Sorrento Revisionism
The Northern branch of Revisionism traces its origins first to the Gentle Prophet Mamoud and then to his lifelong companion and Second follower Nathani Reiss. The faith diverged from the Massadan branch of Revisionism immediately after the death of the Prophet, when Nathani and Mamoud's son Jakob disagreed over the future path of Revisionism. Nathani ultimately returned to Sorrento with his faction. The schism between the Sorrento and Massadan churches has meant that a great deal of focus is placed on Nathani, although usually in the context of his unique understanding of the Prophet. Sorrento Revisionist lore tells that Nathani is like a lens to Mamoud's light, focusing and directing it. While Massadan Revisionists think of Mamoud as a man of holy wisdom, in the Sorrento church the Gentle Prophet is an almost mystic figure, beautiful, pure and enigmatic. It is the more grounded wisdom of Nathani that allows the Prophet's words to be understood and used to guide humanity.
Like their Massadan brothers, Sorrento Revisionists look to a two-book holy text called the Khodoverdio for wisdom and guidance. Book One of the holy text (sometimes called "the Teachings") is virtually identical to the Massadan version and collects many of the most famous allegorical tales told by Mamoud himself. Nathani and Jakob's records were slightly different and their texts have a few minor differences. Book Two ("The Recollections") is completely different from its Massadan equivalent. Instead of apocryphal tales about the Prophet, the Recollections gather the memoirs of Nathani himself as recounted to his students in Sorrento. Much of this book is concerned with the early cycles of the Prophet's life, but it does cover the times in Massada, the creation of the Sorrento Church and even the Third Peregrination to Valeria at the end of Nathani's life. Several texts of the Massadan Khodoverdio are still valued by Sorrento Revisionists, but they are not considered worthy of the status given them in their sister faith.
The Sorrento Church's Khodaverdia has undergone a series of changes over the cycles, incorporating new research into the lives of Mamoud and Nathani and often reflecting the theology of the times. Although the most recent Erdas Edition (named for Sister Bekka Erdas, who spent the cycles from TN 1870 to 1885 revising the holy text) is generally used in official ceremonies, earlier editions are still in circulation and preferred by many monastic orders and believers. The current renaissance of religious sentiment has been accompanied by a drive to update the Erdas Edition, but the movement has not yet been approved by the church hierarchy. The Order of the Chalice, an influential monastic order dedicated to preserving the minutia of Nathani Reiss' life, is currently gathering a team of theologians to prepare for when the reedition is approved by the Second Followe. Several other influential groups are working behind the scenes to prepare counter offers to the Chalice text. The chance to affect the interpretation of the faith could bring a great deal of power to those responsible. Second Follower Hutchison is behind the idea of a new edition, but does not want the issue to split apart the church. He is waiting to have a clear group of editors who can operate with a minimum of political maneuvering.
The Sorrento Church also has a series of other important texts - called "Reflections" - often referred to by the faithful for guidance. Not a consistent body of work, the various Reflections are penned by monks and priests when they feel they must comment on a matter of importance. These texts are kept by the author for his entire life, edited and revised as he sees fit. When a church person dies, his Reflections are collected and stored by the Paylan Order, a group of monks dedicated to the preservation of teachings (a monk's own order will also keep a copy). The Paylan Order, or other church officials, can then publish the Reflections for broader distribution, although the Paylan Library in Sorrento is open to the public. Some Reflections, however, have been suppressed because they were considered heretical or subversive. The most famous of these are the Reflections of Tanann Mos, considered to be a manifesto of the Divine Prophet sect. His texts, when available, are widely quoted by Divine Prophet adepts
Structure
The Sorrento church has a much more developed organizational hierarchy than its Massadan equivalent. At the top of the structure stands the Second Follower of Mamoud, who leads the church as well as the community of Sorrento. Second Followers are guided by the example of Nathani Reiss, who built from the teachings of Mamoud; that they follow an example once removed from the Prophet explains why they are named "second" followers. While Followers are considered to be wise mortals, the theological possibility exists for them to reach a more direct contact with the Gentle Spirit than any other mortal, in that same way that Nathani himself had. This quasi-divine status i s only officially assigned posthumously and has been granted to but a few Followers. Some of Thor Hutchison's most ardent supporters have claimed that he is "touched" in this way, but he has publicly disavowed any claim to this status - which of course reinforces his claim in the eyes of his followers.
The Second Follower is elected and assisted by the church's highest body, the Reverend High Council. The council is made up of the church's 14 Senior Reverends, each the head of a large region. The council sits in Sorrento, votes on issues of theology and doctrine and serves as the administrative center for the church. When a Senior Reverend dies or chooses to retire, he or she is replaced by a Reverend who is elected by the council and Second Follower. The title of Reverend can be granted to any priest or monk who i s recognized as especially dedicated and enlightened by the religious community.
Beyond the hierarchy of Reverends and Senior Reverends, Revisionist clergy is divided between priests and monks. Priests, addressed as Father or Mother, are charged with leading congregations and instructing the faithful from community churches. Monks, addressed as Brother or Sister, dedicate themselves entirely to the church, generally living in isolated communities and spending their lives in prayer and theological contemplation. Monks are charged with teaching other members of the clergy and most priests spend several cycles at a monastery before being ordained. Several orders of monks exist, each bearing a unique name and set of traditions. Most orders include at least some peregrine monks, who spend cycles traveling the globe (often by foot) to bring the Gentle Word forward. Monks are required to remain celibate, but priests are encouraged to marry.
Tenets of Faith
On the most basic level there are few differences between the Sorrento and Massadan faiths. Both believes strongly in the existence of a benevolent universal force which imbued the Gentle Prophet with enlightenment. This force is generally referred to as the Gentle Spirit and is viewed as a non-personified divine entity. Mamoud himself is thought of as having been unique in his ability to perceive and understand the Gentle Spirit, although there are some passages in the Khodoverdio that imply the possibility of others achieving such a status. Sorrento Revisionist see the Gentle Spirit's influence in a different light, however; for them, the mundane (and human) world is a chaotic place that must be brought into harmony with the universe. To do so, it is a religious duty to act as necessary in order to promote harmony by whatever means are available. Both Mamoud and Nathani taught that all things are related, which leads Massadan believers to feel any act of violence is ultimately destructive to the whole of creation; followers of the Sorrento faith, however, feel that to allow injustice or disharmony to exist unchallenged is far more dangerous. It is this difference of opinion which has opened the path for the use of violence by the faithful.
Another key difference between the sister faiths is the role of tradition and interpretation. Massadan followers are expected to make their own personal decisions about the meaning of their faith and this duty is thought to supersede all other traditions within the church. Priests exist to guide the faithful rather than to tell them what to do. In the Sorrento church, the wisdom accumulated by the faithful is passed on to the current flock, who are expected to abide by the tenets of their church. They must still make their own decisions about the meaning of their faith, but the limits of this internal debate are tighter. To the Sorrento faction, the duties of the faithful are expressed in the so-called "Four corners of faith:" prayer, peregrination, pilgrimage and peace.
Prayer requires the faithful to regularly seek guidance directly from and give thanks to the Gentle Spirit. Priests lead congregations in prayer but the duty is perceived as a personal one. Revisionists are called to prayer at their temple on Wednesdays at sunset (when Mamoud supposedly received his first vision) and generally pray privately at first light, midday and dusk. The duty of prayer also implies a respect for the church itself and its guidance. Peregrination - literally meaning travel - is the obligation to go out and change the world for the better. Nathani's travels to Massada, back to Sorrento and to Valeria are seen as the greatest peregrinations, ones which the faithful hope to emulate. The duty of peregrination covers almost all religious proactive actions, including charity action, community organization or even violent military action to protect the faith or bring peace to a chaotic world. Pilgrimage requires the faithful to remember the lessons of the past by visiting the sites of great events in their church. The most important pilgrimage is to Massada and every Revisionist is expected to do so once in their life (except if it is too dangerous for health reasons), but other sites of note in the lives of Mamoud, Nathani and a few other religious leaders are official pilgrimage sites. Peace represents the believets duty to himself. A faithful Revisionist is expected to lead a harmonious and loving life, taking joy in the beauty of the world and not surrendering to rage or pettiness. The most important symbol of peace is marriage with a loving companion. While the marriage bond is considered unbreakable and a necessary prelude to having children, premarital celibacy is not encouraged. Revisionists are expected to enter into marriage with a full understanding of their partner and most only marry when they are sure they are ready to have children.
The symbolism of the four corners is reflected in Revisionist architecture. The archetypal Sorrento church is a small, square building with stained glass windows in each of the four corners at forty-five degree angles to the walls; often a stained glass cupola tops the church. Traditional colored glass is imported from Red Sands, although some local producers do provide competition. Larger churches maintain a square shrine at their core, with wings stretching out from the shrine. Many Revisionist homes also feature a small shrine in the form of a perfectly square room, often on the top floor of the dwelling, with large windows. Usually bare except for a simple rug and a few religious icons, the shrine is used for daily prayer and meditation.
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