Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism, it draws upon both older European philosophies such as Neoplatonism and Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
At a meeting of the Miracle Club in New York City on 7 September 1875, Blavatsky, Olcott, and Judge agreed to establish an organisation, with Charles Sotheran suggesting that they call it the Theosophical Society. Prior to adopting the name "Theosophical", they had debated various potential names, among them the Egyptological Society, the Hermetic Society, and the Rosicrucian Society. The term was not new, but had been previously used in various contexts by the Philaletheians and the Christian mystic Jakob BĂśhme. Etymologically, the term came from the Greek theos ("god(s)") and sophia ("wisdom"), thus meaning "god-wisdom", "divine wisdom", or "wisdom of God". The term theosophia appeared (in both Greek and Latin) in the works of early church fathers, as a synonym for theology.In her book The Key to Theosophy, Blavatsky said that the term Theosophy had been coined by "the Alexandrian philosophers", especially Ammonius Saccas.
Contents:
H. P. Blavatsky
ISIS UNVEILED
FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN
WHAT IS THEOSOPHY?
WHAT ARE THE THEOSOPHISTS?
MAHATMAS AND CHELAS
OCCULT OR EXACT SCIENCE?
THE ESOTERIC CHARACTER OF THE GOSPELS
OCCULTISM VERSUS THE OCCULT ARTS
IS THEOSOPHY A RELIGION?
THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE
THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY
THE SECRET DOCTRINE
ADVENTURE AMONG THE ROSICRUCIANS
THE GRAND INQUISITOR (Translated by H. P. Blavatsky)
Henry Steel Olcott
THE LIFE OF BUDDHA AND ITS LESSONS
THE BUDDHIST CATECHISM
THE GOLDEN RULES OF BUDDHISM
THE SPIRIT OF ZOROASTRIANISM