New book / Pri teosofio

[ni...@glas.apc.org]

New book / Nova libro / Pri teosofio

Maria CARLSON
NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH: A History of the Theosophical
Movement in Russia, 1875-1922. - Princeton UP, Princeton, N.J.,
1933, IX, 298 p. [Notes - pp. 209-247; Glossary - 249-252;
Bibliography - 253-281; Index - 283-298].
< Maria CARLSON is Associate Professor of Russian Language
and Literature at the University of Kansas >

From the cover-flaps:
"Carlson's purpose is to provide a history of the Russian
Theosophical movement, its main tenets and personalities, its
interaction with the European movement, and its place in Russian
fin-de-sie`cle culture. "No Religion Higher Than Truth" is the
only book-length study of this important subject, and it will be
required reading for students of Russian history and culture".
- Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal, Fordham University

"This book is the first reliable history of the Theosophical
movement in Russia. Carlson uncovers a great deal of hitherto
lost material and puts it in a narrative context. "No Religion
Higher Than Truth" will be of interest to historians of Russia,
students of religion, and people interested in esoteric
phenomena, as well as being important background reading for all
students of Russian modernism".
- Richard F.Gustafson, Barnard College,
Columbia University

"Among the various kinds of occultism popular during the
Russian Silver Age (1890 - 1914), modern Theosophy was by far the
most intelectually significant. This contemporary gnostic gospel
was invented and disseminated by Helena BLAVATSKY (ruse: Blavats-
kaja), an expatriate Russian with enthusiasm for Buddhist thought
and a genius for self-promotion. What distinguished Theosophy
from the other kinds of "mysticism" - the spiritualism, table
turning, fortune telling, and magic - that fascinated the Russian
intelligentsia of the period? In answering this question, Maria
CARLSON offers the first scolarly study of a controversial but
important movement in its Russian context.

Carlson's is the only work on this topic written by an
intellectual historian not ideologically commited to Theosophy.
Placing Mme. Blavatsky and her "secret doctrine" in a Russian
setting, the book also discussed independent Russian Theosophical
circles and the impact of the Theosophical-Anthroposophical scism
in Russia. It surveys the vigorous polemics of the Thesophists
and their critics, demonstrates Theosophy's role in the philoso-
phical dialogues of the Russian creative intelligentsia, and
cronicles the demise of the movement after 1917. By exploring
this long neglected aspect of the Silver Age, CARLSON greatly
enriches our knowledge of fin-de-sie`cle Russian culture".

---> Interese, ke en la libro oni ankaux mencias pri Esperanto:

p.86: About Theosophical Journal "Teosoficheskoe Obozrenie"
[Teosofia Revuo]:
"The stated goal of the "T.O." was to acquaint readers with
"the all-encompassing world view that is the foundation of all
religious systems, philosophies, and sciences". "We are firmly
convinced that Russia, too" - said Bogushevskii [publisher and
editor of the journal], - "Will have its own original word to say
and will bring to Theosophy its own uniquely Russian element".
The first few issues certainly contained lively and diverse
materials. They included articles of Annie Besant, Dr.Franz
Hartmann, Wilhelm H"ubbe Schleiden (...), Charles Johnston (Mme
Blavatsky's nephew-in-law), Mabel Collins, and Edouard Schure',
all well-known English and European Theosophists, as well as an
essay on Spinoza and Theosophy by Bogushevskii, materials on the
spiritual education of children, Fedor Potekhin's article on the
Dukhobors,and material on Esperanto by Professor Radvan-Rypinskii.

Note N16 (on p.223): Evgenij Viktorovich RADVAN-RYPINSKIJ, a
"professor" of Esperanto in St.Petersburg and an active prosely-
tizer. He was affiliated with the "ESPERO" Society and their
journal, RUSLANDA ESPERANTISTO. Many Theosophists European and
Russian, were interested in Esperanto, given the international
nature of Theosophy, and studied it with enthusiasm.Radvan-Rypin-
skii published a compact grammar and dictionary of Esperanto in
installments in "Teosoficheskoe Obozrenie".

Sed jen kian pritakson donis al la verkoj de R.-R. fama rusa
esperantisto-eldonisto Aleksandr SAHXAROV, kiu konsideris lin tre
laborema, sed ne tre klera homo [vd. "Rememoroj de centprocenta
esperantisto", Moskvo, 1993, pp. 40, 41, 64]:

p.40: "...Min helpas nur s-ro R.-R., sed, kiel polica
oficisto kaj ricevanta tre mizeran salajron, li ne povas multon
fari, kvankam li posedas mirindam laborpersiston kaj povas labori
iafoje tutajn noktojn".

p.41: "S-ro Radvan-Ripinskij faris impreson de "estiminda
laborulo", sed ne ricevinta multan klerigxon. Tio montrigxis
interalie en liaj poste aperintaj verkoj: "Esperanta gramatiko"
kaj "Plena rusa-esperanta vortaro". Dank'al lia vortaro multaj
rusaj esperantistoj, uzintaj lian vortaron, skribis: " Kiom da
kostas tiu cxi libro",cxar en lia vortaro la rusa vorto "skoljko"
estas tradukita Esperante "Kiom da".

p.64: "...Cxefaj kunlaborantoj liaj estis E.Radvan-Ripinskij
kaj Vs.Lojko. E.R.-R. estis oficisto cxe distrikta peterburga
polico kaj kvankam posedis diplomon de "profesoro de Esperanto",
letere aljugxita al li de franca societo por propagando de
Esperanto, sed gxenerale ne estis suficxe klera homo. Sciante
neniun fremdan lingvon, li ofte lauxvorte tradukis tekstojn kaj
pro tio liaj esperantaj artikoloj abundis je rusismoj kaj por
eksterlandaj esperantistoj restis ofte ne suficxe kompreneblaj.
Sed, tamen, li estis mirinde laborema persono kaj fervora
esperantisto. Li plenumis multe da "kancelaria" laboro en la
societo "Espero" kaj en redakcio de la jxurnalo "Ruslanda
Esperantisto", sed kiel modela esperanta stilisto li ne povis
esti..."
NikSt