Abrahamic · branch
Druze
An esoteric monotheism that reads scripture allegorically, teaches immediate reincarnation within the community, and has been closed to conversion for nearly a thousand years. The only Abrahamic tradition here with a cyclical view of time.
What makes it unusual
The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.
- E3 Locus of belonginga people, inheritedFurther toward "a people, inherited" than most traditions in the matrix.
- C2 Shape of timecyclical returnFurther toward "cyclical return" than most traditions in the matrix.
- E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional actFurther toward "an intentional act" than most traditions in the matrix.
- B2 Reading of sacred textmetaphorical, or no text at allFurther toward "metaphorical, or no text at all" than most traditions in the matrix.
All seventeen positions
Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.
The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.
- position
- tolerated variation
A · The divine
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists | a divine reality certainly existsEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 1.00 | 0.04 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | leaning impersonal principle or orderEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.32 | 0.16 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | strictly oneEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | between wholly beyond the world and fully present within itEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.58 | 0.13 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experienceEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.62 | 0.14 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | metaphorical, or no text at allEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.85 | 0.10 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | leaning clergy and tradition decideEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.18 | 0.10 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | continues in some formEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 1.00 | 0.02 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | cyclical returnEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.92 | 0.06 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | between fallen and in need of rescue and ignorant but fundamentally soundEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.60 | 0.13 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | leaning achieved by effort or insightEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.68 | 0.13 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | between essential and prescribed and optional or absentEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.55 | 0.14 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | leaning to be disciplinedEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.30 | 0.13 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | leaning one true pathEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.30 | 0.14 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | an intentional actEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | a people, inheritedEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredEpistles of Wisdom (Rasaʼil al-Hikma) and scholarly ethnography | 0.42 | 0.14 |
Further reading
- Firro, A History of the Druzes — The standard history, and the basis for the E3 value of 0.04.
- Betts, The Druze — Doctrine as far as it is publicly documented; much is deliberately not.
Compared with
The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.