Can One Intentionally Build a Religion?
Episode script. Originally published 2026-08-16 at https://basedcamppodcast.substack.com/p/can-one-intentionally-build-a-religion
For today’s VIPs-only Based Camp episode, we explore what happens when people deliberately design belief systems rather than simply inherit them. We examine successful “engineered” religions—from Arya Samaj’s Vedic restorationism to Kardecist Spiritism and the Bahá’í Faith—asking how authority, institutional structure, ritual, education, succession, and supernatural stakes can determine whether a movement endures or collapses. Along the way, we connect these case studies to Techno-Puritanism, challenge assumptions about churches and religious reform, and consider the complicated question at the heart of it all: Can a faith be intentionally built without losing the conviction that makes religion meaningful?
For a peek into what served as fodder for this episode, as well as future Techno-Puritan tract episodes, check out:
Here’s to a great week ahead for you! Godspeed.