Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt00391)

James A. Santucci, professor of religious 
studies at California State University (Fullerton) 
and editor of Theosophical History, has written:

". . . Annie Besant . . . and Charles Webster 
Leadbeater. . . were largely responsible for the 
introduction of new teachings that were often 
in total opposition to the Theosophy of Blavatsky 
and her Masters. . . . These teachings were 
designated by their opponents as Neo-Theosophy . . . 
or less often Pseudo-Theosophy. The differences 
between Theosophy and Neo-Theosophy are . . . 
numerous . . . . An extensive overview [of the 
differences] is given in the . . . booklet, 
Theosophy or Neo-Theosophy by Margaret Thomas. . . ." 
Quoted from: "The Aquarian Foundation."

In his book "Theosophy: A Modern Revival of 
Ancient Wisdom" (published 1930), Dr. Alvin Boyd 
Kuhn wrote in greater detail: 

"Certain schools of his critics assert flatly 
that he [C. W. Leadbeater] has only succeeded 
in vitiating her [H.P. Blavatsky's] original 
presentation [of Theosophy]. . . . . . . [Starting 
in the March 15, 1928 issue] The Canadian Theosophist, 
a magazine published . . . at Toronto, published 
a series of articles [excerpted from Margaret Thomas' 
Theosophy or NeoTheosophy?] in which parallel 
passages from the writings of Madame Blavatsky 
and the Mahatma Letters on one side, and from the 
books of Mrs. Besant, Mr. Leadbeater, Mr. C. 
Jinarajadasa, on the other, give specific evidence 
bearing on the claims of perversion of the original 
theories by those whom they call Neo-Theosophists. 
The articles indicate wide deviations, in some cases 
complete reversal, made by the later interpreters 
[Besant, Leadbeater, Jinarajadasa] from the fundamental 
statements of the Russian Messenger [Blavatsky] and her Overlords 
[the Mahatmas]." 

"The differences concern such matters as the personality of God, the 
historicity of Jesus, his identity as an individual or a principle, 
the desirability of churches, priestcraft and religious ceremonial, 
the genuineness of an apostolic succession, and a vicarious 
atonement, the authority of Sacraments, the nature and nomenclature 
of the seven planes of man's constitution, the planetary chains, the 
monad, the course of evolution, and many other important phases of 
Theosophic doctrine. This exhaustive research has made it apparent 
that the later exponents have allowed themselves to depart in many 
important points from the teachings of H.P.B." (pp. 330-331) 

For more on this, see:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/thomas/index.htm

http://blavatskyarchives.com/tontitlepage.pdf

Daniel
Blavatsky Study Center
http://blavatskyarchives.com