A performative non-religious religion has popped up in the Reno area with regular services that leave some people with more questions than answers. There’s also plenty of social media by conceptual artist Eric Brooks, sporting an impressive white beard of wisdom he’s been working on for months, to deepen the mystery.
The teachings of Wysper were uncovered by Brooks alter ego Reverend Jacob Earnest Deewt while investigating the long lost eponymous ancestral town of Deewt, and he is now exploring his spiritual leadership and sharing his vision for the future.
Deewt is a former Jehovah’s Witness from Idaho who was eventually excommunicated from the religion and his family. After being rejected, the Reverend set about on a mission to find himself and figure out a life outside of being a Witness. His journey eventually led him to find a passion in the arts, and a yearning to become a voice for the less fortunate and the overlooked. The Reverend is now using Wysper to further these passions through religious “episodes” and themed art shows.
“Wysper is a religion/philosophy…a church for the churchless,” Reverend Deewt explained to Our Town Reno recently. “There’s going to be a year with monthly sermons and events, which started in June with a town hall session at The Virgil.” Reverend Deewt said that The Virgil will be the home of Wysper, with sermons being held regularly there throughout the rest of the calendar year. He explained that these sermons include music, guest speakers and some sort of meaningful performance.
Would you like to burn down with this new religious irreligious leader?
Along with holding sermons usually biweekly instead of weekly, Wysper differs from normal religions in a number of ways. The primary teaching involves finding something laughable about every day, while shedding light on current social justice issues, rather than reflecting on ancient teachings. The Reverend gives abundance to his followers regularly and reinforces his sermons with positive messaging. In addition to the already lighthearted nature of the teachings, while still taking on serious topics, most sermons are accompanied with an offering of sustenance to partake in, like toast and otter pops to mimic the body and blood of Christ that other religions emulate in communion.
According to the Reverend, the church currently already has over 50 loyal followers in its congregation, but he is hoping to amass many more in the coming months. The Reverend encourages even those who are not members of the church to attend whatever event is being held, as he says any and all are always welcome.
Last month’s event took place on Sunday July 25th on the Truckee River in downtown Reno. The event was a spiritual cleansing and marriage to the Truckee River, where devoted followers and non-members alike were baptized by The Reverend. Before each baptism, The Reverend made each person vow to let go of the doubts in their lives and told them they would be married to the river, promising to cherish and care for her forevermore. Reverend Deewt’s wife, his mistresses and even a random passerby were among those who were led out into the river and submerged in the cleansing.
Reverend Deewt is aiming to use his standing to bring light to certain social issues that plague our community through his sermons and performances, saying, “We’re going to tackle some pretty big social justice issues like child abuse, domestic violence, and the houseless situation.” He and his followers hope to eventually bring these issues to a larger audience like Reno City Council, in an attempt to make a difference in the community.