The New Enlightenment

The New Enlightenment moves beyond Grady Means’ earlier bestselling books on business and management (MetaCapitalism and Wisdom of the CEO) and discusses the volatile economic and political relationship between contemporary government and doctrinal religion.

The book begins with a reasoned reflection on the true meaning of the spirit, of God, of good and evil, of prayer, and of death. A central premise of the book is that it is impossible to prove what God and the spirit are, but it is easy to prove what they are not, i.e., the anthropomorphic creations of doctrinal religion. The book examines doctrinal religion from the perspectives of human equality, ethics, tribal rivalry, democracy, organization and management principles, politics, gender, sex, science, superstition, and art.

Then, drawing on his earlier books, Mr. Means introduces the concept of Theonomics (the economics of religion) to conduct a dispassionate study of the world’s “Spiritual and Salvation Monopolies” as a collection of economic and cultural phenomena, as well as the most enduring business and political organizations in history. Theonomics illustrates how religions have used classic business, economic, and political principles and strategies to drive growth and structure religious “markets.” His models forecast that religious/political violence and conflict – the polar opposite of spirituality, love of God, and love of all neighbors – will get much worse before they get better.

Finally, the book closes with a call for the “New Enlightenment.” Building on the concept of the spiritual/reasonable human nature from the Enlightenment and from the founding principles of America, the book examines the ancient struggle between culture and civilization, and suggests an approach for global religious reform as a step toward greater spirituality and global peace.