A Peter Lamborn Wilson lecture on utopian communities in America, including a 17th century community of mystics founded by Johannes Kelpius and known as The Society of the Woman in the Wilderness. Wilson divides communities into two types: platonic (based on an authoritarian, usually Christian, ideology) and anti-platonic (based on autonomy and equality). He evaluates communities according to how they perceive nature and wilderness, putting his discussion in the context of the differences in outlook between the indigenous peoples of America and the European colonists, and focusing on those colonists who joined Indian communities or incorporated native ideas and customs into their way of life. Wilson concludes by playing some hymns by Johannes Kelpius.

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews