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Christianity and Theosophy, for more than a hundred years, have had a "complex and sometimes troubled" relationship. The
Christian faith was the native religion of the great majority of Western
Theosophists
Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...
, but many came to Theosophy through a process of opposition to Christianity. According to professor
Robert S. Ellwood, "the whole matter has been a divisive issue within Theosophy."
Beliefs
God
According to the Theosophical spiritual
Masters, neither their philosophy nor themselves believe in a
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, "least of all in one whose pronoun necessitates a capital H."
A
Russian Orthodox cleric and theologian Dimitry Drujinin cited the Theosophical Master
Kuthumi: "We know there is in our
olarsystem no such thing as God, either personal or impersonal.
Parabrahm is not a God, but absolute immutable law... The word 'God' was invented to designate the unknown cause of those effects which man has either admired or dreaded without understanding them."
A religious studies scholar
Alvin Kuhn wrote that Theosophist
Annie Besant believed: "God is a composite photograph of the innumerable
gods
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...
who are the personifications of the forces of nature... It is all summed up in the phrase: Religions are branches from a common trunk—human ignorance.
In addition, the Master Kuthumi said, "In our
ibetantemples there is neither a god nor gods worshipped, only the thrice sacred memory of the greatest as the holiest
''man'' that ever lived."
An American author
Gary Lachman
Gary Joseph Lachman (born December 24, 1955), also known as Gary Valentine, is an American writer and musician. He came to prominence in the mid-1970s as the bass guitarist for rock band Blondie. Since the 1990s, Lachman has written full-time ...
, noting Blavatsky's "animus toward the Judeo-Christian ethos," cited her article in which she wrote that the Bible is not the "word of God" but contains at best the "words of fallible men and imperfect teachers."
In ''
The Secret Doctrine
''The Secret Doctrine, the Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy'', is a pseudo-scientific esoteric book originally published as two volumes in 1888 written by Helena Blavatsky. The first volume is named ''Cosmogenesis'', the second ''An ...
'' Helena Blavatsky stated that "an ''extra''-cosmic god is fatal to philosophy, an ''intra''-cosmic Deity — ''i.e.'' Spirit and matter inseparable from each other — is a philosophical necessity. Separate them and that which is left is a gross superstition under a mask of emotionalism." Professor Santucci wrote that she has defined the Supreme in the Proem to ''The Secret Doctrine'' as an "Omnipresent, Eternal, Boundless, and Immutable
Principle on which all speculation is impossible, since it transcends the power of human conception and could only be dwarfed by any human expression or similitude." John Driscoll, a theologian and author of ''
The Catholic Encyclopedia
The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...
,'' wrote in 1912 that Theosophy denies a
personal god
A personal god, or personal goddess, is a deity who can be related to as a person, instead of as an impersonal force, such as the Absolute, "the All", or the "Ground of Being".
In the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions, God is described as b ...
, and this "nullifies its claim to be a spiritualistic philosophy." Blavatsky proclaimed that the Theosophists believe "in the Deity as the All, the source of all existence, the infinite that cannot be either comprehended or known, the universe alone revealing ''It,'' or, as some prefer it, Him, thus giving a sex to that, to anthropomorphize which is ''blasphemy''."
Professor Mary Bednarowski wrote that Theosophists "see the
One as the cause of the universe," but not as its creator. When asked who it is that created the universe, Blavatsky responded that, "No one creates it. Science would call the process evolution; the pre-Christian philosophers and the Orientalists call it
emanation; we,
Occultists and Theosophists, see in it only the universal and eternal ''reality'' casting a reflection of ''itself'' on the infinite Spatial depths." Russian Christian philosopher
Nikolai Berdyaev wrote that in the Theosophical books "the name of God is not mentioned."
Jesus
According to Blavatsky, Jesus was the grand "philosopher and moral reformer." She considered Jesus as "The Great Teacher," an
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
with healing and demon-exorcising abilities. An American author Joseph H. Tyson stated, "She did not view him as The Second Person of the
Blessed Trinity, but a
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
Perfect
Master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
" with
clairvoyance
Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...
,
supernatural powers, and "fakir-like unconcern for the morrow." In Blavatsky's opinion, "Jesus, the Christ-God, is a myth concocted two centuries after the real Hebrew Jesus died." According to Theosophy, term "Christ" means the personal divinity "indwelling" each individual human. An author of the journal of Christian theology ''
Quodlibet
A quodlibet (; Latin for "whatever you wish" from '' quod'', "what" and '' libet'', "pleases") is a musical composition that combines several different melodies—usually popular tunes—in counterpoint, and often in a light-hearted, humorous m ...
''
In December 1887 Blavatsky printed an open letter to the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Primate of England. This editorial letter gave proof to show that "in almost every point the doctrines of the churches and the practices of Christians are ''in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus.''" She always opposed those who understood Jesus' teaching literally. Her representation of Jesus as similar of
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
"grated on Christian nerves."
Prayer
Drujinin wrote that to the question, "Do you believe in
prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...
, and do you ever pray?" Blavatsky answered: "We do not. We ''act,'' instead of ''talking.'' ...The visible universe depends for its existence and phenomena on its mutually acting forms and their laws, not on prayer or prayers." Blavatsky "rules out the propriety of prayer, except in the sense of an internal command." She said, "We call our 'Father in heaven' that deific essence of which we are cognizant within us." According to Bednarowski, in Blavatsky's opinion, prayer kills "self-reliance" and "refutes the Theosophical understanding of divine immanence." She stated, "We try to replace fruitless and useless prayer by meritorious and good-producing action."
Berdyaev wrote that the experience of "prayerful communication" with God, revealed to man by the Christian church, is not recognized by the Theosophical teaching. Prayer in Theosophy is only "one of the others forms of meditation."
Сondition after death
Bednarowski wrote that Blavatsky objected to the Christian interpretations of the
afterlife "because they are described as eternal." She stated that, "nothing is eternal and unchangeable." She said, "We believe in no hell or paradise as localities; in no objective hell-fires and worms that never die, nor in any Jerusalems with streets paved with sapphires and diamonds."
René Guénon
René Jean-Marie-Joseph Guénon (15 November 1886 – 7 January 1951), also known as ''Abdalwâhid Yahiâ'' (; ''ʿAbd al-Wāḥid Yaḥiā'') was a French intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having writte ...
wrote that in the Theosophical "heaven" the condition of man is:
Karma and reincarnation
According to ''The Catholic Encyclopedia,'' the main Theosophical teachings are
karma
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
and
reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is ...
. Karma is the law of ethical causation.
Reincarnation is directly related to karma. James Skeen stated that the Theosophical teaching about karma and "its relation to forgiveness and faith" contradicts the Bible definitions of these important concepts. ''Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs'' argues that the laws of karma and reincarnation "are really a doctrine of self salvation." And consequently there is no need for "Jesus Christ's substitutionary death for our sins," when the person, who offends, pays himself.
Blavatsky and other Theosophists believed that karma, the "unerring law of Retribution," is a system of penalty "as stern as that of the most rigid
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
, only far more philosophical and consistent with absolute justice." Ellwood wrote that, according to Blavatsky, "Karma is an Absolute and Eternal law in the World of manifestation." Karma is the "impersonal force" which brings retribution for thoughts, words, and deeds of men without "destroy intellectual and individual liberty" in order to demonstrate that men must live with the consequences of their choices. A religious studies scholar Jeffrey D. Lavoie noted that, in Blavatsky's opinion, the
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
"must purify itself through
cyclic transmigrations." Ellwood has quoted in ''The Secret Doctrine:''
"Intimately, or rather indissolubly, connected with Karma, then, is the law of re-birth, or of the re-incarnation of the same spiritual individuality in a long, almost interminable, series of personalities. The latter are like the various costumes and characters played by the same actor."
Drujinin stated that the concept of reincarnation fundamentally contradicts the most important
dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Isla ...
s of
Orthodox Christianity
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Chur ...
. Moreover, he stated that there are good reasons to believe that the concept of reincarnation, brought into Theosophy, was entered "by the inspiring in it of dark spiritual forces" for the preparation of an appearance of
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
. He wrote that the Theosophical doctrine of reincarnation denies the tragedy of death and glorifies it as a positive moment of the cosmic evolution. Depreciating "death, this doctrine thereby devalues life and reconciles man with any suffering and injustice."
Accusations
Fraud
In September 1884 the Rev. George Patterson, a principal of
Madras Christian College, wrote about Blavatsky's occult
phenomena: "What if these signs and wonders are proofs of something very different?... Instead of a message from
beings of supernal wisdom and power, we shall have only the private thoughts of a clever but not over scrupulous woman." The anti-Theosophical publications in ''The Madras Christian College Magazine'' in September 1884 were made by the time of arrival of
Richard Hodgson, an expert of the
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) is a nonprofit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal. It describes itself as the "first society to co ...
, aimed at studying the phenomena of Blavatsky. The Committee of SPR, after analyzing and discussing Hodgson's research, came with reference to Blavatsky herself to the following conclusion published in December 1885: "For our own part, we regard her neither as the mouthpiece of hidden seers, nor as a mere vulgar adventuress; we think that she has achieved a title to permanent remembrance as one of the most accomplished, ingenious, and interesting impostors in history." According to the Rev. George Patterson, "It is to these phenomena, and to the openly expressed antagonism of Theosophy to Christianity, that the rapid spread of the new cult in India is to be ascribed, and not to any system of positive doctrine."
Spirit communication
Theologian Kuraev wrote that Theosophists' feature is
spirit possession
Spirit possession is an unusual or altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors purportedly caused by the control of a human body by spirits, ghosts, demons, or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many cultures and re ...
. If the usual scientific or philosophical book appears as a result of systematic and consistent reflections of its author, then the theosophical treatises are written as a "dictation of capricious spirits." A person-medium does not have power over the text that is "communicated" to him, he is not fully competent in its planning and word processing. In Drujinin's opinion, Theosophy preaches "reckless" communication with spirits. And the spirits who presented themselves as "teachers-mahatmas" can expel the disciple in general from his body. In confirmation, he quoted
Ignatius Bryanchaninov
Saint Ignatius (secular name Dmitry Alexandrovich Brianchaninov, russian: link=no, Дмитрий Александрович Брянчанинов, ; 1807–1867) was a bishop and theologian of the Russian Orthodox Church. He stands out as one of ...
: "The desire to see spirits, curiosity to learn something from them is a sign of the greatest folly and complete ignorance of the moral and active traditions of the Orthodox Church." Theologian Martin noted that the Bible prohibits to practice a communication with spirits. Nevertheless, in 1860 at Zadonsk,
Isidore
Isidore ( ; also spelled Isador, Isadore and Isidor) is an English and French masculine given name. The name is derived from the Greek name ''Isídōros'' (Ἰσίδωρος) and can literally be translated to "gift of Isis." The name has survived ...
, the
Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church, seeing the manifestations of Blavatsky's
mediumship, said: "Let not your heart be troubled by the gift you are possessed of, nor let it become a source of misery to you hereafter." According to Blavatsky, mediumship is the contrast of
adept
An adept is an individual identified as having attained a specific level of knowledge, skill, or aptitude in doctrines relevant to a particular author or organization.
He or she stands out from others with their great abilities. All human quali ...
ship, because the medium is the "passive instrument of foreign influences,
hile
Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasab ...
the adept actively controls himself and all inferior potencies."
Demonization
Mersene Sloan, an editor and Bible teacher, called the
theosophical initiation a process of "disguised" demonization, a "gross perversion" of the Christian regeneration.
"The pupil f Theosophybecomes an Adept. This is one of many theosophic statements proving the end of the cult's endeavors to be the incarnation of demons in human beings. Of course, it is denied that the masters are demons, but the doctrines and practices of the cult prove them to be such, and such only. Some know it by actual contact with them... It is not, then, a matter of developing latent powers in man that Theosophy seeks, but the subjection of man to the invading powers of demons."
Drujinin argued that Theosophy seeks to "control the world" with the help of
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
. Every Theosophist wants to achieve supernatural powers that "will elevated him above other people." The natural continuation of the absence of faith in the "true God" is that the Theosophist, who is a magic practitioner, "considers himself a god." Drujinin summed up: "Exploring Theosophy, we came to the conclusion that such a muddled, contradictory and fantasy doctrine could have been created only by the mentally ill men!"
Satanism
The ministers of the Christian churches had related to the Theosophical Society as the "brood of the Evil one." In 1879 Blavatsky wrote that the Christian Church called the Theosophists "infidel emissaries of
Satan." In theologian Kuraev's opinion, the Theosophists declared that there is no other God at all except
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
: "It is 'Satan who is the god of our planet and ''the only'' god,' and this without any allusive metaphor to its wickedness and depravity. For he is one with the
Logos
''Logos'' (, ; grc, λόγος, lógos, lit=word, discourse, or reason) is a term used in Western philosophy, psychology and rhetoric and refers to the appeal to reason that relies on logic or reason, inductive and deductive reasoning. Ari ...
."
Ellwood has quoted in ''The Secret Doctrine:''
Satan represents metaphysically simply the ''reverse or the polar opposite'' of everything in nature. He is the 'adversary,' allegorically, the 'murderer,' and the great Enemy of ''all,'' because there is nothing in the whole Universe that has not two sides—the reverses of the same medal. But in that case, light, goodness, beauty, etc., may be called Satan with as much propriety as the Devil, since they are the ''adversaries'' of darkness, badness and ugliness.
Confrontations
Drujinin noted that Blavatsky "personally took part in the armed struggle against the Roman Catholic Church." In 1866 she was accompanying
Giuseppe Garibaldi on his expeditions. In 1867 she with the Italian volunteers "fought at
Viterbo
Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo.
It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history ...
and then at
Mentana
Mentana is a town and ''comune'', former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. It is located north-east of Rome and has a population of about 23,000.
History
Mentana's name in ...
" against French-
Papal troops. In the
battle of Mentana
The Battle of Mentana was fought on November 3, 1867, near the village of Mentana, located north-east of Rome (then in the Papal States, now modern Lazio), between French-papal troops and the Italian volunteers led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who wer ...
Blavatsky was "gravely wounded." In 1941
Jinarajadasa, the fourth president of the
Theosophical Society Adyar
The Theosophy Society was founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. The designation 'Adyar' is sometimes added to the name to make it clear that this is the Theosophical Society headquartered there, after the American section ...
, informed that Blavatskian Theosophy has been "officially banned by name by the Pope as a dire heresy, and in one month in each year, a prayer is offered to God through the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
to save the world from Theosophy."
In 1880,
Henry Olcott
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (2 August 1832 – 17 February 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer, Freemason and the co-founder and first president of the Theosophical Society.
Olcott was the first well-known American of Euro ...
took it upon himself to restore true
Sri Lankan Buddhism and "to counter the efforts of Christian missionaries on the island." In order to accomplish this aim, he adopted some of the methods of
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
missionaries. An American scholar of religion
Stephen Prothero stated that in Ceylon Olcott was performing "the part of the anti-Christian missionary." He wrote and distributed anti-Christian and pro-Buddhist tracts, "and secured support for his educational reforms from representatives of the island's three monastic sects." He used the Christian models for the Buddhist secondary schools and Sunday schools, "thus initiating what would become a long and successful campaign for Western-style Buddhist education in Ceylon." Peter Washington wrote that Christian missionaries were furious about the activity of Olcott and other Theosophists.
Theologian Kuraev wrote that Blavatsky allegedly declared that the goal of the Theosophists "is not to restore Hinduism, but to sweep Christianity from the surface of the earth." Sylvia Cranston wrote that in Britain, the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
tried to ban the sale of ''Lucifer.'' Rejecting the Christian accusations that the Theosophical Society is a "pioneer of the
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
and brood of the Evil one," Blavatsky wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury that it is "the practical helper, perchance the saviour, of Christianity." In 1893 some members of a
Parliament of Religions
There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...
were Theosophists, and the principal leader of the Church of England declined his support for the Parliament because, according to him, "the Christian religion is the one religion" and he did not see "how that religion can be regarded as a member of a Parliament of Religions without assuming the equality of the other intended members and the parity of their position and claims."
On December 2, 1994 the
Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church The Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (russian: Архиерейский собор Русской Православной Церкви) is a local Council, which involves only the bishops, is a formal gathering or council of bishops ...
accepted the interdict ''On the Pseudo-christian Sects, Neopaganism, and Occultism,'' in which Blavatskian Theosophy was defined as an anti-Christian doctrine. Thus, the Russian Theosophists who counted himself the Orthodox Christians were
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
.
Franz Hartmann
Franz Hartmann (22 November 1838, Donauwörth – 7 August 1912, Kempten im Allgäu) was a German medical doctor, theosophist, occultist, geomancer, astrologer, and author.
Biography
Hartmann was an associate of Helena Blavatsky and was C ...
, a prominent Theosophist, wrote on clerics as follows:
"Every attack made upon the erroneous opinions and the selfishness of the church autocrats is misrepresented by the latter as an attack upon religion; not upon ''their'' religious views, but as an attack upon religion itself. Their church is their God, and the interests of the church are their religion; it is all the God and the religion they know; they can form no conception of a God without priestcraft, nor of a religion without church benefits."
Modern Christian Theosophy
In Ellwood's opinion, in addition to the Blavatsky-Olcott line in Theosophy, there was another, quasi-theosophical, attitude to Christianity. In addition to the anti-clerical line in Theosophy, "Christian/Catholic Theosophy" of
Kingsford and
Maitland
Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Norm ...
arose. In 1882 they published a book ''The Perfect Way, or the Finding of Christ,'' which made a great impression on Besant. This book says on the liberation of spirit from matter, a
salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...
prefigured, after the mystery drama of the
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagi ...
and Death of Christ, in His
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
.
In her book ''Esoteric Christianity'' Besant continued the Theosophical interpretation of Christianity. In his article Skeen analyzed her book in detail: according to her, a "healthy religion must contain a secret element attainable only by the spiritual elite." To prove that this secret element passed from Jesus to the Apostles, she cites
Second Timothy
The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle.. Addressed to Timothy, a fellow missionary, it is traditionally considered to be the last epistle he wrote before his death.
Alth ...
2:2. The verse reads: "The things that thou have heard from me ('teacher to pupil') among many witnesses, the same commit thou ('in a secret manner') to faithful men who shall be able to teach ('also in a secret teacher to pupil manner') others also." Besant named this esoteric knowledge the Greater Mysteries. The Lesser Mysteries meant the partial uncovering of the deep truths that must first be assimilated before entry into the Greater Mysteries. And Greater Mysteries can only be passed on "'from mouth to ear' as a pupil becomes qualified." In Besant's opinion, a return to the esoteric Christianity of the early ages is "the only way to save Christianity's importance."
According to Besant, the Christ is "more than the man Jesus." She has three views of Christ: "the historical Christ, the mythic Christ, and the mystic Christ." Skeen has quoted:
"Round this glorious Figure gathered the myths which united Him to the long array of His predecessors, the myths telling in allegory the story of all such lives, as they symbolise the work of the Logos
''Logos'' (, ; grc, λόγος, lógos, lit=word, discourse, or reason) is a term used in Western philosophy, psychology and rhetoric and refers to the appeal to reason that relies on logic or reason, inductive and deductive reasoning. Ari ...
in the Kosmos and the higher evolution of the individual human soul."
Theosophical Christianity
In the post-Blavatsky works of Theosophists, the "earlier trenchant anticlericalism" is visibly lacking, and the attitude to Christianity is almost entirely positive. In particular,
Annie Besant and
Charles Webster Leadbeater
Charles Webster Leadbeater (; 16 February 1854 – 1 March 1934) was a member of the Theosophical Society, Co-Freemasonry, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church.
Originally a p ...
demonstrated a new regard for "Catholic-type doctrine and worship, understood esoterically and theosophically." They also viewed Christ, "together with the church's seasons, festivals, and sacraments, as not only symbols of spiritual truth but also as means of transmitting transcendent energies." Large group of Theosophists entered the
Liberal Catholic Church
The name Liberal Catholic Church (LCC) is used by a number of separate Christian churches throughout the world which are open to esoteric beliefs and hold many ideas in common. Although the term ''Liberal Catholic'' might suggest otherwise, it ...
, though some have been Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Ian Hooker, former Presiding Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church, wrote:
"The Liberal Catholic Church arose from the sense of loss of many English theosophists whose new affiliation left them unwelcome in the churches where they had been worshiping, and from the endeavor of these people to find a place of Christian worship, along with freedom of interpretation, in the English branch of the European Old Catholic Church
The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
."
![Eucharistform](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Eucharistform.jpg)
The founding bishops of the Liberal Catholic Church were Theosophists
J. I. Wedgwood and
C. W. Leadbeater who were "actively involved" in the work of the Theosophical Society (Adyar). The doctrine of this Church offered an interpretation of Christianity in which "judgment and salvation after only one life," were substituted by liberation from the necessity for rebirth after many; and in which eschewal of the aftermath of sin "via the redemptive sacrifice of Christ," was substituted by the just and pedagogical receiving of results of whatever has been making in earlier incarnations under the "Law of Karma." The meaning of the rites of the Liberal Catholic Church was expounded in Leadbeater's book ''The Science of the Sacraments.'' The author's idea was to save the basic forms of traditional Christianity, but to put "new wine into its old wineskins." The "new wine" was the new nature of the Ancient Wisdom transmitted by the modern Theosophy. According to Ellwood, the Christian rite, "especially when well enacted and well supported by constructive thoughts on the part of all worshipers, creates thought-forms that are vessels and channels of the divine powers evoke by those exalted ideas."
Basis of mutual understanding
Stephan Hoeller
Stephan A. Hoeller is an American author, scholar, and neo-Gnostic bishop.
Career
An author and scholar of Gnosticism and Jungian psychology, Hoeller is Regionary Bishop of Ecclesia Gnostica.
Hoeller was ordained to the priesthood of the Ameri ...
, a Regionary Bishop of
Ecclesia Gnostica
Ecclesia Gnostica (Latin: The Church of Gnosis) is an open sacramental neo-Gnostic church in Los Angeles. It has ordained clergy and conducts regular sacramental services, including two weekly Masses (Celebration of the Holy Eucharist), as we ...
, noted that the including the nineteenth-century polemics materials in the modern Christianity-Theosophy dialogue "is not useful." David Bland, a member of the Theosophical Society since 1970, stated:
"In the workshop recently ovember 5–7, 2000held to explore a greater interface between the Theosophical Society and the Christian tradition, it was recognized that some Christian faith tenets can indeed inhibit dialogue and create what may appear as in surmountable barriers to open exploration. As the participants in that workshop, members of the Society from various Christian backgrounds, worked through these issues, we identified our dilemma. Each of us recognized that dogmas, if accepted at face value, will continue to be a chasm, but we also realized that there are principles that can bridge that chasm. If one accepts the imperative of love, the interpretations that would divide can be placed to the side, and an atmosphere of love and understanding created."
Professor Ellwood, a religious studies scholar and Liberal Catholic priest, proclaimed that Christianity could be rebuilt to be consonant "with the deepest insights of Theosophy, and moreover become for some people a vehicle for the transmission of those insights and the powers latent in them." In his book ''The Cross and the Grail: Esoteric Christianity for the 21st Century'' Ellwood wrote:
"The Eastern Orthodox liturgy
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
, a Catholic form of service, suggests the desire to make physically visible what is transpiring on the astral
Astral may refer to:
Concepts of the non-physical
* Astral body, a subtle body posited by many religious philosophers
* Astral journey (or ''astral trip''), the same as having an ''out-of-body experience''
* Astral plane (AKA astral world), a ...
and mental planes by intentionally creating sacramental thought-forms that channel divine energy from the heart of God. The actual correspondence may not always be exact, since no human craft or art could completely reproduce the worlds of the inner planes; but the feeling of color, richness, and unity in diversity
Unity in diversity is used as an expression of harmony and unity between dissimilar individuals or groups. It is a concept of "unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation" that shifts focus from unity based on a mere tolerance ...
is there. In Eastern Orthodoxy, the often-concealed altar behind the '' iconostasis,'' a screen covered with icons and pictures of saints, is like the innermost eternal realm of pneuma
''Pneuma'' () is an ancient Greek word for "breath", and in a religious context for " spirit" or "soul". It has various technical meanings for medical writers and philosophers of classical antiquity, particularly in regard to physiology, and is ...
, spirit, the atma, the God within. This power seems to radiate through the saints with their luminous eyes as though they were beings in the heaven of the mental plane, or Devachan
Devachan (compound word; Sanskrit 'deva', gods, and the Tibetan word 'chan' Wylie: 'can', possessing, having, subject to) is the "dwelling of the gods" according to the original teachings of Theosophy as formulated by H.P. Blavatsky.
Theosophy
'' ...
. As the service progresses with its mystical and unforgettable music, its richly-robed clergy moving with the slowness of ancient ritual, and its billowing clouds of incense, a dome of silvery-blue light that merges upward into gold is formed above the congregation, like the onion-shaped domes atop many Orthodox churches. The structure is so exalted that it barely touches the earth, and not all present are able to perceive it directly."
Christian converts to Theosophy
*
George Arundale
George Sydney Arundale (1 December 1878 in Surrey, England — 12 August 1945 in Adyar, India) was a Theosophist, Freemason, president of the Theosophical Society Adyar and a bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church. He was the husband of t ...
, the third President of the Theosophical Society Adyar. His father, the Rev. John Kay, was a
Congregational
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
minister. In 1926 George became Regionary Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church in India.
*
Alice Bailey
Alice Ann Bailey (June 16, 1880 – December 15, 1949) was a writer of more than twenty-four books on theosophical subjects, and was one of the first writers to use the term New Age. Bailey was born as Alice La Trobe-Bateman, in Mancheste ...
, initially a member of the Theosophical Society Adyar. She was raised in the "conservative evangelical wing" of the Church of England. At the age of eighteen she became a religious worker in the
Young Women's Christian Association
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
.
*
Annie Besant, the second President of the
Theosophical Society Adyar
The Theosophy Society was founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. The designation 'Adyar' is sometimes added to the name to make it clear that this is the Theosophical Society headquartered there, after the American section ...
. She was an Anglican by education and, at age twenty, married Rev. Frank Besant.
*
Helena Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 187 ...
, a founder the modern Theosophical movement, the co-founder and main ideologist the
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...
. She was an
Orthodox Christian by birth and education. All her relatives belonged to the conservative people who considered themselves "the good Christians."
*
Daniel Dunlop, a member of the Theosophical Society (initially), the founder a magazine ''The Irish Theosophist.'' His father, Alexander Dunlop, was a
Quaker preacher.
*
Franz Hartmann
Franz Hartmann (22 November 1838, Donauwörth – 7 August 1912, Kempten im Allgäu) was a German medical doctor, theosophist, occultist, geomancer, astrologer, and author.
Biography
Hartmann was an associate of Helena Blavatsky and was C ...
, a member of the Theosophical Society, co-worker of Blavatsky and Olcott at Adyar. He was "educated in the doctrines of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
" and wished at one time to become a monk of the
Capuchinian Order.
*
Geoffrey Hodson
Geoffrey Hodson (12 March 1886 in Lincolnshire, Retrieved 2013-06-04. – 23 January 1983 in Auckland, New Zealand) was an occultist, Theosophist,Co-Freemason, mystic, Liberal Catholic priest, philosopher and esotericist, and a leading lig ...
, a member of the Theosophical Society Adyar and Liberal Catholic priest. He grew up with "strong conventional Christian beliefs." Hodson worked for the
Y.M.C.A. as an organizer. He fostered the
esoteric
Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas ...
exegesis of the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
and wrote several works containing "extensive and often profound esoteric interpretations" of the stories from the
Old Testament and the life of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
.
*
Charles Leadbeater
Charles Leadbeater, also known as Charlie Leadbeater, is a British author and former advisor to Tony Blair.
Biography
A graduate of Balliol College, Oxford, he first came to widespread notice in the 1980s as a regular contributor to the magaz ...
, at first an Anglican priest then a member of the Theosophical Society and co-worker of Olcott in Ceylon. He became after Blavatsky's death "the main ideologist" of the Theosophical Society Adyar. Leadbeater was also the second Presiding Bishop and a "leading theologian and liturgist" of the
Liberal Catholic Church
The name Liberal Catholic Church (LCC) is used by a number of separate Christian churches throughout the world which are open to esoteric beliefs and hold many ideas in common. Although the term ''Liberal Catholic'' might suggest otherwise, it ...
.
*
Henry Olcott
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (2 August 1832 – 17 February 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer, Freemason and the co-founder and first president of the Theosophical Society.
Olcott was the first well-known American of Euro ...
, the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society, a "key figure" in the modern history of Sri Lankan
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
. His parents had "raised" him a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
. In 1860 he married the daughter of a priest of the
Episcopal Church.
*
Gottfried de Purucker
Gottfried de Purucker (January 15, 1874, Suffern, New York – September 27, 1942) was a Theosophy (Blavatskian), Theosophist, author and leader of the Theosophical Society Pasadena (then headquartered at Lomaland, Point Loma, California) from 19 ...
, the leader of the
Theosophical Society Pasadena. He was "destined for the clergy" by his father, an Anglican minister.
*
James Wedgwood, a member of the Theosophical Society Adyar. He gave up "training for the ministry of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
" and became the founding bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church.
See also
*
Buddhism and Theosophy
*
Buddhism and Christianity
Analogies have been drawn between Buddhism and Christianity, and Buddhism may have influenced Christianity. Buddhist missionaries were sent by Emperor Ashoka of India to Syria, Egypt and Greece beginning in 250 BC and may have helped prepare f ...
*
Christian theosophy
Christian theosophy, also known as Boehmian theosophy and theosophy, refers to a range of positions within Christianity that focus on the attainment of direct, unmediated knowledge of the nature of divinity and the origin and purpose of the unive ...
*
Hinduism and Theosophy
Hinduism is regarded by modern Theosophy as one of the main sources of "esoteric wisdom" of the East. The Theosophical Society was created in a hope that Asian philosophical-religious ideas "could be integrated into a grand religious synthesis." ...
*
Theosophy and Western philosophy
Modern Theosophy is classified by prominent representatives of Western philosophy as a "pantheistic philosophical-religious system." Russian philosopher Vladimir Trefilov claimed that Blavatsky's doctrine was formed from the beginning as a syn ...
* "
Is Theosophy a Religion?"
* "
The Esoteric Character of the Gospels
"The Esoteric Character of the Gospels" is an article published in three parts: in November-December 1887, and in February 1888, in the theosophical magazine ''Lucifer''; it was written by Helena Blavatsky. It was included in the 8th volume of t ...
"
* "
What Are The Theosophists?"
* "
What Is Theosophy?
"What Is Theosophy?" is an editorial published in October 1879 in the Theosophical magazine '' The Theosophist.'' It was compiled by Helena Blavatsky and included into the 2nd volume of the ''Blavatsky Collected Writings.'' According to a doctora ...
"
Notes
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Further reading
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External links
''The Grand Inquisitor,''trans. by Helena Blavatsky.
{{Theosophy series, state=collapsed
Christianity and other religions
Theosophy and other religions