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Hmm.  Not sure how I missed the last couple of posts for so long.

Anyhow:

1. I rather suspect that the founding thoughts of most aged and ancient faiths are irrecoverable or culturally outmoded and impracticable.  Therefore, if the  followers have not allowed it to evolve, it is liable to be dead or dying.  As to a formula - I am not a behavioural scientist.
2. Unfortunately, those followers who claim "authenticity" generally seem to me to mean only that they are convinced that they hold the only truly true version of truth.  Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses.
3. No, the aged and ancient (or modern and youthful) faith never needs a controlling body to reinterpret original thinking for current conditions.  Such bodies create orthodoxy and orthopraxy, and enforce their ideas by more or less overt oppression.  Agreed thinking can only be agreed between those discussing it - and is very dangerous when the agreement takes on the character of a conclusion to regulate general belief and practice.  Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses,
4. Whether Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism "find their planetary conscience outside of their founding reference" rather depends on whether you are speaking to a bible bashing Anglican or Roman Catholic.  I know bible bashers of neither persuasion who claim that the Anglicans and Romans both err from their founding reference.  But there are as many versions of that founding reference as there are denominations of bible bashers.  Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses.
5. I suspect it is inevitable that the founding thinking is forgotten beneath dogmatic self interest.  That is human nature.  The "authenticity" of a long established faith lies with its' current followers - but, as hinted above, those who claim authenticity do so for the benefit of their own internal political ends within their faith.  Such are to be avoided, and a pox on all their authentic or inauthentic houses.

On 11/23/2018 at 1:50 PM, Moonsmith said:

My weekly comic causes me to undertake this kind of review on an uncomfortably frequent basis.]

So:

Hi Moonsmith, it occurred to me on rereading your comment above to ask why such reviewing and potential re-jigging is an uncomfortable process for you? - for me there is a slight uneasiness if new conclusions about my spiritual practice might lead to a seeming lack of authenticity of any of my previous practice or experiences. Usually I am quite happy to delve into such things though - it feels a bit like being an explorer - it's interesting and it feels like I'm getting somewhere. 

On 11/23/2018 at 1:50 PM, Moonsmith said:

Where the founding thoughts of a faith are aged or ancient; to what extent should its followers allow it to evolve?  Might it be possible to derive a formula for evolution from its tenets?

Interesting question - firstly Ellinas framed his statement around beliefs ideas and experiences and I think it's important to encompass the diversity of the content of spirituality when talking about authenticity. In Buddhism for example, one would not generally think of oneself as having faith. In Druidism I can relate to having beliefs somewhat though ideas, pracrices and experiences are what I personally relate to most. My own take on spirituality is that it doesn't need to remain as an imprint of some previous generation's version. In terms of duality - for there to be a continuity of a spiritual system there has to be an ongoing connection to, for example,  certain themes, deities, principles, locations, ideas, language, stories. These.connections have a discernable structure and a coherence which hearkens back to the original practice. But contrasting with this the is that for the spirituality to be authentic to the current practitioners, there has to be a liveliness and freedom in the way individual interpretation and experience is encouraged to feed into the whole thing. One way that this can happen is for space to be given  within set rituals can be devoted to personal dedications. Hence there is chance for individuals to develop the theme of the ritual or add a different but compatible theme.

As for developing a formula for the evolution of its tenets , I think that it may be possible though I personally see spirituality as a living experiential process rather than theoretical.

On 11/23/2018 at 1:50 PM, Moonsmith said:

Does it always need a controlling body to reinterpret the original thinking into modern times? 

No. One could argue the opposite - that forming a constitutional body which controls things may very well lead to a stymied development of individual spirituality which, informed though it is via the collective consciousness of this awesome world and it's inhabitants, relies on freedom rather than hierarchy and control to be creative and evolutionary.

On 11/23/2018 at 1:50 PM, Moonsmith said:

Is it inevitable that the founding thinking becomes increasingly diluted or stretched? Where does the authenticity of a long established faith lie in such circumstances?

I think it boils down to how you define the essence of that system... one for another time maybe 🤣

7 hours ago, WillowLily said:

 i keep seeing them in my  dreams one of the things i see is a white wolf  and an native American little  girl  they are calming and talk to me when i am feeling unwell  they soothe  me  when am scared or upset  

A witch friend of mine kept dreaming of a wolf, sometimes with a girl and sometimes she felt she was the girl.  This is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my anything zone but I sent her this picture:

The title is "Wolf Protecting Girl".  Now I am not into dream interpretation at all but we worked together on her thoughts.

Like you she felt protected and calmed.

We noticed that the eyes of both subjects are the same.  Perhaps they were the same person.  My friend laughed and pointed out that the wolf is better equipped to handle their current situation than is she in that weather.

However she left with that thought: that girl and wolf were one.

Later I mentioned the she-wolf and again she laughed.  She had always thought of the wolf as male.

Make of it what you will but you are not alone.

[Deebs this picture is copyright - delete it if you think you should and I'll try and find a link.  Failed so far.]

Wolfs are very special  for me  i keep seeing them in my  dreams one of the things i see is a white wolf  and an native American little  girl  they are calming and talk to me when i am feeling unwell  they soothe  me  when am scared or upset  

i have seen wolfs in a nature reserve before there amazing  and beautiful and i wish they where free   i dont normally go to nature reserves  or zoo  i would like to see animals free 

I just became Vegan  in the last  few months  i love animals  there beauty  and there uniqueness  wolfs more so 

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I've just been re-reading this thread and this caught my eye:

On 11/13/2016 at 4:59 PM, Ellinas said:

So, I would return to the idea that those who are "authentic" in their spirituality are those who are constantly re-examining their beliefs, ideas, experiences etc and are prepared to act upon their ever changing conclusions.

 

[My weekly comic causes me to undertake this kind of review on an uncomfortably frequent basis.]

So:

Where the founding thoughts of a faith are aged or ancient; to what extent should its followers allow it to evolve?  Might it be possible to derive a formula for evolution from its tenets?

or/and

Does it always need a controlling body to reinterpret the original thinking into modern times?  Judaism has Shul and Islam has its madrassas where elders discuss these things but it must be very difficult to control the promulgation of agreed thinking.

Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism are only just catching up with environmental issues and have for a long time struggled with the development of society in Britain.  I can only surmise that the solely bible based versions of Christianity find their planetary conscience outside of their founding reference.

These re-thinks and add-ons tend to a natural diversity of thinking and often [historically] to schisms. 

Is it inevitable that the founding thinking becomes increasingly diluted or stretched? Where does the authenticity of a long established faith lie in such circumstances?

the talk of authentic can also take a different turn, are they teaching something religous or spiritual or is it something else, is it an extension of politics or nationalism dressed up. that is a good question to ask. as is the question what is the focus of the group, is it focussed on justification of something otherwise reprehensible? is it focussed on justifying nationalism, racial purity and blood, is it focussed on specific individuals or specific interpretations of material that fit within a narrow viewpoint. anyone care for a wee jaunt into american folkish white supremacist nationalism for instance? thats one example that turns up daily in northern quarters.