Defining Theosophy in the Twenty-First century

Authors

• René Pedersen University of Aarhus

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67333

Keywords:

Esotericism, Theosophy, Denmark, Occult sciences, Secret societies, Blavatsky, H P. (Helena Petrovna), 1831-1891, Religious change, Globalization, Pluralism, Religious

Abstract

The concept theosophy has been used by different theological and philosophical positions with different meaning throughout western history. The concept can therefore not be understood as a trans-historical or universal one, but must be specified whenever it is applied, since several theosophies have existed over time. Nonetheless, a specification is seldom provided when the term is and has been applied in recent decades by scholars as well as the general public. Most often when used today, the term is applied as synonymous to the theosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–91), co-founder of the Theosophical Society (TS) established in 1875; consequently tending to include only the TS as tradition when evaluating a given theosophical theme. However, focussing on tradition rather than on theology—that is, focussing on the founding tradition rather than also including groups practising according to theosophical dogma—can give rise to a number of problems, particularly when considering the theosophical situation today. Using a wider perspective when evaluating the theosophical situation today reveals a different picture—one that shows that theosophy is not dying out, but rather, experiencing a renaissance. One obvious question evolving from these reflections is whether this theosophy experiencing a renaissance is the same theosophy as the Blavatskian or ‘modern’ theosophy, as Emely B. Sellon and Renée Weber have classified it, or if it is to be considered as a new type or kind. The aim of this article is to discuss this question, looking at how theosophy has developed in Denmark over the last century; a country in which a theosophical renaissance has indeed been observed in recent years.