Sidian M.S. Jones
Sidian Morning Star Jones (born January 18, 1983 in Boise, Idaho) is a graphic designer, author, internet personality and lecturer. He is the founder of Open Source Religion: a spiritual platform and social network. Sidian defines Open Source Religion as "A system for the mixing of religious and non-religious beliefs in an individual, even across multiple religions." He has given talks in the U.S. and abroad AbOUT Open Source Religion. He is also the grandson of noted Shaman/Medicine Man Rolling Thunder.
In 2004 Jones and Stanley Krippner won the Woodfish Award for "one indigenous North American {Native American} and the other Euro-American {European North American}, for co-creating a trans-personal social action project that is mutually transforming."
In 2007 he was blogged about by Rotten Tomatoes' columnist Victoria Alexander in her blog The Devil's Hammer. OpenSourceReligion.net was featured in its earlier form, Redefine God, on Ning.com's Ning Network Spotlight. In 2009, blogger Nick Street published an article following an interview with Jones regarding the state of religion and Jones' vision for its future, in which he stated he "intends to be the STEVE JOBS of Religion."
Open Source Religion
Jones' first online endeavors with Open Source Religion took form as a social platform for debate about religion. It was originally named RedefineGod.com, but re-branded OpenSourceReligion.net in 2010. Jones has given talks on Open Source Religion, Religion 2.0, Shamanism, and his grandfather Rolling Thunder in the U.S. and abroad at venues including:
- The Ethnomedizine Conference in Berlin, Germany
- The Society of Shamanic Practitioners in 2008
- Starwood Festival in Sherman, New York
- WinterStar Symposium in Dellroy, Ohio
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
Rolling Thunder
Jones's grandfather, Rolling Thunder (AKA John Pope), has been the subject of two books. His life served as a loose basis for the film series Billy Jack. He had ties to the Mickey Hart of The Grateful Dead, who titled an album after Rolling Thunder, and Bob Dylan who titled a MusicAL tour after him. Sidian has written a book with Stanley Krippner about Rolling Thunder entitled The Voice of Rolling Thunder: A Medicine Man's Wisdom for Walking the Red Road.
Bibliography
- Listen to the Rolling Thunder: INCredible Tales About an Intertribal Medicine Man (with Stanley Krippner) Postum Publishing House (2012)
- The Voice of Rolling Thunder: A Medicine Man's Wisdom for Walking the Red Road (with Stanley Krippner) Bear & Company (2012) ISBN 1591431336, ISBN 978-1591431336