She didn't say much about pseudo-communities, but since, in my ministry work at the time I was struggling to lead one, I thought I understood what she meant. In a pseudo-community, the idea of being community is the highest guiding principle. Because being community is the most important thing, pseudo-communities put a strong emphasis on conformity. Pseudo-communities are not places where members are safe to be different or to disagree. What matters most is that each individual can learn and act out the patterns of behavior and thinking that the group has accepted.
Authentic communities are different.
Authentic communities of faith are created in response to a call. They do not exist as an end in themselves. Faithfulness to the call comes first, and community follows. Kornfeld tells the story of Ann, and the community that grew up around her. Ann had cancer, and was dying.