Stage-5: Recognize Faithful Guardians

The Challenge in Cycle-2

Looking back over Cycle-1, the lone originator of an illuminating realization has done well. By the time there is a membership body, a potentially significant doctrine is well on its way to being recognized within society. However, continuation of that progress cannot be taken for granted.

The doctrine, as explained within the initial accounts of the founder and early adherents and subsequently disseminated, has been largely taken as given. Most energy has gone into personal and organisational processes to boost adherent numbers and social comfort.

To summarize:

• Cycle-1 has enabled doctrine introduction and its social recognition.

but a bigger challenge now awaits:

• Cycle-2 must enable doctrine perpetuation and societal permeation.

Orthodoxy & Guardians

As the doctrine spreads and adherents multiply within membership bodies, the concern increasingly turns to ensuring the doctrine is correctly presented and faithfully transmitted. This requirement becomes particularly urgent after the originator and early founding adherents have died.

There are two requirements:

• Preservation of the doctrine in an uncorrupted form.
  i.e. an orthodoxy that fights revisionism and sloppy thinking
• Maintenance of a community built around the doctrine.
  i.e. a continuous flow of new adherents who are screened to ensure they can be trusted with the doctrine
  

Leading member-adherents, whom we may call guardians, take responsibility for these requirements. They emerge and are given deference due to their •deep understanding, •emphasis on doctrinal purity, and •utter conviction of the importance of the School.

Features of Guardianship

• Guardians typically take a conservative position. Although they work to prevent schisms, compromise on the orthodoxy is unpalatable. That is why doctrines, especially political and religious doctrines, commonly fracture on a progressive–conservative dimension (cf. Buddhism example below).
• Guardians may be given near absolute authority: their status is such that they may choose not to explain their decisions and they cannot be forced to do so.
• Guardians devote themselves primarily to the exposition and application of the doctrine. Others come to guardians for rulings as to whether a particular idea or practice is consistent with the doctrine, or how an emergent situation should be approached from a doctrinal perspective.

Orthodox Leaders

The most visible guardians are those who are formally recognized by the membership body as orthodox Leaders. These individuals are expected to uphold a quasi-absolute adherence to long-established principles and precepts. Being a public figurehead, this status may be determined by election, appointment, or anointment.

In large Schools, there may be many orthodox leaders of varying rank. These are typically staunchly conservative adherents who defer to custom and tradition. They tend to avoid commenting on mundane social issues, leaving that to executive members. However, if the issue potentially affects the continuity and solidarity of the membership association, then they will speak up.

As in the example below, fine points of doctrine take second place to custom and acceptability. Knowing that the world does not appreciate intellectual niceties and that tradition holds a community together far more firmly than any intellectual position, orthodox leaders often bow to conventions and the pressure to sustain a cohesive community.

Example: Judaism

An orthodox Jewish woman teaching at the orthodox London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) for 16 years, took a correspondence course in advanced Jewish Studies at a New York Yeshiva. At the end of the course, she received the title «Maharat», an acronym meaning a leader of Jewish law spirituality and Torah. As a result, she was prohibited from teaching at LSJS by the Chief Rabbi of the UK, who is also President of LSJS. No doctrinal reason was offered. Numerous leading rabbis objected to the decision. The reason given by the Chief Rabbi (through a spokesman) was that the ethos of the college would be compromised and its position within “mainstream UK Orthodoxy” would be affected by any association with that American Yeshiva: details here. The ruling was soon reversed under pressure from colleagues: see here.

Doctrinal Masters

The other recognized but not formally instituted guardian is a doctrinal master. The master embodies the spirit of the doctrine and is intellectually incisive. The master is typically progressive, emphasizing that times change and doctrines must evolve to retain their illuminating power and appropriateness. This results in charismatic communications. A fine attuning to modern sensibilities as well as a grasp of the essences of the doctrine produces a powerful free-thinking individual around whom adherents spontaneously congregate.

Tensions can develop between doctrinal masters and orthodox leaders. If there is a crisis then orthodoxy triumphs. At the extreme, the Master departs (or is ejected) and founds a competing School.

Possible Outcomes

Stay at Stage-5

Where the original doctrine is viewed as given and final, there will be no further development around the Spiral.

Example: Jainism

Transition to Stage-6

The presence of recognized guardians maintains the School by sustaining a suitable membership and protecting orthodox transmission. Guardians do not necessarily get involved with revising the doctrine. Such scholarly work calls for a different temperament and capability, one that is open to new perspectives while being willing to be immersed in details and historical analyses.

In any case, the value of orthodoxy has its limits. Doctrines may need revision because of the emergence of inconsistencies or gaps. Formulations can get stale and out of date due to socio-cultural changes, with some doctrinal features becoming unacceptable. Change may also be essential to enable extension to emerging applications and new social needs.

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A living doctrine requires active scholarship.

• Keep the doctrine alive and strong through necessary revisions.

Originally posted: 7-Sep-2022. Last updated: 20-Mar-2024.