Christianity

Christianity is the religion stemming from the teachings of Jesus in the 1st century AD. Its sacred scripture is the Bible, particularly the New Testament. Its principal tenets are that Jesus is the Son of God (the second person of the Holy Trinity), that God's love for the world is the essential component of his being, and that Jesus died to redeem humankind. Christianity was originally a movement of Jews who accepted Jesus as the messiah, but the movement quickly became predominantly Gentile. The early church was shaped by St. Paul and other Christian missionaries and theologians; it was persecuted under the Roman Empire but supported by Constantine I, the first Christian emperor. In medieval and early modern Europe, Christian thinkers such as St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther contributed to the growth of Christian theology, and beginning in the 15th century missionaries spread the faith throughout much of the world. The major divisions of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Nearly all Christian churches have an ordained clergy, members of which are typically though not universally male. Members of the clergy lead group worship services and are viewed as intermediaries between the laity and the divine in some churches. Most Christian churches administer two sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist. In the early 21st century there were more than two billion adherents of Christianity throughout the world, found on all continents.

Esoteric Christianity

Philip Jenkins, the distinguished Professor of Historical Studies of Religion in the Institute for Studies of Religion wrote:

Theosophy sparked, inspired, directed, and mobilized the esoteric quest for Jesus that still flourishes today. Theosophists furnished all the essential maps and guides to anyone interested in following that path. Without acknowledging Theosophy, we can never understand the history of the popular interest in the gospels, in Gnosticism, or in alternative Christianities.

Additional resources

Articles and pamphlets

• Aspects of the Christ by Annie Besant
• Is Theosophy Anti-Christian? by Annie Besant
• Theosophy and Christianity by Annie Besant
• The Esoteric Character of The Gospels by H. P. Blavatsky
• The Roots of Ritualism in Church and Masonry by H. P. Blavatsky
• Star-Angel-Worship in the Roman Catholic Church by H. P. Blavatsky
• Theosophy in Christianity by Arthur M. Coon
• The Hidden Gospel of the Aramaic Jesus by Neil Douglas-Klotz in The Quest 87 no.5 (September, 1999): 1180-184.
• Yoga-Practice in the Roman Catholic Church by Franz Hartmann
• Christian Ritual in Theosophical Perspective by Robert Ellwood
• What is a Christian? by Stephan A. Hoeller
• What is Christian Scripture? by Stephan A. Hoeller
• Reincarnation in the Bible by W. Q. Judge
• Theosophy in the Christian Bible by W. Q. Judge
• Things Common to Christianity and Theosophy by W. Q. Judge
• The Women of the Revelation by Zachary F. Lansdowne
• Gnostic and Historic Christianity by Gerald Massey
• The Historical Jesus and Mythical-Christ by Gerald Massey
• Paul the Gnostic Opponent of Peter by Gerald Massey
• The Occult Teachings of the Christ According to The Secret Doctrine by Josephine Ransom
• The Future of Esoteric Christianity by Richard Smoley
• Theosophy and Christianity by Theosophical Society in America
• Contemplative Prayer: The Discipline of Silence by Robert Trabold
• Christian Exclusiveness and Theosophical Truth by Jay G. Williams
• Jesus, the Lord of Pisces: Hipparchus and the Gospels by Jay G. Williams
• # Mary Magdalene and The Voice of the Silence by Carol N. Ward

Books

• Esoteric Christianity by Annie Besant
• Theosophy and Christianity by H. T. Edge
• Theosophical Light on the Christian Bible by H. T. Edge
• Does the Bible Teach Reincarnation and Karma by Robert G. Katsunoff
• The Perfect Way by Anna Bonus Kingsford and Edward Maitland
• Lehtovirta, Mauri. The Yoga of Jesus: Teachings of Esoteric Christianity. Translated from Finnish into English by Antti Savinainen. Edited by Richard Smoley. Helsinki: Literary Society of the Finnish Rosy Cross, 2020.

Audio

• Hidden Wisdom in Christian Scriptures - Part 1 Part 2, Part 3 by Geoffrey Hodson

• The Bible as a Source of Secret Knowledge by Geoffrey Hodson
• Attaining the Kingdom of Heaven by Geoffrey Hodson
• The Esoteric Significance of Christmas by Bing Escudero
• On Earth as It Is in Heaven: What's Spirituality by Sister Gabriele Uhlein

Video

• Myth and Meaning in Christianity by Robert Ellwood
• The Red Corner: The Creative Dimension of Folk Christianity in Russia and Beyond by Cherry Gilchrist
• Cathars, the Good Christians by Holly Sullivan McClure
• Unpacking the Parables: Jesus as Wisdom Teacher by Ron Miller
• A Very Different Christian Story by Ron Miller
• The Future of Esoteric Christianity by Richard Smoley
• The Risen Christ by Joseph Miller. April 3, 2021 Zoom presentation. Published in the Eternal Pilgrim YouTube channel, in the Aquarian Almanac series.