Tobias Churton (born 1960) is a British

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...

of Rosicrucianism,

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Gnosticism Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...

, and other

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 ...

movements. He has a Master's degree in Theology from Brasenose College, Oxford. He is a lecturer at

Exeter University , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

, and the author of ''Gnostic Philosophy, The Magus of Freemasonry, and Freemasonry'' and other works on

esotericism 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 ...

. Churton has made several television programmes, including '' Gnostics'', a four-part

drama-documentary Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typi ...

series made for Channel 4 (UK) by Border TV (together with an accompanying book) which was broadcast in 1987 and repeated in 1990. Churton's studies include critique of

heresiologists In theology or the history of religion, heresiology is the study of heresy, and heresiographies are writings about the topic. Heresiographical works were common in both medieval Christianity and Islam. Heresiology developed as a part of the emerg ...

' perceptions on the role of women in these "unorthodox" Christian movements. He has also written about John T. Desaguliers, and Rosicrucianism.Robert A. Gilbert (ed), Seeking the Light: Freemasonry and Initiatic Traditions S Chaitow - Journal for Research into Freemasonry and …, 2009 "... Tobias Churton's concise overview of the major figures and events of the Rosicrucian current offers a lively interpretation of their intentions, providing useful insight and pointing out the tragic irony that these same figures 'never wished their conception to devolve into some kind ..." Churton's biography of

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

was released in 2011. Subsequently, he has published four more biographical volumes on Crowley - ''The Beast in Berlin,'' ''Aleister Crowley in America,'' ''Aleister Crowley in India,'' and ''Aleister Crowley in England: The Return of the Great Beast,'' the last biography being due for release on 7 December 2021.

References

External links

The official website of Tobias Churton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Churton, Tobias Living people Academics of the University of Exeter 1960 births Western esotericism scholars