Academic literature on the topic 'Theosophy'
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Journal articles on the topic "Theosophy"
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Abed, Murtadha Atewa. "THE INFLUENCE OF THEOSOPHY ON MODERN PAINTING." American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research 4, no. 4 (April 1, 2024): 42–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/volume04issue04-07.
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An interesting subject that delves into the junction of spirituality, philosophy, and creative expression is the effect of Theosophy on contemporary painting. In the late 19th century, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky established the spiritual movement known as Theosophy. Theosophy is a belief system that seeks to discover the truth about the oneness of all faiths and delve further into the secrets of life, positing the existence of concealed realities beyond the material world. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Theosophy wielded a transformative influence on the field of contemporary art. Its principles were not just influential, but potent enough to reshape the work of even the most prominent painters. Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky is a testament to this; his journey was not just instrumental, but transformative in the ascent of abstract expressionism.Theosophical teachings resonated deeply with Kandinsky, echoing not just his profound spirituality, but his personal quest to uncover art's hidden significance. Theosophy posited the existence of concealed realities beyond the material world, placing not just a premium, but a profound importance on the spiritual facets of life. For Kandinsky, art was not just a portal, but a profound conduit for these higher realms, a conduit for the cosmic spirit to manifest. This profoundly impacted Kandinsky as he veered away from realistic imagery and delved into the realm of abstract painting. He aimed to articulate spiritual experiences and emotions through the medium of color and shape. For instance, in his painting 'Composition VII, 'Kandinsky used vibrant colors and dynamic shapes to convey a sense of spiritual energy and movement. Driven by the belief that art could convey profound, transcendent truths, his work progressively shed its symbolic nature. Famous for his geometric abstract paintings, Piet Mondrian was another artist impacted by Theosophy. Theosophy's principles of spiritual progress and cosmic oneness resonated with Mondrian's search for inner peace and a sense of cosmic order, which were crucial to his creative process. For instance, in his painting 'Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue, 'Mondrian used primary colors and straight lines to represent the harmony and balance he believed existed in the universe, a concept aligned with philosophical ideas. Beyond specific artists, the influence of Theosophy on contemporary art might be seen in more systemic currents like Abstract Expressionism and Symbolism. Some artists, like the symbolists, drew inspiration from the theosophical tradition's emphasis on introspection and mystical themes. Theosophy had not just a significant but a lasting impact on contemporary painting. It inspired painters to seek not just new ways but innovative ways of expressing themselves that went beyond traditional depictions. Modern painting's enduring legacy is not just profoundly rooted but intricately intertwined with theosophical ideas of spirituality, oneness, and inner change, which fostered not just the emergence but the flourishing of abstract and emotionally charged art forms, such as Wassily Kandinsky's abstract expressionism and Piet Mondrian's geometric abstraction, which aimed not just to convey, but to evoke spiritual and emotional experiences through non-representational forms.
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Pedersen, René. "Defining Theosophy in the Twenty-First century." Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis 20 (January 1, 2008): 139–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67333.
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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.
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Santucci, James A. "The Notion of Race in Theosophy." Nova Religio 11, no. 3 (February 1, 2008): 37–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/nr.2008.11.3.37.
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Discussions of race in the Theosophy of Helena P. Blavatsky and her followers sometimes evinces suggestions of racism. Any consideration of the topic, however, must be prefaced by defining whose Theosophy is being examined. Theosophy, as it is generally discussed by Theosophists, actually was introduced to the public by A. P. Sinnett's Esoteric Buddhism (1883), which in turn was based upon the letters of the Mahatmas or Masters Koot Hoomi and Morya to Sinnett. The doctrine of the root races and their various subdivisions is part of Theosophical teachings, but the primary source is Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine (1888). This article argues that race in Theosophy is understood as not being limited to physical characteristics; rather, the Theosophical discussion of race encompasses both physical and spiritual evolution. Race as interpreted in The Secret Doctrine is not racist in intent, and the races are seen as having one thing in common, the divine spark that ultimately makes all races the same in essence.
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OKADA, Akinori. "Theosophy and the Parsis." Bulletin of the Society for Near Eastern Studies in Japan 28, no. 2 (1985): 66–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.5356/jorient.28.2_66.
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Abdollah, Zahra. "Color in Islamic Theosophy." Journal of Islamic Philosophy 7 (2011): 35–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/islamicphil201175.
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Stašulāne, Anita. "ESOTERICISM AND POLITICS: THEOSOPHY." Via Latgalica, no. 2 (December 31, 2009): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.17770/latg2009.2.1604.
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Interference of esotericism and politics became apparent especially in the 19th century when the early socialists expected the coming of the Age of Spirit, and narratives about secret wisdom being kept in mysterious sacred places became all the more popular. Thus, the idea of the Age of Enlightenment underwent transformation: the world will be saved not by ordinary knowledge but by some special secret wisdom. In this context, Helena Blavatsky (1831–1891) developed the doctrine of Theosophy the ideas of which were overtaken by the next-generation theosophists including also the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947) and his spouse Helena Roerich (1879–1955) who developed a new form of Theosophy. The aim of this article is to analyse the interference between Theosophy and politics paying special attention to its historical roots, which, in the context of Roerich groups, are to be sought in the political activities of Nicholas Roerich, the founder of the movement. The following materials have been used in the analysis: first, writings of the founders of Agni Yoga or Teaching of Living Ethics; second, the latest studies in the history of Theosophy made in the available archives after the collapse of the soviet regime; third, materials obtained from the interviews of a field research (2006–2008). The author has made use of an interdisciplinary approach combining anthropological methods with the method of systematic analysis. The historical roots of the political activity of contemporary theosophists stretch into the political aspirations of Nicholas Roerich, the founder of Agni Yoga or Teaching of Living Ethics. Opening of the USSR secret archives and publication of several formerly inaccessible diaries and letters of theosophists offer an opportunity to study the “spiritual geopolitics” of the Roerichs. Setting off to his Central Asian expeditions (1925–1928; 1934–1935), Nicholas Roerich strived to implement the Great Plan, i.e. to found a New State that would stretch from Tibet to South Siberia comprising the territories governed by China, Mongolia, Tibet and the USSR. The new state was conceived as the kingdom of Shambhala on the earth, and in order to form this state, Nicholas Roerich aspired to acquire the support of various political systems. During the Tzarist Empire, the political world outlook of Nicholas Roerich was markedly monarchic. After the Bolshevik coup in Russia, the artist accepted the offer to work under the wing of the new power, but after his emigration to the West Roerich published extremely sharp articles against the Bolsheviks. In 1922, the Roerichs started to support Lenin considering him the messenger of Shambhala. Roerich’s efforts to acquire Bolshevik support culminated in 1926 when the Roerichs arrived in Moscow bringing a message by Mahatmas to the soviet government, a small case with earth for the Lenin Mausoleum from Burhan-Bulat and paintings in which Buddha Maitreya bore strong resemblance to Lenin. The plan of founding the Union of Eastern Republics, with Bolshevik support, failed, since about the year 1930 the soviet authorities changed their position concerning the politics of the Far East. Having ascertained that the Bolsheviks would not provide the anticipated support for the Great Plan, the Roerichs started to seek for contacts in the USA which provided funding for his second expedition (1934–1935). The Roerichs succeeded even in making correspondence (1934–1936) with President Roosevelt who paid much larger attention to Eastern states especially China than other presidents did. Their correspondence ceased when the Security Service of the USA grew suspicious about Roerich’s pro-Japanese disposition. Nicholas Roerich has sought for support to his political ambitions by all political regimes. In 1934, the Russian artist tried to ascertain whether German national socialists would support his efforts in Asia. It may seem that the plans of founding the Union of Oriental Republics have passed away along with Roerich; yet in 1991 his son Svyatoslav Roerich (1904–1993) pointed out once again that the Altai is a very important centre of the great future and Zvenigorod is still a great reality and a magnificent dream. Interference between esotericism and politics is observed also among Latvian theosophists: the soviet regime successfully made use of Roerich’s adherents propagating the communist ideology in the independent Republic of Latvia. In the 1920s and 1930s, the embassy of the USSR in Riga maintained close contacts with Roerich’s adherents in Latvia and made a strong pressure on the Latvian government not to ban the Roerich’s Museum Friend Society who actively propagated the success of soviet culture and economy. On 17 June 1940, the soviet army occupied the Republic of Latvia, and Haralds Lūkins, the son of the founder of the Roerich’s Museum Friend Society, was elected to the first government of the soviet Latvia. Nevertheless, involvement of theosophists in politics was unsuccessful, since after the official annexation of Latvia into the USSR, on 5 August 1940, all societies including the Roerich’s Museum Friend Society were closed. Since the members of the movement continued to meet regularly, in 1949, Haralds Lūkins was arrested as leader of an illegal organization. After the Second World War, theosophists were subjected to political repressions. Arrests of Roerich’s followers (1948–1951) badly impaired the movement. After rehabilitation in 1954, the repressed persons gradually returned from exile and kept on their illegal meetings in small groups. To regain their rights to act openly, Roerich’s followers started to praise Nicholas Roerich as a supporter of the soviet power. With the collapse of the soviet regime, Roerich’s followers in Latvia became legal in 1988 when the Latvian Roerich Society was restored which soon split up according to geopolitical orientation; therefore, presently in Latvia, there are the following organisations: Latvian Roerich Society, Latvian Department of the International Centre of the Roerichs, and Aivars Garda group or the Latvian National Front. A. Garda fused nationalistic ideas with Theosophy offering a special social reorganization – repatriation of the soviet-time immigrants and a social structure of Latvia that would be formed by at least 75% ethnic Latvians. Activity of A. Garda group, which is being criticized by other groups of theosophists, is a continuation of the interference between theosophical and political ideas practised by the Roerichs. Generally it is to be admitted that after the crush of the soviet regime, in theosophist groups, unclear political orientation between the rightists and leftists is observed, characterised by fairly radical ideas.
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Paull, John. "The Library of Rudolf Steiner: The Books in English." Journal of Social and Development Sciences 9, no. 3 (October 19, 2018): 21–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.22610/jsds.v9i3.2475.
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The New Age philosopher, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), was the most prolific and arguably the most influential philosopher of his era. He assembled a substantial library, of approximately 9,000 items, which has been preserved intact since his death. Most of Rudolf Steiner’s books are in German, his native language however there are books in other languages, including English, French, Italian, Swedish, Sanskrit and Latin. His library hosts more books in English than in any other foreign language. Steiner esteemed English as “a universal world languageâ€. The present paper identifies 327 books in English in Rudolf Steiner’s personal library. Fifty percent of the English-language books identified are categorized as Theosophy (n=164). Rudolf Steiner was the General Secretary of the German branch of the Theosophy Society from 1902, and he hived off his own Anthroposophy Society in 1912. The present study reveals that Steiner maintained his interest in theosophy throughout his life as he stayed up to date with the proliferating portfolio of Theosophy publications. The publication dates of Steiner’s Theosophy collection range from 1877 to 1923. The leading exponents of Theosophy in his day are well represented in Steiner’s collection, including Annie Besant (n=61), Charles Lead beater (n=13), William Westcott (n=13) and Helena Blavatsky (n=10). Of the other 50% of the Anglo-books identified, 20% are in the category of Religion (n=67), 10% are Social Science (n=33), 6% are Philosophy (n=21), 4% are Science (n=13), and 3% each are Anthroposophy (n=11), History (n=9) and Arts (n=9). The publication dates of Steiner’s Anglo-books span the period 1659 to 1925. This demonstrates that Steiner was acquiring Anglo-books right to the end of his life. Steiner’s library throws light on the development of the thoughts of this remarkable individual and the present paper reveals Steiner’s engagement throughout his life with the world of Anglo-publishing and thought.
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Raynova, Yvanka B. "The Painting "Confessions" of Nikolay Raynov." Labyrinth 20, no. 2 (March 15, 2019): 201. http://dx.doi.org/10.25180/lj.v20i2.144.
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The aim of the following paper is to show that it is not possible to penetrate into the depths of Nikolay Raynov's universe and to comprehend its wholeness, without posing and investigating the question about the origin or the foundation of his various creative occupations, i.e his novels, philosophic and theosophic writings, art history and critique, paintings, decorative design etc. This question is far too complex to be answered briefly without being simplified, and therefore two main directions will be articulated: the recption of Orphism developed in Plotinus' and Porphyry's Neoplatonism – which is the basis of modern Theosophy –, and the synthetic understanding of art, which puts Raynov's views in close proximity to Wassily Kandinsky and Nicholas Roerich.
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VERSLUIS, Arthur. "Christian Theosophy and Ancient Gnosticism." Studies in Spirituality 7 (January 1, 1997): 228–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.2143/sis.7.0.2004130.
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Davenport, Nancy. "Paul Sérusier: Art and Theosophy." Religion and the Arts 11, no. 2 (2007): 172–213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156852907x199161.
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AbstractThe art of Paul Sérusier and that of his artist friends has been interpreted in this essay as having its roots in the Theosophical themes prevalent in an interdependent circle of authors and spiritualists in 18th and 19th century France. These mystical thinkers were less concerned with the writings and indomitable presence of the acknowledged leading light of Theosophy Helena Petrovna Blavatsky than with a more specifically French national yearning for its imagined Celtic and traditionally Roman Catholic roots, smothered, in their view, by secular and materialistic modern sensibilities. Theosophy, “the essence of all doctrines, the inmost truth of all religions” as defined by the doyenne of French Theosophy Maria, Countess of Caithness and Duchess of Medina-Pomar, led Sérusier to seek elemental truth for his art in a remote inland village in Brittany where he painted for many years, to a Benedictine monastery on the Danube where formerly Nazarene artist/monks had created a system of drawing and painting believed to be based on the original design of the universe, and to the widely read text Les Grands Initiés (1899) by the mystic writer, Edouard Schuré. Sérusier's broad-reaching search for the Theosophical roots of art was one aspect of the fin de siècle malaise that led the arts out of the world into dreams.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Theosophy"
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Goldstein, Matthew Mulligan. "Theosophy, culture, and empire /." Digital version accessible at:, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.
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Hall, Julie. "The concept of reincarnation in theosophy." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.744779.
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This thesis is a historical analysis of the concept of reincarnation in the thought of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891), the chief theorist of the Theosophical Society, an esoteric movement established in New York in 1875. Developed in England, America and India, Theosophy drew on a range of sources including Hindu and Buddhist thought, Spiritualism, modem science and Western esoteric traditions such as Neoplatonism, Kabbalah and modem occultism. Theosophy has been highly influential, particularly in the development of contemporary alternative spiritualities and the New Age Movement. Drawing on other disciplines but working primarily as a historian of ideas, my research traces the development of Blavatsky’s theories of rebirth. Until 1879, she taught a doctrine of ascendant metempsychosis (meaning rebirth on higher worlds) combined with a theory of non-normative same soul reincarnation. After her move to India, she embraced a doctrine of normative reincarnation on this earth that still allowed for occasional ‘same soul’ reincarnation. I offer a reading of both Blavatsky’s earlier and later doctrines, including a detailed consideration o f their theology, internal logic, relation to other Theosophical concepts, position, and function within the wider Theosophical system. I provide an intellectual history that consists o f both a cultural and historical contextualisation and o f a source criticism based on the eighty or so most important texts that lie behind Blavatsky’s two major works Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888). My analysis includes a consideration of the relative influence of European and Oriental sources in Theosophical reincarnation, the construction of Blavatsky’s theory and the nature of her hermeneutic. This analysis of a small but significant portion of the Theosophical enterprise functions as a prism through which to view wider historical issues. The mature Theosophical doctrine of normative reincarnation may be considered an emblem for the encounter between the English-speaking world and Oriental religions, the relationship between religion and science, the emergence of esoteric currents in a modem context.
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Bester, Dewald. "H.P. Blavatsky, theosophy, and nineteenth-century comparative religion." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27851.
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Although H. P. Blavatsky (1831-1891), co-founder of the Theosophical Society, has featured prominently in histories of Western esotericism, her engagement with late nineteenth-century comparative religion has not been appreciated. This thesis offers the first sustained analysis of H. P. Blavatsky's theosophical comparative religion. Despite the fact that one of the original goals of the Theosophical Society was advancing comparative religion, H. P. Blavatsky has been excluded from standard accounts of the field. This thesis draws on a range of theoretical resources - Richard Rorty's pragmatic theory of knowledge, Alun Munslow's analysis of narrative in history, Thomas Gieryn's critique of boundary-making in science, and Lorraine Daston and Peter Galison's history of objectivity - to argue for the inclusion of H. P. Blavatsky in the history of comparative religion. Substantial chapters analyse H. P. Blavatsky's major works, from Isis Unveiled (1877) to The Secret Doctrine (1888), to uncover the theoretical template that she developed for analysing religion and comparing religions. The thesis highlights H. P. Blavatsky's interpretative strategies in fashioning a theosophical comparative religion. In developing a comparative religion, H. P. Blavatsky referred to leading figures in the emerging field of the academic study of religion, such as F. Max Müller, E. B. Tylor, and Herbert Spencer, in positioning her theosophical comparative religion in the context of late nineteenth-century production of knowledge about religion and religions. This thesis demonstrates that H. P. Blavatsky's comparative religion was reasoned, literary, rhetorical, coherent, and strategic. By analysing H. P. Blavatsky's theoretical work on religion and religions in its late nineteenth-century context, this thesis contributes to the ongoing project of broadening our understanding of the complex and contested history of the study of religion.
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Gruffman, Paulina. "The Quest for Gnosis : G. R. S. Mead’s Conception of Theosophy." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Religionshistoria, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-192416.
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G. R. S. Mead is an important but neglected historical personality of the British fin-de-siècle occult, Theosophical, and post-Theosophical milieu. While previous scholars of Theosophy have portrayed the Theosophical movement as quite cohesive in nature, I argue that it might have been a lot more pluralistic, with ostensibly key Theosophical concepts being open for debate. By a careful study of Mead’s editorial activity, his debates with other Theosophists in leading occultist journal over the period 1890s through 1910s, I illustrate that Mead held alternative views of key Theosophical concepts. This gives us a clue as to how the movement of Theosophy can be characterized differently. I suggest that we speak of many different “Theosophies” rather than one singular “Theosophy” to better capture the seemingly diverse makeup of the Theosophical movement. I look at three areas wherein Mead’s views differed from those of other important Theosophists: the concept of “the Masters” as spiritual authority, which sources to turn to and how to interpret them, and the question of whether occultism should be understood primarily in theoretical or in practical terms. I propose that by seeing Theosophy as a debating ground where many different Theosophists competed over the definition of their particular kind of Theosophy, we might also better account for why so many post-Theosophical currents emerged. Lastly, Mead’s concept of “Gnosis” might have served as a bridge between his Theosophical and post-Theosophical periods, as the concept’s meaning, along with Mead’s spiritual outlook, does not appear to have changed over time. This gives some consequences to how we conceive of post-Theosophy, since he does not fit neatly within that category.
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Rudbøg, Tim. "H.P. Blavatsky's Theosophy in context : the construction of meaning in modern Western esotericism." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/9926.
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H.P. Blavatsky’s (1831-1891) Theosophy has been defined as central to the history of modern Western spirituality and esotericism, yet to this date no major study has mapped and analysed the major themes of Blavatsky’s writings, how Blavatsky used the concept ‘Theosophy’ or to what extent she was engaged with the intellectual contexts of her time. Thus the purpose of this thesis is to fill this gap. The proposed theoretical framework is based on the centrality of language in the production of intellectual products, such as texts—but contrary to the dominant focus on strategies, rhetoric and power this thesis will focus on the construction of meaning coupled with a set of methodological tools based on contextual analysis, intellectual history and intertextuality. In addition to an overview of Blavatsky research this thesis will map and analyse Blavatsky’s use of the concept ‘Theosophy’ as well as Blavatsky’s primary discourses, identified as: (1) discourse for ancient knowledge, (2) discourse against Christian dogmatism, (3) discourse against the modern natural sciences and materialism, (4) discourse against modern spiritualism, (5) discourse for system and (7) discourse for universal brotherhood. In mapping and analysing Blavatsky’s discourses, it was found that her construction of meaning was significantly interconnected with broader intellectual contexts, such as ‘modern historical consciousness’, ‘critical enlightenment ideas’, studies in religion, studies in mythology, the modern sciences, spiritualism, systemic philosophy, reform movements and practical ethics. It, for example, becomes clear that Blavatsky’s search for an ancient ‘Wisdom Religion’ was actually a part of a common intellectual occupation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and that her critique of the Christian dogmas was equally a common intellectual trend. To read Blavatsky’s discourses as the idiosyncratic strategies of an esotericist, isolated from their larger contexts or only engaged with them in order to legitimise minority views would therefore largely fail to account for the result of this thesis: that in historical actuality, they were a part of the larger cultural web of meaning.
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Wagar, Samuel Eldon Charles. "Theosophical socialists in the 1920s Okanagan: Jack Logie's Social Issues Summer Camps /." Burnaby B.C. : Simon Fraser University, 2005. http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/2425.
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Butler, Ronald Kenneth. "The Influence of Theosophy on the Tradition of Speculative and Esoteric Theories of Music." Thesis, Griffith University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365232.
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This thesis examines the influence of the teachings of the Theosophical Society, founded in 1875 by Madame Blavatsky, on the tradition of speculative and esoteric theories of music from its founding until the present day. Three fundamental propositions are identified: that music is of divine origin; that music can act as a moral determinate; and that music has healing and therapeutic powers. These speculative ideas have informed the Western occultic tradition throughout the centuries. The core teachings of the Theosophical Society are examined, and it is argued that while Blavatsky wrote only a minimal amount about music and metaphysics relating to music, her overall cosmological and occultic ideas had a profound influence on those musical thinkers and composers whose spiritual ideas were of an occultic leaning.
The writings of various authors are examined, showing how these Theosophical notions have informed their views concerning speculative ideas of music. A number of contradictions within their writings are examined, as is the veracity of some of their claims. The primary focus is on the writings of Rudolf Steiner, Corinne Heline and Cyril Scott, as well as the effect of Theosophical teaching on the life and work of composers Alexander Scriabin and Gustav Holst. The final part of the thesis examines the ways in which Theosophical notions have been used and described from the 1970s until the present day under the rubric of the New Age Movement. It is contended that although these individuals interpreted Theosophical notions in various ways, they can all be categorised as having in common what Antoine Faivre, in his definition of esoteric, has called “a form of thought”. Faivre describes this as having six characteristics, four of which are essential: Correspondences, living nature, mediation, transmutation, praxis of concordance and transmission.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Queensland Conservatorium of Music
Arts, Education and Law
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Zagoon-Sayeed, Haruna. "Islam and peacebuilding in the context of the Muslim community in Ghana." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2018. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/8748/.
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It has become almost impossible to engage in any useful discussion on global peace or violence without considering the activities of Islamist groups. Some of these groups use religious radicalization as a tool to promote extremism among Muslims across the world. It has been argued that Muslims will reject violence if they are made aware of peace lessons inherent in the Islamic primary sources and recurrent rituals. In view of the above, the study set out to examine peacebuilding avenues and values in Islam as a religious tradition; and to explore how Islamic recurrent rituals such as Hajj can be used to promote peacebuilding among Muslims, particularly in Ghana. Consequently, the study utilized participant observation, closed-ended survey questionnaire, and semi-structured interview as the main research methodological techniques to collect data. One of the key findings of the study is that Islam is replete with peacebuilding values such as forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion, justice, and tolerance among others. The study recommends among other things that with the existing fragile peace in Ghana, Muslim and non-Muslim religious bodies should engage in collaborative social projects which can create positive interaction amongst them.
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Hamasha, Oumama Emad. "Reconstructing the past : Ibn Al-Qayyim's approach in critiquing accounts of Maghāzī (battles) in his book Zād Al-Maʿād." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2018. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/8753/.
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The purpose of the present study is to assess the contribution of the renowned Mamluk-period scholar Shams al-Dīn Muhammad b. Abū Bakr, known as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751/1350) in the maghāzī and sīrah genres, by investigating and examining the features of his approach in critiquing and evaluating the authenticity of maghāzī narratives in his sīrah collection, Zād al-Maʿād fī Hadī Khayr al-ʿIbād, and to reveal the main methods that he utilised in critiquing the isnāds and the matns of these narratives. This thesis also provides a comprehensive overview of the maghāzī genre and highlights the main theories that have been put forward in both Western and Muslim scholarship, to explain its nature, emergence, development and position among other Islamic genres. This thesis includes an introduction, five main chapters and a conclusion. The first includes the introduction where the rational, objectives, research questions and the methodology of the present research are discussed; the second outlines Ibn al-Qayyim's life and age; the third explores maghāzī literature and the work of Ibn al-Qayyim within this genre; the fourth provides an analytical survey of the main resources on which Ibn al-Qayyim built his maghāzī work; the fifth investigates first isnād criticism in the work of both Western and Muslim scholars and then analyses Ibn al-Qayyim's approach with respect to the isnād; the sixth chapter outlines the origin of matn criticism and explores the main methods of content criticism used by Ibn al-Qayyim to evaluate maghāzī narratives; finally comes the conclusion of the whole work which provides the main results of the present research and recommendations. The present thesis suggests that Ibn al-Qayyim's approach combines and intertwines between different methods applied by earlier traditionists, jurists and historians, by which he developed an advanced approach in critiquing and evaluating maghāzī narratives.
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Al-Nahee, Owed Abdullah S. "The religious structure of Najrān in late pre-Islamic and early Islamic history : from the end of the Ḥimyarite Kingdom until the end of the Rashidun Caliphate (525-661 CE)." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7931/.
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This thesis questions what was the religious structure of the region of Najrān was during the period between 525 and 661 CE by examining the factors of forming the religious structure, how each religious community practised its religious life and the influence of Islam on this religious structure. It therefore consists of six chapters, Chapter one contains a discussion on primary and secondary sources relevant to the research questions. In Chapter two, the background on Najrān is given, in terms of its geography, demography, economy and political history prior to the period under research. The following three chapters after that investigate the religious aspects of polytheism, Judaism and Christianity in terms of origins, types of worship, rituals of worship and theological beliefs. The discussions also shed light on their religious leaders, places of worship and doctrinal sects. In Chapter six, the study debates how Islam influenced the religious structure of Najrān, by tracing its arrival and the policy of Muslim authorities to spread Islam among the Najrānite people. The thesis discusses the main features of the policy of the Muslim authority towards non-Muslims in terms of religion, security, economy and citizenship. It finally evaluates the impact of this policy on the lives of non-Muslim Najrānites. The thesis concludes that Najrān seems to represent a multi-religious society during the period under research. It points out that geographical, economic and political factors contributed towards making it. The thesis also deduces that each religious community established its identity which developed over the course of time to include places of worship, clergy, types of deity, doctrines, theological beliefs and rituals of worship, and that the domination of Islam clearly made the most important change in this multi-religious society by making Muslims the majority in the region.
Books on the topic "Theosophy"
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Abdill, Edward. The secret gateway: Modern theosophy and the ancient wisdom tradition. Wheaton, Ill: Quest Books, 2005.
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Theosophical Society (Pasadena, Calif.), ed. Exploring theosophy. Pasadena, Calif: Theosophical Society, 2007.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Theosophy"
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Ellwood, Robert S. "Theosophy." In Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion, 2354–55. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24348-7_696.
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Botezini, Natana. "Theosophy." In Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions, 1–3. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_88-1.
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Ellwood, Robert S. "Theosophy." In Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion, 1798–99. Boston, MA: Springer US, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_696.
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Botezini, Natana. "Theosophy." In Encyclopedia of Latin American Religions, 1539–41. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27078-4_88.
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Stebbins, Morgan, Mark Popovsky, Kathryn Madden, Fredrica R. Halligan, Ann Moir-Bussy, Fredrica R. Halligan, Ronald Madden, et al. "Theosophy." In Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion, 909–10. Boston, MA: Springer US, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71802-6_696.
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Willburn, Sarah. "Spiritualism and Theosophy." In The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Victorian Women's Writing, 1–4. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02721-6_52-1.
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Willburn, Sarah. "Spiritualism and Theosophy." In The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Victorian Women’s Writing, 1507–10. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78318-1_52.
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Santucci, James A. "Theosophy." In The Cambridge Companion to New Religious Movements, 231–46. Cambridge University Press, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ccol9780521196505.016.
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"Theosophy." In The Occult World, 270–79. Routledge, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315745916-31.
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"Theosophy." In Hinduism and Tribal Religions, 1628. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1188-1_300671.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Theosophy"
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Misra, Hrishikesh, Rajnish Kumar, and Syed Afzal Imam. "Sankhya, Theosophy and Wholistic Approach to Reality." In The Asian Conference on Ethics, Religion & Philosophy 202. The International Academic Forum(IAFOR), 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-476x.2021.2.
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Uscinowicz, Jerzy. "INTRODUCTION INTO THEOSOPHY OF THE SACRED ART." In 5th SGEM International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conferences on SOCIAL SCIENCES and ARTS SGEM2018. STEF92 Technology, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2018h/61/s14.042.
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Deasy, Rani, Hermanu Joebagio, and Susanto Susanto. "The Theosophy dr. K.R.T. Radjiman Wediodiningrat Towards Civic Intelligence." In Proceedings of the Third International Seminar on Recent Language, Literature, and Local Culture Studies, BASA, 20-21 September 2019, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. EAI, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.4108/eai.20-9-2019.2296702.
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Uscinowicz, Jerzy. "PRACTICAL THEOSOPHY OF THE CONTEMPORARY SACRED ART AND ARCHITECTURE - A TEMPLE AS A SYNTHESIS." In 5th SGEM International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conferences on SOCIAL SCIENCES and ARTS SGEM2018. STEF92 Technology, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2018h/61/s15.051.
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Muhajir, Muhajir, Cecep Jaenudin, and Ani Ani. "The Theosophy of Sheikh Mutamakkin’s Rebellion (A Study On Yadispura’s Serat Cebolek (1729-1983)." In Proceedings of the 19th Annual International Conference on Islamic Studies, AICIS 2019, 1-4 October 2019, Jakarta, Indonesia. EAI, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.4108/eai.1-10-2019.2291705.
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Kaltseva, Anna. "Theosophical duty as an alternative to the risk society." In 7th International e-Conference on Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. Center for Open Access in Science, Belgrade, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.32591/coas.e-conf.07.15159k.
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The risky nature of modern civilization finds one of its alternatives and possibilities for overcoming in the theosophical understanding of the duty of the individual to society. This is the thesis of the proposed article. The thesis is defended by comparing elements of the concept of “Risk Society” by the German sociologist Ulrich Beck and the understanding of duty and politics in Helena Blavatsky’s latest work “The Key to Theosophy”. The seemingly paradoxical comparison is argued with the need to find new ways and approaches to overcome the crisis of humanity, which has not yet been able to take advantage of the best achievements and ideas of its great minds over the centuries to this day. Personal change in the direction of high morality and responsibility to all and everything leads to a change in society – this is the main conclusion that is made in the article.
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Kaltseva, Anna. "About the role of science – Between Helena Blavatsky and Ulrich Beck." In 8th International e-Conference on Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. Center for Open Access in Science, Belgrade, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.32591/coas.e-conf.08.14167k.
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Science is the god that politicians, public figures and the media swear by today. Despite the leading role attributed to it, science in its role and significance for human civilization has been criticized. German sociologist Ulrich Beck points out that science does not serve the people, but protects the backs of politicians. More than a century before that, the founder of the Theosophical Society, Helena Blavatsky, noted that many of her contemporary scientists and researchers were adapting the facts to their hypotheses instead of drawing conclusions based on empirical material. The article presents the views of Blavatsky and Beck on the role and tasks of science, trying to find common ground in both opinions. The aim is to point out the communities and alternatives that theosophy provides in view of the importance of science in the conditions of the world risk society, as Ulrich Beck defines modernity.