 96 of P2P News at, http://integralvisioning.org/article.php?story=p2p96

P2P Epistemology, Issue 89 of P2P News, at http://integralvisioning.org/article.php?story=p2p89

P2P Spirituality, Issue 88 of P2P News, at http://integralvisioning.org/article.php?story=p2p88

P2P Epistemology, Issue of P2P News, at http://integralvisioning.org/article.php?story=p2p77

Key Webcasts

Sister Judith Zoebelein on the Virtual, the Actual, and the Spiritual. Sister Judith Zoebelein is Editorial director at Internet Office of the Holy See.

The DIRECTORY

Introduction to the P2P Foundation Wiki Material about Spirituality

Contents