http://deida.tribe.net/thread/5193f302-4db4-422a-a397-1cc53df7acd8?format=rss Tribe.net. Local Connections http://deida.tribe.net/thread/5193f302-4db4-422a-a397-1cc53df7acd8#0c9c19d0-fd35-4368-b03a-7061a5e8163d That's typical of the kind of reactions people have (myself included) to some of Deida's statements. Trouble is, I believe, that many of the things he says are meant to be understood as background less than foreground, and in narrower contexts and situations. I suspect that if you were to pin him down, he wouldn't advocate the kind of regressive patriarchy he's being accused of there, at least not in a societal context, just mostly within the energetic dynamics of sexual and interpersonal relationships. Some of that includes conflicts, but I also don't think he advocates the kind of warrior class patriarchy that seems to plague world history. I've been on both sides of the issues he raises, and so (despite replies to the contrary as regards a narrow context question I posted last year) I do appreciate some of what he has to say. I'm sure you could find some statements of his that could be construed as broad (and therefore regressive) when, in general, I think most of what he says is very narrow, and specific. It's the nature of human communication to mistake one for the other (look at the manipulative rhetorical mess we have in political media as an example). To me many of his points are illustrated anecdotally, that is, in a narrow context, and if he makes them well, which he doesn't always, that is where they apply. In addition, the basis of some of his thinking is loosely from eastern spirituality concepts. If a reader is unaware of any of those, as many westerners are, then it is likely that the only contexts within which his positions can be interpreted are western ones not eastern ones, that is, external reality versus internal awareness. I see this happening a lot lately, where some well intentioned western writer / journalist will get a hold of the some psudo-eastern or mystic type material and not have a clue as to how to understand it. If you (and I mean people in general, not you specifically) want to get Deida, read the Bhagavad-Gita. Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:01:48 GMT http://deida.tribe.net/thread/5193f302-4db4-422a-a397-1cc53df7acd8#0c9c19d0-fd35-4368-b03a-7061a5e8163d Ol Soul Young Heart 2009-06-14T20:01:48Z http://deida.tribe.net/thread/5193f302-4db4-422a-a397-1cc53df7acd8#6789245d-b3a3-42af-8cb5-f7c6ac12e766 "Numen, Old Men" looks like an interesting book by Joseph Gelfer and gets to some of the essentialism around Deida previously discussed, although noting that this is hardly unique to Deida. Interesting stuff for those with spine and stomach, as excerpted at http://www.realitysandwich.com/masculine_spiritualities_and_problem_patriarchy Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:11:22 GMT http://deida.tribe.net/thread/5193f302-4db4-422a-a397-1cc53df7acd8#6789245d-b3a3-42af-8cb5-f7c6ac12e766 Mac Rory 2009-06-14T16:11:22Z