That sentence of mine doesn't indeed flow so well. My point was that theism couldn't be our final word on life, the universe, and everything because theism doesn't encompass the modern secular zeitgeist.

My list of "prophets, monks, saints, mystics, philosophers, and artists" isn't meant to include exoteric, everyday theists since it's their religious beliefs that are the most objectionable. I might have specific objections to mysticism, sainthood, prophesy, and even art and philosophy, as the context would warrant. But my point with that list is that the cults that turn into religions have been countercultural or reformist. That doesn't mean I agree with everything saints, prophets, or mystics say or do.

You raise a good question about whether authenticity is possible at the collective level, or whether mainstream cultures are always politicized and thus degraded. The idea of an authentic society, as in one that honours human potential would be something like the idea of a utopia or a kingdom of God. I'll have to think more about that, though.