When and where was the Theosophical Society founded?
The Theosophical Society was officially founded in New York City on the 17th of November 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge, and sixteen others.
Questions about Theosophical Society
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was Helena Blavatsky and what was her role in the Theosophical Society?
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was a Russian mystic and the principal thinker of the Theosophy movement. She co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 and authored the Secret Doctrine in 1888, which laid out the Society's central doctrine of intelligent cosmic evolution overseen by hidden Masters of the Ancient Wisdom.
What are the three objects of the Theosophical Society?
The three objects, formally incorporated on the 3rd of April 1905, are: to form a nucleus of universal brotherhood without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour; to encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science; and to investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity.
Why did the Theosophical Society split into different factions?
After Blavatsky's death in 1891, William Quan Judge was accused by Olcott and Annie Besant of forging letters from the Mahatmas. Judge left with most of the American Section in 1895, and after his death in 1896 his faction further divided. Rudolf Steiner led a separate split in 1913, forming the Anthroposophical Society after philosophical conflicts with Besant over Christ's significance and the status of Jiddu Krishnamurti.
Who was Jiddu Krishnamurti and what was his connection to the Theosophical Society?
Jiddu Krishnamurti was an Indian boy discovered in 1909 near the Society's Adyar headquarters by Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater, who proclaimed him the ideal candidate to serve as the vehicle of the expected World Teacher, the Maitreya. Krishnamurti was prepared for this role for years before publicly dissolving the Order of the Star and renouncing the role in 1929, after which he became an independent philosophical speaker.
Where is the Theosophical Society headquartered today?
The most widespread international body using the name Theosophical Society is the Theosophical Society Adyar, headquartered in Adyar in the Indian city of Chennai. A separate organization, the Theosophical Society with headquarters in Pasadena, California, descends from the faction led by Katherine Tingley after the 1895-1896 schism.