Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt00839)

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