Divine feminine
Subtitle: theosophy and feminism in England
By: Joy Dixon.
Series: The Johns Hopkins University studies in historical and political science ;; 119th ser., 1
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Baltimore, Md
Language: eng
Number of pages: 293
Subjects: Theosophical Society (Great Britain) -- History; Feminism -- Religious aspects -- Theosophical Society (Great Britain) -- History of doctrines; Feminism -- England -- History
Description: "Divine Feminine is the first full-length study of the relationship between alternative or esoteric spirituality and the feminist movement in England. Historian Joy Dixon examines the Theosophical Society's claims that women and the East were the repositories of spiritual forces which English men had forfeited in their scramble for material and imperial power. Theosophists produced arguments that became key tools in many feminist campaigns. Many women of the Theosophical Society became suffragists to promote the spiritualizing of politics, attempting to create a political role for women as a way to "sacralize the public sphere." Dixon also shows that theosophy provides much of the framework and the vocabulary for today's New Age movement. Many of the assumptions about class, race, and gender which marked the emergence of esoteric religions at the end of the nineteenth century continue to shape alternative spiritualities today."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-283) and index.