tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post3767434811662875720..comments2023-06-29T02:07:49.894-09:00Comments on The Mustard Seed: Alfred Russel Wallace: Spiritual Rationalist?TMShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654673878708922180noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post-44157758324168363422009-12-03T10:59:57.181-09:002009-12-03T10:59:57.181-09:00John: Why do you think Spiritualism was discredite...John: Why do you think Spiritualism was discredited? I agree that Spiritualism WAS discredited – at least according to the history books. But given that the Spirtualists were clearly “onto something” (based on what I know about them), what caused them to fade away so quickly, never to be heard from again (although there’s been a slight revival recently)?TMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07654673878708922180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post-225023248009015242009-12-03T10:56:13.347-09:002009-12-03T10:56:13.347-09:00Justin: Yes, I agree: Religion is inherent in the ...Justin: Yes, I agree: Religion is inherent in the human condition and will never be displaced by science. If science hasn’t killed religion yet, it never will. After all, the Scientific Establishment has been advocating a materialist paradigm for decades, and despite their best efforts, religious attitudes haven’t suffered a bit, except in Europe, where I suppose the religious impulse gets re-channeled into strange causes like Gaia worship and other left-wing causes. And since the materialist paradigm is breaking down even as we speak, a religious revival is probably more likely than a religious collapse. <br /><br />I’m not familiar with Andrew Jackson Davis, but I know a little about Swedenbourg, who sounds like the “Real Deal” in terms of mystics. Steiner too. The Colin Wilson book is short – probably about 150 pages – but its meaty and insightful. I recommend it.TMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07654673878708922180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post-64195046891985356492009-12-03T07:35:15.519-09:002009-12-03T07:35:15.519-09:00The thesis of my thesis is that religiousity is in...The thesis of my thesis is that religiousity is inherent in the human condition, and will not be displaced or eliminated by modern scientific progress. I substantiated this argument by detailing the evolution of the New Age tradition, which incorporates scientific breakthroughs as religious symbols into its sacred worldview. I started with Andrew Jackson Davis (who was rooted in Sweedenborgianism), and followed the strands to Blavatsky, Edgar Casey, Joseph Campbell, and others. <br /><br />It is actually a work of original scholarship in its field, but as I stopped at the master's level, it hasn't really gone anywhere. Aside from the bookshelf in my living room, the only printed copy is in the stacks at Arizona State, which you could access via inter-library loan, presumably. <br /><br />I heard of Steiner from a pal in college who attended one of his Waldorf schools, which sounded great to me. I've never read him though. Thanks for the tip.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01023125641719686613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post-41896135382681343362009-12-02T15:06:27.612-09:002009-12-02T15:06:27.612-09:00Wallace was intelligent about the questions of mat...Wallace was intelligent about the questions of materialism and spirituality. He began to see that natural selection wasn't enough to explain the evolution of man, and began to sense a larger dimension to life, going so far as to pursue 'spiritualism', a logical decision for its time, thought of as a scientific enquiry, but discredited now.<br />Wallace shows the bottom line on the evolution of man: natural selection can do the job.John Landonhttp://darwiniana.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post-24002391466043480642009-12-02T12:09:45.650-09:002009-12-02T12:09:45.650-09:00Thanks, Justin! Your Master’s thesis sounds fasci...Thanks, Justin! Your Master’s thesis sounds fascinating. If you feel comfortable sharing it, would it be possible to get a copy? <br /><br />Regarding the Theosophists…Yes, it does seem that the Theosophists emerged as the dominant strain of Spiritualism in the late 1800s, and while I’m not an expert in Theosophy, from what I do know about it, I would agree that it was a “toxic” strain of Spiritualism that set the movement back permanently. <br /><br />I’m not sure to what you’re extent you’re familiar with Rudolf Steiner, but he’s a fascinating character. In the early 1900s, he was basically the Number Two leader of Theosophy, but then he broke with the movement to move it in a more Christian direction. He called his philosophy “Anthroposophy.” Anthroposophy was pretty big from about 1908-1913, and seemed on the cusp of a major cultural breakdown, but then World War One broke out, and even after the war ended, Anthroposophy never really recovered. <br /><br />Last year, I read a book about Steiner, and indeed, I was very impressed with the quality of his thinking. His original work is rather stilted and hard going, though. <br /><br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthroposophy<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Rudolf-Steiner-Man-His-Vision/dp/0850303982TMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07654673878708922180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560774651993745496.post-51196702331339900022009-12-02T10:26:39.045-09:002009-12-02T10:26:39.045-09:00GREAT observations! That is definitely ID and spi...GREAT observations! That is definitely ID and spiritual rationalism, without a doubt. <br /><br />My master's thesis included a heavy focus on the worldview and teachings of the early Spiritualists, particularly on the seminal work of Andrew Jackson Davis, who was called the Prophet of Spiritualism. <br /><br />Unfortunately (IMHO), that original beauty of Spiritualism was later highjacked by the Theosophists. The Theosophists, esp. Blavatsky, got their start in American Spiritualism, but redirected it towards their made-up Easternized mumbo jumbo, including the toxic reincarnation dogma. <br /><br />Like you, I find the idea of spiritual progression attractive and uplifting. However, I find the idea of Hindu reincarnation abhorrent.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01023125641719686613noreply@blogger.com