Początki New Age

Abstract

The article is contribution to the research about the roots of New Age Movement. One of the main sources of New Age Movement is the Theosophical Society. The Theosophical Society is a worldwide organization, founded in 1875 in New York City. Its founders were Helena P. Blavatsky (1831 - 1891), Col. Henry Steel Olcott (1832 - 1907) and William Quan Judge (1851 - 1896). Also Annie Besant (1847 - 1933) was one of the most important members of the Theosophical Society in its history. The headquarters of the International Theosophical Society is located in the Madras suburb of Adyar, India. Three declared objects of the Theosophical Society are: 1. To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, or color. 2. To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science. 3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in man. But theosophical writers have made it clear, that the key idea of the Theosophical Society is intention of unification all existing religions. To introduce this idea of religion union they created a thesis that existing religions are insufficient and should submit to the highest authority of theosophy. Today, the Theosophical Society is one of the classical representatives of New Age and theosophical ideas are presented in a large literature, and there are branches of the Society in some sixty countries throughout the world.