12AR17-37

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Apologia Report 17:37 (1,129)

October 17, 2012

Subject: Madame Blavatsky, Mother of Pop Spirituality

In this issue:

NEW THOUGHT - Swedenborg as a progenitor of the Prosperity Gospel

OCCULT HISTORY - the debt owed Madame Blavatsky by pop spirituality

RELIGION, GENERAL - the debt owed to traditional believers by a strong, healthy and safe society

SCIENTOLOGY - Vanity Fair cover story dampens marriage prospects for men in the movement

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NEW THOUGHT

The History of New Thought: From Mind Cure to Positive Thinking and the Prosperity Gospel, by John S. Haller [1] -- "The popularity of the so-called 'Prosperity Gospel' in modern American evangelicalism and the proliferation of exponents of this adaptation of Christian teachings have fascinated religious researchers for decades. But are there antecedents to this phenomenon that can help us understand its methods and motivations? Indeed, there is a long and complex history behind this movement, and in this fine work, author Haller (Swedenborg, Mesmer and the Mind/Body Connection: The Roots of Complementary Medicine [2]) takes us into the heart of the uniquely American set of spiritual doctrines known as 'New Thought' and shows how such thinkers as Emanuel Swedenborg, Mary Baker Eddy, and Norman Vincent Peale have affected the way we view religion and, indeed, God. Haller concludes that 'New Thought marked a triumph of voluntarism, a vindication of religious freedom, and scorn for all forms of authoritarian creeds.' As such, it synthesizes the individualistic impulses of centuries of ecclesiastical radicals and serves it up in a distinctly American religious tradition. Haller, a historian at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, artfully and persuasively pulls together a complex history and shines a much-needed light on a seductive and popular religious movement." Publisher's Weekly, Oct #2 '12, n.p.

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OCCULT HISTORY

Madame Blavatsky: The Mother of Modern Spirituality, by Gary Lachman [3] -- "A glimpse into the foggy biography of the mother of modern spiritualism. Former Blondie member and prolific writer Lachman ... attempts to pin down the nearly impenetrable life story of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (often referred to as HPB), a 19th-century Russian best known as the founder of a mystical practice she called Theosophy. In the author's view, 'anyone who meditates, or considers himself a Buddhist, or is interested in reincarnation, or has thought about karma' owes a debt to HPB. After a childhood filled with creaky manors and imaginary friends, Blavatsky was propelled by her interest in the occult into a life of travel that led her throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Upon her arrival in New York in 1873, she befriended journalist and Civil War veteran Henry Olcott; the pair founded the Theosophical Society, an organization committed to furthering their studies in religion and the occult. Despite Lachman's extensive research on HPB's life and accomplishments, he struggles to make sense of this 'profoundly contradictory character.' Confirmable biographical information is scant, and readers are left with more speculations than conclusions. Occasionally, Lachman apologizes for the convoluted narrative ('if the reader feels a bit dizzy after all this, I can't blame him'), yet the book's complexities are more the result of HPB's own mythmaking than any major authorial shortcomings. Near the conclusion, the author alludes to his frustration with HPB's highly interpretive accounts of her history and provides what closure he can. 'Although practically nothing about her life is certain,' he writes, 'one thing is for sure: the world is a far less interesting place without her.' Dense and exhaustive, a valiant attempt to capture the essence of a life that defies simple retelling." Kirkus, Sep #2 '12, n.p.

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RELIGION, GENERAL

America's Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists, by Rodney Stark [4] -- "In this slim volume, Baylor University sociologist of religion Stark sets out to prove how religious people, by which he means committed, orthodox believers [read: evangelicals], contribute to a stronger, healthier and safer society. Stark has a beef with journalists and with secular academics, two groups he disparages for their perceived hostility to religion. Using various survey data, he shows that religious people commit fewer crimes, suffer less from depression, hold down better jobs, have happier marriages, and volunteer more than the non-religious - all metrics that contribute to a robust civic and economic life. Yet Stark's analysis seems caught up in the 1980s culture wars, and he offers simplistic reasoning lacking in nuance. He conveniently forgets that evangelicals, and especially Southern Baptists, have as high a divorce rate as the general population, for example. [POSTSCRIPT: Not so fast. Barna's findings on divorce in the church has been shown to be at fault. This too is in the AR database.] As for why less religious European nations have lower murder rates, he concludes it's because their citizens can't buy guns as easily. Religion may well have salubrious effects, and academia has come a long way since Freud and others labeled religion a form of mental illness. But this book, with its polemical slant, is unlikely to convince skeptics." Publisher's Weekly, Oct #2 '12, n.p.

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SCIENTOLOGY

"What Katie Didn't Know" by Maureen Orth -- this cover story's subtitle reads "Marriage, Scientology Style," and it answers the title's unasked question. Orth reviews the clash between Scientology and the love interests of Tom Cruise. In the process, Orth summarizes the press nightmare that Scientology has undergone for the past several years.

The result is a document that could keep any woman from wanting to marry Tom Cruise, or perhaps any other Scientologist of any stature. And many, many women are familiar with this publication. Vanity Fair, Oct '12, pp221-227, 269-271. <www.waimaeya.notlong.com>

Just as interesting is the response that ran in The Village Voice: <www.bit.ly/NSofYo>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The History of New Thought: From Mind Cure to Positive Thinking and the Prosperity Gospel, by John S. Haller (Swedenborg Fndn Pub, 2012, hardcover, 320 pages) <www.ow.ly/es6iS>

2 - Swedenborg, Mesmer, and the Mind/Body Connection: The Roots of Complementary Medicine, by John S. Haller (Swedenborg Fndn Pub, 2010, paperback, 344 pages) <www.ow.ly/es8fz>

3 - Madame Blavatsky: The Mother of Modern Spirituality, by Gary Lachman (Tarcher, 2012, paperback, 352 pages) <www.auvoipez.notlong.com>

4 - America's Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists, by Rodney Stark (Templeton Prs, 2012, hardcover, 208 pages) <www.ootaitae.notlong.com>

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