Madame Blavatsky's Baboon: A History of the Mystics, Mediums, and Misfits Who Brought Spiritualism to Ameri ca - Softcover

Washington, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805210245 ISBN 13: 9780805210248

Publisher: Schocken, 1996

Synopsis

Just before the turn of the century, a renegade Russian aristocrat named Madame Blavatsky came to America claiming that man was descended not from the ape but from spiritual beings. Thus began Theosophy, the very first "new age" religion. This thought-provoking and often hilarious study delineates the course of Theosophy and other sects which have come down through the years. Photos.

About this title

About the Author:

Peter Washington is a professor of English and European Literature at Middlesex University.

From Booklist:

Washington, author and critic for several prestigious British papers, characterizes nineteenth-century America as the land of "spiritual opportunity." Science was challenging the authority of the church while historians were demystifying the Bible and knowledge of non-Christian religions became more widespread. As life became more bewildering, the search for truth and easy answers became more overt and impassioned, and the feats and promises of spiritualists attracted a great deal of attention. But messages from the dead weren't enough, and soon various charismatic individuals created new religions: Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science, Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church, and Madame Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society. Washington analyzes the rise of nontraditional religions with unfailing acuity, but he also has a great avidity for eccentrics, scoundrels, autocrats, and true believers. This blend of careful analysis and gleeful wit enlivens his anecdote-filled history as it moves on to vividly portray the second generation of self-appointed gurus, including Charles Webster Leadbeater, Krishnamurti, and Gurdjieff. The title? It refers to a stuffed baboon belonging to Blavatsky; it was dressed like a gentleman and held a copy of The Origin of the Species. Donna Seaman

About this edition

• Publisher: Schocken
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0805210245
• ISBN 13: 9780805210248
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 496