Blavatsky, William Q. Judge & Charles Johnston (Shawn F. Higgins)

William Q. Judge and family

After forty years of progress, the academic quality of theosophical history can reach a very high level of research. I would like to draw attention to a series of papers from a certain Shawn F. Higgins of the Harvard Divinity School, who has recently posted a series of writings on theosophical history of an exceptional level of quality and research, which feature, in certain cases, I think, some ground-breaking work on people and subjects that have had little coverage so far.

 

Is this a book? An epic 10-part series of articles of episodes showcasing a vast array of historical figures involved with the Theosophical Society in the 1880s from around the world, beginning with Irish, later American Theosophist Charles Johnston.  

THE AGONISED WOMB OF CONSCIOUSNESS 

March 18, 2023 by Shawn F. Higgins  

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/03/charley/

 

Part 10

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/06/indo-gothic-yoga/

 

Sketch by Blavatsky

THE SHADE OF SATTAY

February 25, 2023 by Shawn F. Higgins

the story of Govindarao Sattay, the first male Brahmin to visit America in 1884 with much interesting information about William Q. Judge.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/02/shade-of-sattay/

 

THE SILENT PASSENGER. December 30, 2022 

Short piece on William Q. Judge's travel to Ireland in 1888

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2022/12/out-castes-part-i-the-silent-passenger/ 

 

“SPIRITS BRIGHT AND AIRY.”  January 6, 2023 

Short piece on William Q. Judge's childhood

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/01/out-castes-part-ii-spirits-bright-and-airy/

Rare photo of Bhavani Shankar, right

“NOW, AND FOREVER.”

January 17, 2023 

William Q. Judge's in Ireland in 1888

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/01/now-and-forever/

 

THE ESOTERIC SCHOOL  

November 24, 2022

Short piece about Ernest Temple Hargrove

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2022/11/the-esoteric-section/ 

 

An intriguing paper on meteorological phenomena in 1874, references John W. Draper states in History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science (1874)

Sword of the Living Flame March 5, 2023

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/03/sword-of-living-flame/

 

THE BENEDICK [PREFACE]: TALKS ON RELIGION

February 12, 2023

During the academic year of 1906-1907, Henry Bedinger Mitchell, president of the New York Branch (NYB) of the Griscom Theosophical Society (GTS,) hosted a series of monthly meetings in his rooms at The Benedick Apartments (80 Washington Square East, New York) to discuss the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion. Being an adjunct professor of mathematics at Columbia University, the participants of these talks were largely pooled from Mitchell’s colleagues in the various departments of Columbia.  These talks were recorded by a stenographer, and subsequently reprinted in the journal, The Theosophical Quarterly. In 1908 these articles were collected and published as a nine-chapter book titled, Talks on Religion.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/marginalia/2023/02/the-benedick-preface/