Introduction
As we face serious global challenges, more and more of humanity is turning to evidence-based solutions, changing the role of traditional religious authority in politics. This shift has given birth to a new kind of priesthood, one built on science, reason, and the well-being of all people.
This new way of thinking blends spiritual guidance with rational governance, creating a future where faith in mindfulness, compassion, and the wisdom of skepticism, critical thinking, evidence, and human rights becomes the guiding force for political, economic, and societal leadership.
“Redefining Faith” in Four Parts
In his seminal work Leviathan, the great English skeptic and political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) argued that human society’s collective security and well-being could only be secured through the two pillars of Church and State, unified under the authority of the sovereign entity, a great dragon, which he termed the Leviathan.
According to Hobbes, religion and secular government were the essential, complementary forces that upheld social order, with each playing a distinct but interconnected role in shaping societal governance. Religion, in Hobbes’ view, provided the moral and spiritual framework, while the state ensured the protection and regulation of the material realm.
Today, this dual framework expands to include economic leadership as a critical force that shapes society’s priorities and actions. In the modern context, however, the dynamics of faith, governance, and economics are undergoing a transformation.
This new paradigm, rooted in the science-based state, seeks to bridge the divide between spirituality and rational governance, ushering in a new era where faith in mindfulness, compassion, reason, and human rights leads the way in government and in society.
“Redefining Faith” in Four Parts
- Reality, Worldview, and Finding Meaning in Life
- Religion: Spiritual Beliefs and Practices
- Faith, Fraternity, and Humanist Religion
- The Scientific Humanist Priesthood
D. B. Smith
Curator · Freemason · Zen Practitioner · Founder of Science Abbey
Dustin B. Smith is an American historian, curator, and author whose life bridges the contemplative practices of East and West. A Master Mason and 32° Scottish Rite Freemason, he served as Librarian and Curator at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, where he managed rare Masonic archives and artifacts linked to George Washington himself. His work included collaboration with leading fraternal scholars, military and intelligence professionals, and global Masonic leaders.
Smith was raised in a lineage tracing back to the founders of Manhattan and New England and initiated into The Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776, an elite esoteric lodge in Washington, D.C., founded by past masters of George Washington’s own lodge. He has lectured and advised in both national and international Masonic and academic circles.
In parallel with his Western initiatic training, Smith received the Dharma name “Wu Yi,” or “Mui,” (“Depends on Nothing”) from a Korean Jogye Order monk in 2004. Today he is a lay practitioner in Soto Zen Buddhism, training under lineages rooted in Eihei Dogen Zenji and Dainin Katagiri Roshi, including participation in the Iowa City Zen Center and the Ryumonji Zen Monastery in the American Midwest.
He is the founder of Science Abbey, an independent research and educational platform that explores the intersection of mysticism, science, ritual, and philosophy. His work encourages a modern contemplative life grounded in historical wisdom traditions, transdisciplinary learning, and global spiritual citizenship.
