Blavatsky was a critic of the first Vatican council and made various allegations about corruption in the Jesuit order of her time. The Christian College Magazine was published by a Scottish Protestant missionary organization and ran a slanderous piece on Blavatsky. René Guénon's anti-theosophy essay 'Théosophisme' was edited by Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain. The Vatican issued a report on the New Age movement with conceptual, conjectural, discursive, interpretative, theoretical speculations about Blavatsky which were inaccurate, contrived, and unproven. Also, their report on the condemnation of esoteric philosopher Giordano Bruno was unsatisfactory to me, although better than nothing, I guess. Therefore, there are some tensions between the theosophical movement and Christian institutions to say the least.
However, did not the Second Vatican Council implement many of the
critiques contained in Blavatsky's writings on Christianity? Has this not
created a division between conservative and progressive Catholics? So when
a man undertakes to promote theosophical concerns such as universal brother and
sisterhood, opposition to the death penalty, and respect for the environment, I
think such efforts deserve a fair hearing in theosophical forums, as has been
done in various Masonic circles. Below are a selection of some
of the more comprehensive, substantial writings on her favoured aspects of
Christianity. For a more specialized study, see New Testament Commentaries of H.P. Blavatsky, Henk J. Spierenburg, 1987.
Regarding on oft-posted quote on the internet:"Our
goal is not to restore Hinduism, but to wipe Christianity off the face
of the earth."
- Declaration of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Medium and Daybreak,
London, 01/1893, P.23 in "Theosophism: History of a pseudo-religion",
René Guénon. The quote in question is a second-hand account of a
supposed comment that she made orally. It is highly doubtful that she actually said that. The person and the source are not very credible, and was published after her death. Also, Antoine Faivre in works such as Access to Western
Esotericism (1994), bucked the trend of the largely Guénon -inspired
negative approach to Theosophy in French publishing and presented Theosophy in
a more articulate and positive light. Furthermore, William Quinn's 1997 The Only Tradition convincingly pointed out the salient problems of historical accuracy in Guénon’s 1921 Théosophisme (111-114).One can also consult Theosophy and Theosophism: Response to a Criticism of Theosophy by René Guénon written by Paul Bertrand a pseudonym of Georges Méautis. http://hypatia.gr/fota/images/newsletter/Fota_Newsletter_Special_Ed_Autumn2016.pdf
1- In the first chapter of Isis Unveiled, vol. 2, she gives some initial social critiques of Christianity based on reports of various contemporary churches.
Chapter 1 Christianity’s relation to Spiritualism and Paganism
(The Church! Where is it?”)
1- Christianity’s attitude towards paganism and spiritualism (p.1)
2- Origin of Christian belief in the Devil and Hell (10)
3- Christianity’s relation to the Supernatural (16)
4- The attitude of Science and Comparative Religion to Spiritualism (25)
5- India and Paganism as source of Christian theology (The logos, the Trinity, the Eucharist) (30)
6- Christianity’s struggles with Gnostics and Neoplatonists (51)
https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/isis/iu2-01.htm
2- Lucifer
to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Greeting!
Quite a clear, concise, eloquent critique of the
Anglican church, which was widely distributed in pamphlet form, and is probably
the best overall example of her views on Christianity.
[Lucifer, Vol. I, No. 4, December, 1887, pp. 242-251]
Collected Writings, Vol. 8, pp. 268-283
3- From
Lucifer to a Few Readers
[Lucifer, Vol. II, No. 7, March, 1888, pp. 68-71] Collected
Writings vol. 9, pp. 80-86
An interesting follow-up to the previous article. 'Let them turn every cathedral and church into hospitals, refuges, homes for the homeless, and secular schools; and teach people daily morality instead of incomprehensible dogmas.' H. P.Blavatsky CW9, 85
4- Notes on
Abbé Roca’s ‘Esotericism of Christian Dogma’
[Le Lotus, Paris, Vol. II, No. 9, December, 1887, pp.
160-173] Collected Writings, Vol. 8, pp. 372-391
One of the more extensive debates which Blavatsky
engaged in, with someone from the French Christian occultism movement of the
day, of the type of Fabre d’Olivet and Éliphas Lévi, dealing mainly with
ever-recurring questions of millennialism. One of her most candid and detailed
expositions on Christian theosophy.
5- Reply to
Mistaken Conceptions of the Abbé Roca
[Le Lotus, Paris, Vol. II, No. 13, April, 1888, pp.
3-19] Collected Writings, Vol. 9, pp. 216-237
6- The Origin
of the Gospels and the Bishop of Bombay
[The Theosophist, Vol. IV,
No. 1, October, 1882, pp. 6-9] Collected Writings, Vol. 4, pp. 232-242
Responds to a debate on
divorce and re-marriage, with historical discussions about the origins of the
New Testament, quoting Church fathers.
7- The Sign
of the Times
[Lucifer, Vol. I, No. 2,
October, 1887, pp. 83-89] Collected Writings, Vol. 8, pp. 98-108
Discussing the presence of occultism
in literature and the press, she mentions the case of the Roman Catholic priest
Urbain Grandier (1590-1634) who was accused of practising witchcraft at Loudun
(Vienne, France), in 1632.
Began as an ambitious series of articles that was not
completed. Like Jacob Boehme, she criticizes mainstream Christianity in favor
of mystical Christianity, and thus favors a symbolic understand of scriptures
and emphasizes how the life of Christ exemplifies an inner process of self-transformation
related to symbols of spiritual initiation, and she emphasizes the universal
aspect of these symbols, following mainly Gerald Massey. This texts deals
largely with an erudite exegesis of the word, Christ, ''Christos''. Certain
aspects have influenced modern New Age Christianity.
9- The
Crucifixion of Man
[Lucifer, Vol. II, No. 9, May, 1888, pp. 243-250]
Collected Writings, Vol. 9, pp. 264-275
Commentary on an article comparing Prometheus to the
crucifixion of Christ, with references to the work of J. Ralston Skinner.
10- Christian
Lecturers on Buddhism, and Plain Facts about the same, by Buddhists
[Lucifer. Vol. II, No. 8, April, 1888, pp. 142-149] Collected
Writings, Vol. 9, pp.142-154
Commenting
on a lecture by Monier Monier-Williams, Blavatsky defends Buddhism using statistics and sources
such as Chinese Buddhism, Joseph Edkins.
11- Star-Angel
Worship in the Roman Catholic Church
[Lucifer, Vol. II, No. 11, July, 1888, pp. 355-365] Collected
Writings,Vol. 10, pp.13-32
An esoteric commentary on the worship of the seven
archangels and the story of the temple
of Seven Spirits,
especially built for them by Michelangelo: the famous church known as “St. Mary
of the Angels.”, the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and of the Martyrs.
[Lucifer, Vol. IV, Nos. 19 and 21, March, 1889, pp.
32-44, and May, 1889, pp. 226-36] Collected Writings, Vol. 11, pp. 62-101
Another uncompleted ambitious series of articles, a
comparative study of the esoteric and pagan roots of Christian ritual,
referencing writers such as Jean-Marie Ragon. She contends that “The Initiates took
perhaps the hint, and thus joining nolens volens the followers of the new faith,
then becoming all domineering, acted accordingly. Some hellenized Jewish
Gnostics did the same; and thus more than one “Clemens Alexandrinus”—a convert
to all appearance, an ardent Neo-Platonist and the same philosophical pagan at
heart—became the instructor of ignorant Christian Bishops. In short the convert
malgré lui blended the two external mythologies, the old and the new, and while
giving out the compound to the masses, kept the sacred truths for himself.’
13- Commentary on the Pistis-Sophia
A lengthy, fragmentary commentary on Gnostic mysticism
thatis remarkably original and insightful.
[Lucifer April, 1890, to April, 1891] H.P. Blavatsky,
Collected Writings, Vol. 13, p. 1 http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v13/ps_13.htm
14- Notes on
the Gospel According to John
[Lucifer, Vol. XI, No. 66, February, 1893, pp.
449-456] Collected Writings,Vol. 11, pp. 482-503
An esoteric and mystical commentary, notably on the
opening verses and the wedding at Cana. Since
there is an unusual amount of commentary on the Greek text, one can surmise a
possible assistance from GRS Mead.
PS - sound bite for her views on Christianity: 'Let them turn every cathedral and church into hospitals, refuges, homes for the homeless, and secular schools; and teach people daily morality instead of incomprehensible dogmas.'
H. P. Blavatsky, CW v. 9, p. 85 [Lucifer, March, 1888]
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