Fringe Groups in the West

Understanding the roots of western culture is essential for grasping the developments to occur later in America.

We will see spiritual movements of the Western world fall into three broad categories:

Humans are each seperate entities, living in a stream of history, dominant above nature (Ancient Hebrews/Homeric Greeks) Includes theism that God is personal, infinite, transendant over creation. We can expolre and analyze and use nature.
Monism (from India, deleloped in Platinism & Neoplatonism) - The Platonic wonder being of itself, one all-inclusive reality: we are connected with all nature. We seek to become consciously one with the cosmos
Dualism - The realities of the material (evil) and spiritual (good) are in opposition, the universe is the battlefield. (From ancient Persia, Zoroastrainism)

The Hellenistic Age (300 B.C.- 200 A.D.)

Egyptian/Greek-Roman/Near East cultures

Hellenistic Cults
- Shamanism - Mediums, Curses
- Hermeticism - "Ancient wisdom." Gnostic, magic & astrology (-> 3000 B.C.)
Judaism & Christianity
- Many controversies: Jesus' Deity, legalism, doctrinal over-emhasises, gnosticism (Matter evil), modalism (Arius)
- Brough about the cannon of scripture, creeds and statements of faith.
Greek & Roman deities
Civic & State Religions

The Middle Ages

Early Middle Ages (400 - 1050 A.D.) - Church not in power. Paganism & sorcery, Arainism

High Middle Ages (1050 - 1350 A.D.) - Church in control of state - acquiescence to beliefs and explosion of religious innovation.

Late Middle Ages (1350 - 1500 A.D.) - Schisms and external influences weakened church's power. Dissatisfaction and breakoffs.In addition to Catholic Society, there was much overlap and cross influence between:

Hellenistic survivals
- Neoplatonism
Pre-Christian and pagan elements
- Witchcraft (Paganism (worship of non-Christian gods) and simple sorcery - continues today)
- Diabolical sorcery (Mixed with Christian herasy) The "witch-craze" of 1450-1650
- Alchemy (science and spirituality), Cabala (see below), magic, astrology
Jewish mysticism
- Kabbalah - "symbol for expressing spiritual knowledge" - interpertation of words and letters according to numerical equivalents. Reincarnation. Piety & Good works destroy evil.
Christian deviations (Some later contributed to Protestism)
- Dualism, Catharism/Albigensianism - Matter created by evil force
- Joachim of Flora (died 1201) - Metaphysics, ages
- Meister Eckhart (1260-1327) - God found in human soul's "spark"

The Renaissance and Reformation Europe (1400 - 1650 A.D.)

One-religion-per-area church/states, Repression of minoriy religions

Fragmentation of Christiandom - Reformation
Religious Wars
Intellectual & Worldview developments

1500-1650 rapid social change; especially fertial for new innovations, witchcraft, ideas. Many intellectuals delved into these areas and shaped science

Alchemy -> Chemistry
Cabala -> Psychoanalysis
Astrology -> Astronomy

Rosicrucianism - secret societies ( -> Freemasonary, Mormonism, Unity, Christian Science, Theosophy, the Mighty I AM)

"Christian Rosencreutz" (Rosey Cross) (alledged 1378-1484) A corporate technique for self salvation, individualistic works-righteousness

Radical Reformation and 17th-century England: antitrinitarisim, panthesim & apocalyptic groups

The Early Modern World (1640 - 1800 A.D.)

Little new developments, but much activity. End of THirty-Years' War (religous) 40's &50's end of ideal Christian Society, gave way to pluralism and secularization. Educated elite rejected the supernatural, and dry dogma gave a hunger for "religion of the heart."

Few, but some cultic/pagan groups (underground) and antitrinitarian liberal groups: 17th &18th century saw rise in Unitarians and Deism (which died out) - "Enightenment"

18th century occultism transitioned into following the zodiac and superstisions Gave basis to the 1800's metaphysical and spiritual realities. In Europe the secret societies (Freemasonary, Swedenborgianism, Masmerism, Rosicrucianism) developed. In the US, the Rosicurian Brotherhood (1614) and 1700's joined Rose-Cross with the ancient guild of working masons (with secrets about their craft) & Biblical literalism -> Freemasonary. Occultists infiltrated and introducedsymbolic ceromonies (with roots in alchemy and Cabala) Myths of "Unknown Superiors" with the untimate secrets gave an element of excitement, and were used in others (e.g. The Theosophical Masters)

Swedenborg (1688-1772) linked the Alchemist/Rosicrucian secrets to the American Spiritualist séance, -> Theosphical lectures, Church of New Jerusalem, Swednenborgism Wrote authoratativly absed on visions on the realities of the spirit world, communication with the other side. Second coming of Christ happened spiritually in 1757. This is the "last age" (-> Aquarian Age, or New Age)

Dr. Franz Antione Mesmer (1733-1815, Austria) used a universal health-giving fluid "animal magnetism" traveled throgh iron rods from a tank to patients nearby. Using background music and suggestions, people convulsed and went into a lethergy. Later developments brought about modern hypnotism, or mesmerism.

Additional Resources:

Let us know if you can recommend another webpage, a book, or any other resource we could refer to here!