iwpoe wrote:

Why then qua theist, do I need to move past Proclus?

This is a fantastic post. Thanks for sharing. I find myself in a similar position with respect to particular religions. But it does make me wonder that Proclus himself, of course, engaged in ritual activity. Why did he do it?
If I may be forgiven a foray into Wittgenstein here, I wonder if ritual (and perhaps a reverent attitude) are the ladder we need. Once you reach the top of course you can throw it away, but for those of us stuck here at the bottom, the ladder seems a necessity. A necessity I'm loathe to countenance myself, mind you, seeing as I, just like you, don't find anything compelling in any of the competing faiths in the current marketplace of ideas.