This essay by somebody named Douglas Muder is sort of interesting: The Shape of the Next Religion. Here’s the opening paragraph:

Modern America, like Rome at the time of Christ, is in a period of rising secularism and religious chaos. Christianity has lost the power to shape our culture, and no rival religion or philosophy seems able to take its place. I argue that this period of tension will end as the Roman one did–with the advent of a new religion that will synthesize the best features of our current religions into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

I don’t necessarily know that I agree with all the premises or conclusions laid down above, but it’s an interesting topic nonetheless. He talks a lot about a new central metaphor, and polytheism returning under the guise of pantheism and some other things. I’m gonna have to come back and read this in more detail…

He also has this list, characteristics of the next religion:

1. The next religion will include the practices and validate the experiences all of our current religions.
2. The next religion will encourage and facilitate powerful religious experiences.
3. The next religion will harmonize with science.
4. The next religion will anticipate change.
5. The next religion will value myth, and not confuse it with history.
6. The next religion will empower groups and individuals to create new rituals.
7. The next religion will connect the individual to a larger community.
8. The next religion will provide a basis for moral decision-making and a motivation for moral action.

For more essays by this fellow, go here. I’m also gonna come back and check out this “Tips for the reasonable mystic” article.