Theosophy - Wikipedia Theosophy Part of a series on Theosophy Theosophy Traditional Theosophy Traditional Theosophy topics Active imagination Esoteric Christianity Hermeticism Imagination Kabbalah Nous Traditional and Christian Theosophy contributors William Walker Atkinson Franz von Baader Nikolai Berdyaev Jakob Boehme Johann Jakob Brucker Sergei Bulgakov Henry Corbin Karl von Eckartshausen Florence Farr Wassily Kandinsky G.R.S. Mead Paracelsus Ammonius Saccas Louis Claude de Saint - Martin Vladimir Solovyov Emanuel Swedenborg Related topics Alchemy Astrology Divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot Emanationism Esotericism Gnosticism Mysticism Neoplatonism and Gnosticism Occultism Spiritualism Transcendentalism Modern Theosophy Theosophical Society Founders Helena Blavatsky William Quan Judge Henry Steel Olcott Theosophists Annie Besant Robert Crosbie Abner Doubleday Geoffrey Hodson Wassily Kandinsky Archibald Keightley C.W. Leadbeater G.R.S. Mead Isabel Cooper - Oakley Subba Row William Scott - Elliot Alfred Percy Sinnett Rudolf Steiner Brian Stonehouse Katherine Tingley Ernest Wood Theosophical philosophical concepts Root races Round Seven rays Theosophical mysticism Theosophical organizations Theosophical Society Theosophical Society Adyar Theosophical Society in America ( Hargrove ) Theosophical Society Pasadena Theosophical Society Point Loma - Blavatskyhouse United Lodge of Theosophists Theosophical texts Isis Unveiled Secret Doctrine The Key to Theosophy Theosophical Masters Master Hilarion Master Jesus Maitreya Morya Kuthumi Paul the Venetian Sanat Kumara Serapis Bey St. Germain Related topics Agni Yoga Alice Bailey Anthroposophy Ascended Master Teachings Book of Dzyan Buddhism and Theosophy Emanationism Esotericism Glossary Initiation Jiddu Krishnamurti Liberal Catholic Church Lucifer magazine Masters of the Ancient Wisdom Mysticism Neo-Theosophy Order of the Star in the East The Theosophist Theosophy portal Theosophy is a collection of mystical and occultist philosophies concerning, or seeking direct knowledge of the presumed mysteries of life and nature, particularly of the nature of divinity and the origin and purpose of the universe. Theosophy is considered part of Western esotericism, which believes that hidden knowledge or wisdom from the ancient past offers a path to enlightenment and salvation. From the late 19th century onwards, the term theosophy has generally been used to refer to the religio - philosophic doctrines of the Theosophical Society, founded in New York City in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, William Quan Judge, and Henry Steel Olcott. Blavatsky 's major work, The Secret Doctrine ( 1888 ), was one of the foundational works of modern theosophy. As of 2015, members of organizations descended from, or related to, the Theosophical Society were active in more than 52 countries around the world. Modern theosophy has also given rise to, or influenced, the development of other mystical, philosophical, and religious movements. Contents 1 Etymology 2 Traditional and Christian theosophy 2.1 Antiquity and medieval ending c. 1450 CE 2.2 16th to 19th century 2.3 Common characteristics 3 Blavatskyan Theosophy and The Theosophical Society 3.1 The World Teacher Project 4 Post-Blavatskyan Theosophy and new religious movements 4.1 Influence 5 References 5.1 Notes 5.2 Citations 5.3 Bibliography 6 Further reading 7 External links Etymology Theosophy comes from the Greek theosophia ( θεοσοφία ), which combines theos ( θεός ), `` God '' and sophia ( σοφία ), `` wisdom '', meaning `` divine wisdom ''. The term theosophia appeared ( in both Greek and Latin ) in the works of early church fathers, as a synonym for theology : the theosophoi are `` those who know divine matters. '' The derived term theosophy was originally also a synonym for theology ; however, it acquired various other meanings throughout its history. The adjective `` theosophos '' ( θεόσοφος ) `` wise in divine things '' was applied by Iamblichus to the gymnosophists ( Γυμνοσοφισταί ), i.e. the Indian yogis or sadhus. According to Blavatsky : It comes to us from the Alexandrian philosophers, called lovers of truth, Philaletheians, from phil `` loving, '' and aletheia `` truth. '' The name Theosophy dates from the third century of our era, and began with Ammonius Saccas and his disciples, who started the Eclectic Theosophical system. -- Helena Blavatsky, The Key to Theosophy pp. 1 -- 2 Traditional and Christian theosophy See also : Transcendent theosophy, Christian theosophy, and Western occultism Antiquity and Medieval ending c. 1450 C.E. The term theosophy was used as a synonym for theology as early as the 3rd century C.E. The 13th century work Summa philosophiae attributed to Robert Grosseteste made a distinction between theosophers and theologians. In Summa, theosophers were described as authors only inspired by the holy books, while theologians like Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and Origen were described as persons whose task was to explain theosophy. Therefore, the terms were the opposite of the present - day meaning. In Jewish mysticism, the theosophical doctrinal system of Kabbalah ( Hebrew : `` received tradition '' ) emerged in late 12th - century southern France ( the book Bahir ), spreading to 13th - century Spain ( culminating in the late 13th - century book Zohar ). Kabbalah became the basis of later Jewish mystical development. The theosophical Kabbalah in Judaism was recast into its second version, Lurianic Kabbalah, in 16th - century Ottoman Palestine. From the Renaissance onwards, syncretic non-Jewish traditions of theological Christian Cabala and magical Hermetic Qabalah studied the Judaic texts, incorporating its system into their different philosophies, where it remains a central component of Western esotericism. Gershom Scholem, the founder of Jewish mysticism academia, saw Medieval and Lurianic Kabbalah as the incorporation into Judaism of Gnostic motifs, though interpreted strictly monotheistically. At the centre of Kabbalah are the 10 Sephirot powers in the divine realm, their unification being the task of man. In Lurianism, man redeems the sparks of holiness in materiality, rectifying the divine persona from its primordial exile. 16th to 19th century During the Renaissance, use of the term diverged to refer to gnostic knowledge that offers the individual enlightenment and salvation through a knowledge of the bonds that are believed to unite her or him to the world of divine or intermediary spirits. Christian theosophy arose in Germany in the 16th century. Inspired to a considerable extent by the works of Paracelsus ( 1493 -- 1541 ).. The term had not yet reached a settled meaning, however, as the mid-16th century Theosophia by Johannes Arboreus provided a lengthy exposition that included no mention of esotericism. The work of the 17th - century German Christian mystic Jakob Boehme ( 1575 -- 1624 ) strongly contributed to spread the use of the word `` theosophy '', even though Boehme rarely used the word in his writings. It is on account of the title of some of his works, but these titles appear to have been chosen more by the editors than by Boehme himself. Moreover, Boehme gave the word `` theosophy '' a limited meaning, making it clear that he was not conflating nature with God. There were relatively few theosophers in the 17th century, but many of them were prolific. Outside of Germany, there were also theosophers from Holland, England, and France. This group is represented by Jan Baptist van Helmont ( 1618 -- 1699 ), Robert Fludd ( 1574 -- 1637 ), John Pordage ( 1608 -- 1681 ), Jane Leade ( 1623 -- 1704 ), Henry More ( 1614 -- 1687 ), Pierre Poiret ( 1646 -- 1719 ), and Antoinette Bourignon ( 1616 -- 1680 ). Theosophers of this period often inquired into nature using a method of interpretation founded upon a specific myth or revelation, applying active imagination in order to draw forth symbolic meanings and further their pursuit of knowledge toward a complete understanding of these mysteries. In Athanasius Kircher 's Oedipus Aegyptiacus ( 1652 ), Kircher assigned the word theosophy to the metaphysics adhered to in ancient Egypt, and to Neo-Platonism, and thus he gave once again the word one of its most generally accepted meanings, that of divine metaphysics. In the 18th century, the word theosophy came into more widespread use among some philosophers. However, the term `` theosophy '' was still `` practically absent '' throughout the entire eighteenth century in dictionaries and encyclopedias, where it only appeared more and more frequently beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century. Theosophers themselves used the word theosophy sparingly, at least up until the middle of the nineteenth century. Johann Jakob Brucker ( 1696 -- 1770 ) included a long chapter on theosophy in his monumental work Historia critica philosophia. ( 1741 ). He included theosophers alongside other currents in esotericism in what was then a standard reference in the history of philosophy. By the 18th century, the word theosophy was often used in conjunction with panosophy, i.e., a knowledge of divine things that is acquired by deciphering the supposed hieroglyphics of the concrete universe. The term theosophy is more properly reserved for the reverse process of contemplating the divine in order to discover the content of the concrete universe. In England, Robert Hindmarsh, a printer with a Methodist background, formed a `` Theosophical Society '' in 1783, for translating, printing and distributing the writings of Swedenborg. This society was renamed in 1785 as `` The British Society for the Propagation of the Doctrines of the New Church '', consisting of Swedenborgian based beliefs. In France, Denis Diderot gave the word theosophie more attention than other encyclopedias of this period by including an article on it in his Encyclopédie, published during the French Enlightenment. The article dealt mostly with Paracelsus and essentially plagiarized Brucker 's `` Historia ''. Groups such as the Martinist Order founded by Papus in 1891, followed the theosophical current closely linked to the Judeo - Christian - Islamic tradition and Western esotericism. Theosophers outside of the initiate societies included people such as Vladimir Solovyov ( 1853 -- 1900 ), whose views have been described as follows : `` although empiricism and rationalism rest on false principles, their respective objective contents, external experience, qua the foundation of natural science, and logical thought, qua the foundation of pure philosophy, are to be synthesized or encompassed along with mystical knowledge in ' integral knowledge, ' what Solovyov terms ' theosophy. ' '' Common characteristics Theosophy actually designates a specific flow of thought or tradition within the modern study of esotericism. Thus, it follows the path starting from the more modern period of the 15th century onward. Faivre describes the `` theosophic current '' or theosophy as a single esoteric current among seven other esoteric currents in early modern Western thought ( i.e., alchemy, astrology, Neo-Alexandrian Hermeticism, Christian Kabbalah, Paracelsism ( i.e., the studying of the `` prognostications '' of Paracelsus ), philosophia occulta and Rosicrucianism ). Christian theosophy is an under - researched area ; a general history of it has never been written. Faivre noted that there are `` obvious similarities '' between earlier theosophy and modern Theosophy as both play an important part in Western esotericism and both claim to deal with wisdom from a gnostic perspective. But he says there are also differences, since they do not actually rely on the same reference works ; and their style is different. The referential corpus of earlier theosophy `` belongs essentially to the Judeo - Christian type '', while that of modern Theosophy `` reveals a more universal aspect ''. Although there are many differences between Christian theosophy and the Theosophical movement begun by Helena Blavatsky, the differences `` are not important enough to cause an insurmountable barrier. '' When referring to the ideas related to Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society, the word `` Theosophy '' is capitalized ; otherwise it is not. Theosophy and theosophists refer to Blavatsky 's philosophy while theosophy and theosophers refer to Christian theosophy. Some Theosophists were also theosophers. Blavatsky linked her use of the word theosophy to the Neoplatonists and Ammonius Saccas, rather than to the later Christian theosophers. Theosophers engage in analysis of the universe, humanity, divinity, and the reciprocal effects of each on the other. The starting point for theosophers may be knowledge of external things in the world or inner experiences and the aim of the theosopher is to discover deeper meanings in the natural or divine realm. Antoine Faivre notes, `` the theosophist dedicates his energy to inventing ( in the word 's original sense of ' discovering ' ) the articulation of all things visible and invisible, by examining both divinity and nature in the smallest detail. '' The knowledge that is acquired through meditation is believed to change the being of the meditator. Faivre identified three characteristics of theosophy. The three characteristics of theosophy are listed below. Theosophy : Divine / Human / Nature Triangle : The inspired analysis which circles through these three angles. The intradivine within ; the origin, death and placement of the human relating to Divinity and Nature ; Nature as alive, the external, intellectual and material. All three complex correlations synthesize via the intellect and imaginative processes of Mind. Primacy of the Mythic : The creative Imagination, an external world of symbols, glyphs, myths, synchronicities and the myriad, along with image, all as a universal reality for the interplay conjoined by creative mind. Access to Supreme Worlds : The awakening within, inherently possessing the faculty to directly connect to the Divine world ( s ). The existence of a special human ability to create this connection. The ability to connect and explore all levels of reality ; co-penetrate the human with the divine ; to bond to all reality and experience a unique inner awakening. Blavatskyan theosophy and the Theosophical Society The emblem of the Theosophical Society See also : Theosophy ( Blavatskian ), Theosophical Society, and Theosophical mysticism The Theosophical Society was founded in New York City in 1875 with the motto, `` There is no Religion higher than Truth ''. Its principal founding members were Helena Petrovna Blavatsky ( 1831 -- 1891 ), Henry Steel Olcott ( 1832 -- 1907 ), and William Quan Judge ( 1851 -- 1896 ). After several changes and iterations its declared objectives became the following : To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color. To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy, and Science. To investigate the unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man. The emblem of the Theosophical Society includes seven symbols of particular importance to the Society 's symbology : 1 ) the motto of the Society ; 2 ) a serpent biting its tail ( ouroboros ) ; 3 ) the swastika ; 4 ) the hexagram ; 5 ) the cruxansata ( Ankh ) ; 6 ) the pin of the Society, composed of crux ansata and serpent entwined, forming together `` T.S. '', and 7 ) Om ( or aum ). The seal of the Society contains all of these symbols, except aum, and thus contains, in symbolic form, the doctrines its members follow. The Society was organized as a non-proselytizing, non-sectarian entity. Blavatsky and Olcott ( the first President of the Society ) moved from New York to Bombay, India, in 1878. The International Headquarters of the Society was eventually established in Adyar, a suburb of Madras. The original organization, after splits and realignments, has ( as of 2011 ) several offshoots ; all of them accept the three objectives above, and the precepts put forth by Blavatsky. Blavatsky was influential on spiritualism and related subcultures : `` The western esoteric tradition has no more important figure in modern times. '' Helena Blavatsky was a charismatic, unconventional and controversial woman of mixed Russian and German descent, who had travelled extensively ; she became the major proponent of both theoretical and practical Theosophy. Since its inception, and through doctrinal assimilation or divergence, Theosophy has also given rise to or influenced the development of other mystical, philosophical, and religious movements. Following Blavatsky 's death, disagreements among prominent Theosophists caused a series of splits and several Theosophical organizations emerged. One successor of the original Society is as of 2011 known as the Theosophical Society Adyar. After a split in 1895, William Quan Judge established a Theosophical organization in New York City which later eventually moved to Pasadena, California. It is known as of 2011 as the Theosophical Society Pasadena. The latter split yet again ; another Theosophical organization, the United Lodge of Theosophists was the result, formed by Robert Crosbie in 1909. Contemporaries of Blavatsky, including William Quan Judge and Alfred Percy Sinnett, and later exponents have contributed to the development of this Theosophy, producing works that at times expanded on the original concepts. Through the various Theosophical Societies and Organizations, Theosophy remains an active philosophical school with presences in more than 50 countries around the world. The world Teacher Project Main articles : Maitreya ( Theosophy ) and Order of the Star in the East During the 1890s and 1900s, the international leadership of the Adyar Society and their circle became increasingly convinced that the appearance of an `` emissary '' from the Spiritual Hierarchy was imminent ; the expected emissary was further identified as the so - called World Teacher or Maitreya, originally by Leadbeater, who `` discovered '' fourteen - year - old Jiddu Krishnamurti ( 1895 -- 1986 ) as the entity 's probable `` vehicle ''. Krishnamurti was groomed extensively for his expected messianic role, and a new organization, the Order of the Star in the East ( OSE ), was formed in 1911 to support him in this mission. The project received widespread publicity and enjoyed worldwide following, chiefly among Adyar Theosophists. It also encountered opposition within and without the Theosophical Society, and contributed or led to years of upheaval, power struggles and doctrinal schism within Theosophy. Additional negative repercussions occurred in 1929, when Krishnamurti repudiated the messianic status claimed on his behalf and dissolved the OSE ; soon after he severed ties with the Society and Theosophy in general. The adverse reactions and mixed publicity generated by the entire World Teacher Project, and especially by its demise and aftermath, damaged the standing of Theosophy and of its institutions. However, Krishnamurti eventually established a worldwide reputation as an original and respected independent speaker and thinker on spiritual and philosophical issues. Post-blavatskyan theosophy and New religious movements Main article : Neo-Theosophy Contemporaries of Blavatsky, as well as later theosophists, contributed to the development of this school of theosophical thought, producing works that at times sought to elucidate the ideas she presented ( see Gottfried de Purucker ), and at times to expand upon them. Since its inception, and through doctrinal assimilation or divergence, Theosophy has also given rise to or influenced the development of other mystical, philosophical, and religious movements. During the two decades that followed the death of Blavatsky, a number of leading Theosophists expanded or reinterpreted her own and other theosophical works. Prominent among them were Charles Webster Leadbeater ( 1854 -- 1934 ), then considered the Society 's main occult investigator, and Annie Besant ( 1847 -- 1933 ), who became the International President of the Society in 1907, following the death of Olcott. Some of their ( and others ' ) prolific commentaries and newly introduced concepts became subjects of doctrinal debate and dispute ; dissidents charged them with straying from Theosophical orthodoxy and derisively labeled such works Neo-Theosophy. However, in later usage the term came to signify presumed theosophical or quasi-theosophical thought advanced by people not directly connected to the Theosophical movement or its institutions, especially former Theosophist Alice Bailey and groups associated with her ; and also the people and organizations mentioned below under the heading New Age Movement. G.R.S. Mead was an early Theosophist. In 1909 he resigned from the Theosophical Society which was Orientalist. Prior to his break from the Society Mead had already begun emphasizing sources from the Western esoteric tradition in his writing. Mead was among the first Theosophists to explicate a `` ' Western ' theosophy deriving from Alexandrian and Hellenistic sources in the early centuries A.D. '' Influence The book The Voice of the Silence presented by Blavatsky to Leo Tolstoy Following During the 1920s the Theosophical Society Adyar had around 7,000 members in the United States. According to a Theosophical source, the Indian section in 2008 was said to have around 13,000 members while in the US the 2008 membership was reported at around 3,900. India and Sri Lanka The Theosophical Society Adyar was closely linked to the Indian independence movement : the Indian National Congress was founded across the street in 1885 during a Theosophical conference, and many of its leaders, including M.K. Gandhi were associated with Theosophy. However, Hindu spiritual teacher and leader Swami Vivekananda has criticized Theosophy and Theosophists. Some early members of the Theosophical Society were closely linked to the Indian independence movement, including Allan Octavian Hume, Annie Besant and others. Hume was particularly involved in the founding of the Indian National Congress. The Theosophical Society had a major influence on Buddhist modernism and Hindu reform movements, and the spread of those modernised versions in the west. Main article : Buddhist modernism Blavatsky and Olcott took part in Anagarika Dharmapala 's revival of Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon. Anthroposophy Rudolf Steiner, head of the German branch of the Theosophical Society in the early part of the 20th century, disagreed with the Adyar - based international leadership of the Society over several doctrinal matters including the so - called World Teacher Project ( see above ). Steiner left the Theosophical Society in 1913 to promote his own theosophy - influenced philosophy, which he called Anthroposophy, through a new organization, the Anthroposophical Society ; the great majority of German - speaking members of the Theosophical Society joined the newly formed Anthroposophical Society. New Age movement The present - day New Age movement is said to be based to a considerable extent on original Theosophical tenets and ideas. `` No single organization or movement has contributed so many components to the New Age Movement as the Theosophical Society... It has been the major force in the dissemination of occult literature in the West in the twentieth century. '' Other organizations loosely based on Theosophical texts and doctrines include the Agni Yoga, and a group of religions based on Theosophy called the Ascended Master Teachings : the `` I AM '' Activity, The Bridge to Freedom and The Summit Lighthouse, which evolved into the Church Universal and Triumphant. These various offshoots dispute the authenticity of their rivals. Scholarship Scholar Alvin Boyd Kuhn wrote his thesis, Theosophy : A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom, on the subject -- the first instance in which an individual obtained his doctorate with a thesis on Theosophy. It can called also Olav Hammer 's and Arnold Kalnitsky 's doctoral dissertations ( in 2000 and in 2003 respectively ). Art, music, literature Artists and authors who investigated Theosophy include Talbot Mundy, Charles Howard Hinton, Geoffrey Hodson, James Jones, H.P. Lovecraft, and L. Frank Baum. Composer Alexander Scriabin was a Theosophist whose beliefs influenced his music, especially by providing a justification or rationale for his chromatic language. Scriabin devised a quartal synthetic chord, often called his `` mystic '' chord, and before his death Scriabin planned a multimedia work to be performed in the Himalayas that would bring about the armageddon ; `` a grandiose religious synthesis of all arts which would herald the birth of a new world. '' This piece, Mysterium, was never realized, due to his death in 1915. Leonid Sabaneyev, in his book Reminiscences about Scriabin ( 1925 ), wrote that The Secret Doctrine and journals `` Bulletin of theosophy '' constantly were on Scriabin 's work table. Scriabin reread The Secret Doctrine very carefully and marked the most important places with a pencil. Artists reported to be Theosophists were Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. Blavatsky presented her book The Voice of the Silence, The Seven gates, Two Paths to Leo Tolstoy. In his works, Tolstoy used the dicta from the theosophical journal Theosophischer Wegweiser. In his diary, he wrote on 12 February 1903, `` I am reading a beautiful theosophical journal and find many common with my understanding. '' See also : Thought - Forms ( book ) § Thought - Forms and modern arts References Notes Jump up ^ Societies and organizations include, but are not limited to, the Theosophical Society, Adyar ( 1 ), the Theosophical Society, Pasadena ( 2 ), and the United Lodge of Theosophists ( 3 ) Jump up ^ For mention of the 1783 Theosophical Society, see Odhner, Carl T., ed. ( 1898 ). Annals of the New Church. Philadelphia : Academy of the New Church. pp. 119 -- 120, 122 -- 123, 125, 127, 140, 219, 297, 314, 330, 405. OCLC 680808382. Jump up ^ Some of the later works have become the focus of, or have contributed to, lively discussion among leading proponents of Theosophy, and on occasion have led to serious doctrinal disputes. Jump up ^ Some of the later works have become the focus of, or have contributed to, lively discussion among leading proponents of Theosophy, and on occasion have led to serious doctrinal disputes. See Neo-Theosophy. Jump up ^ Some of the later works have become the focus of, or have contributed to, lively discussion among leading proponents of Theosophy, and on occasion have led to serious doctrinal disputes. See Neo-Theosophy. Jump up ^ For more about how Scriabin was influenced by Blavatsky, see Adamenko, Victoria ( 2007 ) ( 2006 ). Neo-mythologism in music : from Scriabin and Schoenberg to Schnittke and Crumb. Interplay series. 5. Hillsdale, NY : Pendagon Press. pp. 152 -- 154. ISBN 9781576471258. Citations Jump up ^ Huss, Boaz ( 2013 ), `` Forward, to the East : Mapthali Herz Imber 's Perception of Kabbalah '', Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 12 ( 3 ) : 398, doi : 10.1080 / 14725886.2013. 826464 Jump up ^ Hanegraaff, Wouter J ( 2013 ), Western Esotericism : A Guide for the Perplexed, London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 35, 99, ISBN 9781441146748, LCCN 2012019254, OCLC 777652932 Jump up ^ Blavatsky 1888 ^ Jump up to : Melton 1990, xxv -- xxvi Jump up ^ Liddell and Scott : Greek - English Lexicon ^ Jump up to : Lobel 2007, p. 27 ^ Jump up to : Faivre 1987 ^ Jump up to : Faivre, Antoine ( 1994 ). Access to Western Esotericism. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0791421783. Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 4 Jump up ^ Iamblichus ( De mysteriis 7.1 ). Jump up ^ The Jewish Religion : A Companion, Louis Jacobs, Oxford University Press 1995 ; entry on Kabbalah Jump up ^ Kabbalah : A Very Short Introduction, Joseph Dan, Oxford University Press ; chapters on Medieval and Lurianic Kabbalah Jump up ^ Faivre, Antoine ( 1994 ). Access to Western Esotericism. State University of New York Press. p. 8. ISBN 0791421783. Jump up ^ Faivre 1987, p. 465 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 13, see also p. 19 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 13 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, pp. 10 -- 11 Faivre 's list of 17th century theosophers in North - Western Europe ( including Germany ) consists of roughly ten names. Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 10 - 11 Henry More is added to the list by Faivre with some reservations Jump up ^ OED 1989 v. XVII, p. 903. Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 14 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 47 ( Diderot is the one exception Faivre mentions ) Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 24 Jump up ^ Faivre 1987, p. 467 Jump up ^ Hindmarsh, Robert, Rise and Progress of The New Jerusalem Church In England, America and Other Parts, Hoderson and Sons, London 1861 ; ISBN 1 - 4021 - 3146 - 1. Online ( 4 ) Jump up ^ Rix 2007, p. 98. Jump up ^ Goodrick - Clarke 2008, pp. 168 - 169. Jump up ^ Faivre 1987, p. 466 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, pp. 18 -- 19 Jump up ^ Nemeth IEP Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 32 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 31, also xxx. ( Preface ) Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, pp. 4 -- 5 Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, p. 5 Faivre quotes and agrees with Jean - Louis Siémons. Jump up ^ Blavatsky, H.P. ( 1889 ). The Key to Theosophy. p. Section 1 `` The name Theosophy dates from the third century of our era, and began with Ammonius Saccas and his disciples ( 1 ), who started the Eclectic Theosophical system. ''. Jump up ^ Williamson, Lola ( 2010 ). Transcendent in America : Hindu - Inspired Meditation Movements ( HIMM ) as New Religion. New York, NY : New York University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8147 - 9449 - 4. Jump up ^ Faivre 2000, pp. 7 -- 8 Jump up ^ Blavatsky 1888, p. xli ( Volume I : Introduction ). `` In other words -- ' THERE IS NO RELIGION ( OR LAW ) HIGHER THAN TRUTH ' -- ' SATYÂT NÂSTI PARO DHARMAH ' -- the motto of the Maharajah of Benares, adopted by the Theosophical Society. '' Jump up ^ Kuhn 1992, pp. 63 - 64. Jump up ^ Nilakant 1886. Jump up ^ Olcott 1891. `` Article I : Constitution : 4. The Theosophical Society is absolutely unsectarian, and no assent to any formula of belief, faith or creed shall be required as a qualification of membership ; but every applicant and member must lie in sympathy with the effort to create the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity. '' Jump up ^ Blavatsky 1888b. Jump up ^ Johnson 1994. Jump up ^ Davenport - Hines 2004 Jump up ^ Wood 1964. Eyewitness account of Krishnamurti 's `` discovery '', and comments on related events and controversies, by one of Leadbeater 's close associates. Jump up ^ Tillet 1986, pp. 506 -- 553 ( Volume I : `` Chapter 15 : Conflict over Krishnamurti '' ). Information on the contemporary controversies regarding Krishnamurti, inside and outside the Theosophical Society. See also Anthroposophy in this page. Jump up ^ Campbell 1980, p. 130 ; Vernon 2001, pp. 188 -- 189, 268 -- 270 ; see also alpheus 2001. Jump up ^ Melton 1990, xxv -- xxvi. Jump up ^ Thomas 2003. Jump up ^ Goodrick - Clarke, Claire and Nicholas ( 2005 ). G.R.S. Mead and the Gnostic Quest. North Atlantic Books. pp. 9, 19 and 32. ISBN 155643572X. Jump up ^ Tillet 1986, pp. 942 -- 947 ( Volume III : `` Appendix 4 : Membership of the Theosophical Society '' ). Jump up ^ TIS 2009 Jump up ^ Bevir, Mark ( 2001 ). `` Theosophy as a Political Movement ''. Alpheus.org. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016. Jump up ^ STRAY REMARKS ON THEOSOPHY Jump up ^ Кранстон 1999, sect. 5 / 1. ^ Jump up to : McMahan 2008. Jump up ^ Gombrich 2006, pp. 136 - 140. Jump up ^ Fields 1992, pp. 83 -- 118. Jump up ^ Rudolf Steiner 's book Theosophy, An Introduction to Supersensible Knowledge of the World and the Destination of Man ( published in German as, `` Theosophie. Einfuerung in uebersinnliche Welterkenntnis und Menschenbestimmung '' ), first appeared in 1904 ( 5 ) Jump up ^ Rudolf Steiner, Theosophy of the Rosicrucian, lectures given in 1907 ( 6 ) Jump up ^ Melton 1990, pp. 458 -- 461. Note `` Chronology of the New Age Movement '' pp. xxxv -- xxxviii in same work, starts with the formation of the Theosophical Society in 1875 ; see also Lewis & Melton 1992, xi. Jump up ^ Kuhn 1992. Jump up ^ Hammer 2003. Jump up ^ Kalnitsky 2003. Jump up ^ Carter 1998. Jump up ^ Minderovic 2011 ; Кранстон 1999, sect. 7 / 4 - 6 Jump up ^ Сабанеев, Леонид Л., ed. ( 2000 ). Воспоминания о Скрябине. Москва : Классика - XXI. pp. 63, 173, 241. Jump up ^ Schloezer, Boris de ( 1923 ). A. Skrjabin. 1. Berlin : Grani. p. 27. OCLC 723767921. Цит. по : Бандура А. И. А. Н. Скрябин и Е. П. Блаватская / / 175 лет со дня рождения Е. П. Блаватской. Материалы Международной научно - общественной конференции. -- Санкт - Петербургское отделение Международного Центра Рерихов, Санкт - Петербург, 2006 г. -- С. 120 ( А. И. Бандура -- кандидат искусствоведения, председатель музыкально - философского общества имени А. Н. Скрябина, Москва ) Jump up ^ Толстой 1955, p. 67. Jump up ^ Толстой 1935, p. 155. Bibliography Blavatsky, Helena ( 1888 ). The Secret Doctrine : The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy. London : The Theosophical Publishing Company. -- -- -- -- ( November 1888 ). `` Is Theosophy a Religion ? ''. Lucifer. London : Theosophical Publishing Company. 3 ( 15 ) : 177 -- 187. -- -- -- -- ( 1889 ). The Key to Theosophy. London : The Theosophical Publishing Company. Carter, Steven R. ( 1998 ). James Jones : an American literary orientalist master. Urbana, Il and Chicago : University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0 - 252 - 02371 - 4. Davenport - Hines, Richard ( Jan 2011 ) ( 2004 ). `` Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna ( 1831 -- 1891 ) ''. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography ( online ed. ). Oxford University Press. doi : 10.1093 / ref : odnb / 40930. ( Subscription or UK public library membership required. ) Faivre, Antoine ( 1987 ). `` Theosophy ''. In Eliade, Mircea ; Adams, Charles J. The encyclopedia of religion. 14. New York : Macmillan. ISBN 9780029094808. Faivre, Antoine ( 2000 ). Theosophy, imagination, tradition : studies in western esotericism. SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions. Translated by Christine Rhone. Albany, NY : State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791444351. Fields, Rick ( 1992 ) ( 1981 ). How the swans came to the lake : a narrative history of Buddhism in America ( 3rd rev. and updated ed. ). Boston ; London : Shambhala Publications. ISBN 0 - 87773 - 583 - 2. Gombrich, Richard F. ( 2006 ) ( 1988 ). Theravāda Buddhism : a social history from ancient Benares to modern Colombo. Library of religious beliefs and practices ( Reprint of 1st ed. ). London ; New York : Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0 - 415 - 07585 - 8. Goodrick - Clarke, Nicholas ( 2008 ). The Western Esoteric Traditions. New York : Oxford University Press. Godwin, Joscelyn ( 1994 ). The theosophical enlightenment. SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions. State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791421512. Hammer, Olav ( 2003 ) ( 2001 ). Claiming Knowledge : Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age ( PhD thesis ). Studies in the history of religions. Boston : Brill. ISBN 9789004136380. Hanegraaff, Wouter J. ( 2006 ). `` Esotericism ''. In Hanegraaff, Wouter J. The dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism. Leiden ( u.a. ) : Brill. Johnson, K. Paul ( 1994 ). The masters revealed : Madame Blavatsky and the myth of the Great White Lodge. SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions. Albany : State University of New York Press. ISBN 0 - 7914 - 2063 - 9. Kalnitsky, Arnold ( 2003 ). The Theosophical Movement of the Nineteenth Century : The Legitimation of the Disputable and the Entrenchment of the Disreputable ( PDF ) ( D. Litt. et Phil. thesis ). Promoter Dr H.C. Steyn. Pretoria : University of South Africa ( published 2009 ). OCLC 732370968. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 14 -- via Unisa ETD. Kuhn, Alvin Boyd ( 1992 ) ( Originally published 1930 ). Theosophy : A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom ( PhD thesis ). American religion series : Studies in religion and culture. Whitefish, MT : Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 56459 - 175 - 3. Retrieved 14 June 2016. Lewis, James R. ; Melton, J. Gordon, eds. ( 1992 ). Perspectives on the New Age. SUNY series in religious studies. Albany : State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791412138. Retrieved 15 June 2016. Lobel, Diane ( 2007 ). A Sufi - Jewish dialogue : philosophy and mysticism in Baḥya Ibn Paqūda 's `` Duties of the heart ''. Jewish culture and contexts. Philadelphia, PA : University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 27. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8122 - 3953 - 9. Melton, J. Gordon, ed. ( 1990 ). New Age Encyclopedia. Farmington Hills, Michigan : Gale Research. ISBN 0 - 8103 - 7159 - 6. Minderovic, Zoran ( 2011 ). `` Alexander Scriabin ( Biography ) ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 15 June 2016. Nemeth, Thomas. `` Vladimir Solovyov ''. In Fieser, James ; Dowden, Bradley Harris. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Martin, TN : University of Tennessee at Martin. ISSN 2161 - 0002. Archived from the original on 2014 - 11 - 08. Oxford English Dictionary. 17. Oxford University Press. 1989. p. 903. McMahan, David L. ( 2008 ), The Making of Buddhist Modernism, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195183276 Nilakant ( May 1886 ). Judge, William Q., ed. `` Theosophical symbolism ''. The path. New York : W.Q. Judge. 1 ( 2 ) : 51. LCCN 2003221012. Transcribed in `` Theosophical symbolism ''. Pasadena : theosociety.org. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2016. Olcott, Henry S. ( January 1891 ). `` Constitution and Rules of the Theosophical Society ''. The Theosophist. 12 ( 4 ) : 65 -- 72. ISSN 0040 - 5892. As Revised in Session of the General Council, all the Sections being represented, at Adyar, December 27, 1890 Rix, Robert ( 2007 ). William Blake and the cultures of radical Christianity. Burlington, VT ( u.a. ) : Ashgate. ISBN 9780754656005. Santucci, James A. ( 2005 ). `` The Theosophical Society ''. In Lewis, James R. ; Aagaard Petersen, Jesper. Controversial new religions. Oxford ( u.a. ) : Oxford University Press. doi : 10.1093 / 019515682X. 003.0012. ISBN 9780195156829. Sellon, Emily ( 1987 ). `` Blavatsky, H.P. ''. In Eliade, Mircea ; Adams, Charles J. The encyclopedia of religion. 2. New York : Macmillan. pp. 245 -- 246. ISBN 9780029094808. `` Theosophical Society Membership Statistics 2007 / 2008 ''. teozofija.info. Theosophy in Slovenia. January 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2016. Thomas, Margaret ( 2003 ). `` Theosophy Versus Neo-Theosophy ''. blavatskyarchives.com. Blavatsky Study Center. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 15. Tillett, Gregory J. ( 1986 ). Charles Webster Leadbeater 1854 -- 1934 : a biographical study ( PhD thesis ). Sydney : University of Sydney ( published 2007 ). OCLC 220306221 -- via Sydney Digital Theses. Кранстон, С. ( 1999 ) ( 1996 ). Данилов, Леонид Л., ed. Е. П. Блаватская : Жизнь и творчество основательницы современного теософского движения ( HPB : the extraordinary life and influence of Helena Blavatsky, founder of the modern Theosophical movement ) ( in Russian ) ( 2nd ed. ). Рига : Лигатма. ISBN 5 - 7738 - 0017 - 9. Толстой, Лев Н. ( 1935 ). Чертков, Владимир Г., ed. Полное собрание сочинений ( in Russian ). 54. Moscow : Гос. изд - во худож. лит - ры. LCCN 51015050. OCLC 6321531. -- -- ( 1955 ). Чертков, Владимир Г., ed. Полное собрание сочинений ( in Russian ). 80. Moscow : Гос. изд - во худож. лит - ры. LCCN 51015050. OCLC 6321531. Further reading Powell, A.E. The Solar System : A Complete Outline of the Theosophical Scheme of Evolution London : 1930 The Theosophical Publishing House Antes, Peter ; Geertz, Armin W. ; Warne, Randi Ruth, eds. ( 2004 ). New approaches to the study of religion : regional, critical, and historical approaches. Religion and reason. 42. Berlin ; New York : Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978 - 3 - 11 - 017698 - 8. Ellwood, Robert S. ( 1986 ). Theosophy : a modern expression of the wisdom of the ages. Wheaton, IL : Theosophical Publishing House. p. 237. ISBN 0 - 8356 - 0607 - 4. Judge, William Q. ( 1893 ). The ocean of theosophy ( 2nd ed. ). New York : The Path. OCLC 262627129. Also republished, with errors corrected, as `` The ocean of theosophy '' ( PDF ). theosociety.org ( online ed. ). Pasedena : Theosophical University Press. 2011. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55700 - 213 - 6. Carlson, Maria. No Religion Higher than Truth : A History of the Theosophical Movement in Russia, 1875 -- 1922. Princeton : Princeton University Press, 1993. ISBN 0 - 691 - 05682 - X Ellwood, Robert S. ( 1986 ). Theosophy : a Modern Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages. Wheaton, Illinois : Theosophical Publishing House. ISBN 978 - 0835606073. Campbell, Bruce F. ( 1980 ). Ancient Wisdom Revived : History of the Theosophical Movement. Berkeley, California : University of California Press. ISBN 0 - 520 - 03968 - 8. Dixon, Joy ( 2003 ) ( 2001 ). Divine feminine : theosophy and feminism in England. Johns Hopkins University studies in historical and political science. Baltimore, MD : Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 9780801864995. Lavoie, Jeffrey D. ( 2012 ). The Theosophical Society : The History of a Spiritualist Movement. Greenwalt, Emmett A. ( 1978 ). California utopia : Point Loma, 1897 - 1942. Frithjof Schuon, Esoterism as a Principle and as a way. London : Perennial Books, 1990. ISBN 978 - 0900588235 Frithjof Schuon, Survey of Metaphysics and Esoterism. Bloomington, IN : World Wisdom, 2003. ISBN 978 - 0941532273 `` Solving the Mysteries Unknown : Borderland between Science and Mysticism constantly becoming Narrower as Nature 's Secrets are Unveiled '', Chicago Tribune, 8 September 1907, p. 52. Newspaper article describing contemporary principles of theosophy and their purported relationship with recent scientific discoveries. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Theosophy Wikisource has original text related to this article : Category : Theosophy Wikimedia Commons has media related to Theosophy. Theosophy portal Blavatsky Study Center -- Online Blavatsky Archive. Theosophical History -- Website associated with the independent, peer - reviewed journal of the same name. International Theosophical Centre, Naarden, The Netherlands Modern Theosophy Large collection of Theosophy related articles Concord Grove Press Publisher of theosophical texts `` Theosophy '' -- Entry from the online version of the Skeptics Dictionary. Theosophy Library Online -- Associated with the United Lodge of Theosophists, Phoenix, Arizona. Theosophical University Press Online Literature -- Associated with the Theosophical Society Pasadena. 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Question: who was the founder of theosophy which gave rise to many magical societies
Answer: Helena Blavatsky