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Theosophia: Hidden Dimensions of Christianity, by Arthur Versluis
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Theosophia traces the long-hidden esoteric stream of Christian gnostic theosophy, revealing a "chivalric" religion of the Holy Spirit at the heart of Christianity. It shows that all three major branches of Christianity bear within them interrelated esoteric traditions.
A deeply affirmative book, Theosophia introduces wholly unexpected aspects of Christian tradition. Where mainstream Christianity seems "anti-nature," Christian theosophy affirms a profound nature-mysticism; where it seems anti-erotic, theosophy affirms a powerful religious eroticism; and where it is portrayed as rigidly patriarchal, theosophy affirms a mysticism founded in the divine Sophia, the feminine personification of wisdom.
Theosophia reveals hidden dimensions of our spiritual heritage that speak directly to our current social, ecological, and religious crises.
- Sales Rank: #884606 in Books
- Published on: 1994-05-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.56" h x .63" w x 5.46" l, .70 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 224 pages
Review
"A collection of very precious clues ... pointing to the hidden currents both in history and in our own selves." -- Jacob Needleman, author of Money and the Meaning of Life
About the Author
Arthur Versluis is the editor-in-chief of "Esoterica" and the founding president of the Association for the Study of Esotericism. He is the author of numerous books, including "Sacred Earth", "Restoring Paradise", "The New Inquisitions "and "The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism". He lives in Michigan where he is a professor of American Studies at Michigan State University.
Most helpful customer reviews
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
Open doors to gnosis
By Paul Wesley Hofreiter
Arthur Versluis has penned a book which will open doors for anyone seeking a more meaningful experience of the essence of Christianity. The writing is masterful, compelling, convincing, and inspiring. Not to be confused with the theosophical movement of Blavansky, Besant, etc., Dr. Versluis' "Theosophia" takes the reader through a journey of esoteric Christian thought. The work of Jacob Boehme is perhaps the most significant "eye-opener" here, for it is in this study that one may begin to appreciate the "inner dimensions" inherent in the Christian faith, allowing the seeker to remain faithful to doctrinal elements of Christianity while not succumbing to "new age" so-called theologies. For this reader, a totally new world was unveiled thanks to the author's perceptions of gnosis.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
A Must Read For Any Christian Seeking A Deeper Understanding Of Their Faith
By Grant Hemingway
The title of this book will instantly be associated with Mme. Blavatsky's Theosophical Society which is an unfortunate mistake. The theosophy which Versluis speaks of is more related to Gnostic and mystical Christianity than Blavatsky's syncretic blend of the world's religions. Versluis recognizes the negative connotations that Gnostic carries with it and tries to offer insight into the true nature of Gnostic thought. However he does not focus on famous Gnostics such as Marcion and Valentinus but examines the thought of Tauler, Eckhart and Boehme. Jacob Boehme is a fascinating and complex figure and Versluis offers some hope of understanding the complex works of the perhaps the most famous Christian theosopher. He also examines the troubled relationship of Platonism and Hermeticism with Christianity which has an important bearing on later Christian theosophy. Be warned this book is relatively easy to read considering the topics being discussed but one might want to read around some of the key themes and characters first.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Versluis between Guenon and Boehme
By Ashtar Command
"Theosophia: Hidden Dimensions of Christianity" by Arthur Versluis is an interesting look at Christian Hermeticism. Versluis is a scholar specializing in esotericism, but this book feels more like his own, personal interpretation of the mystical tradition within Christianity. Tauler, Boehme and Baader seem to be the author's favourite mystics. He is inspired by René Guenon and Henry Corbin, but sometimes strays from a strict Traditionalist analysis.
Three things stand out in "Theosophia".
First, the author makes a distinction between Hermeticism and Gnosticism, or between true gnosis and so-called Gnosticism. Versluis sees most forms of so-called Gnosticism as pessimistic, antinomian, immoral and morbidly world-denying. He makes an exception for Valentinian Gnosticism, Manicheanism and Catharism, but seems to interpret the latter two in somewhat unusual ways. Hermeticism, by contrast, is world-affirming, wants to redeem matter and is compatible with both Church hierarchy and a political program. Since the author affirms the erotic mysticism of many "Theosophists", a critic might argue that there's a very thin line between respectable Hermeticism and antinomian-cultish Gnosticism!
Second, the author doesn't accept the distinction between "apophatic" and "kataphatic" mysticism, seeing them as two paths to the same goal, or even as the same path seen from two somewhat different perspectives. I find this angle interesting. Since the goal of the mystic is both God-union and redemption of the fallen world, Versluis doesn't talk much about "emptying the mind", other than as a method to achieve a higher stage. This makes his book sound less depressive than the usual Advaita-inspired fair.
Third, the book contains political speculations. These are extremely eclectic and confused. On the one hand, Versluis seems to accept a hierarchic, conservative and anti-modernist perspective derived from the Traditionalists. Thus, he expresses support for the Orthodox Church and for the correspondence between the angelic hierarchy and the ecclesiastical ditto found in the mystical writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Aeropagite. Versluis is also interested in the political thought of Franz von Baader, the Bavarian Christian esotericist who supported "the Holy Alliance" after the defeat of Napoleon. The author even attacks Vatican II for abolishing the Tridentine Mass! Apparently, Latin is a sacred language. (Versluis seems unaware of the fact that the Orthodox Church often used the vernacular in its liturgy already during the Middle Ages. Witness Old Church Slavonic!) On the other hand, Versluis admits that his main role model Boehme was a Protestant, and that both he and other Behmenists emphasized the transformation of the individual. So did the Radical Pietists. Versluis tries to harmonize the two standpoints, by claiming that Boehme and Dionysius really represent the same tradition adapted to two different historical periods. This is somewhat unconvincing: if mysticism is adapted to individualism or voluntary communities, we are surely speaking about a very different "tradition" than mystics working inside a Church hierarchy!
While Versluis concentrates on Christian Hermetism, he sees parallels with the Jewish Kabbala, Muslim Ismailism and Sufism, Platonism and Neo-Platonism, ancient Egyptian religion, and certain Christian "heretics" such as the Cathars. (He doesn't mention the Messalians.) Versluis' interpretation of the Christian scriptures is allegorical and ahistorical. He never explains the function of Jesus in the Hermetic system. Is Jesus needed at all, if already the Egyptians knew the truth? Nor does he explain why the Bible sounds historical, if its "real" message is the exact opposite.
I assumed Versluis would be a "liberal" in matters religious, but at least in this book - published in 1994 - he comes across as a Guenonian-Behmenist hybrid. That being said, I nevertheless found "Theosophia" (or perhaps "TheoSophia") somewhat useful, and therefore give it four stars.
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