Spiritual Empires in Europe and India : Cosmopolitan Religious Movements From 1875 to the Interwar Era

This book provides a comparative analysis of cosmopolitan (esoteric) religious movements, such as Theosophy, Groupe Independent des Études Ésotériques, Anthroposophy, and Monism, in England, France, Germany, and India during the late nineteenth-century to the interwar years. Despite their diversity, these factions manifested a set of common features―anti-materialism, embrace of Darwinian evolution, and a belief in universal spirituality―that coalesced in a transnational field of analogous cosmopolitan spiritual affinities. Yet, in each of their geopolitical locations these groups developed vastly different interpretations and applications of their common spiritual tenets. This book explores how such religious innovation intersected with the social (labor and economic renewal), cultural (education and religious innovation) and political (Empire and anti-colonial) dynamics in these vastly different national domains. Ultimately, it illustrates how an innovative religious discourse converged with the secular world and became applied to envision a new social order―to spiritually re-engineer the world. Acknowledgments Praise for Spiritual Empires in Europe and India Contents List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction Cosmopolitan Affinities and Universal Spirituality Spiritual and Political Entanglement in the Cosmopolitan Religious Field The “Sore Need” of the World and Its Remedy: Cosmopolitan Spirituality Shared Entanglements: The Intersection of Spiritual Affinities in Europe and India Who Were These Spiritual Innovators? A Note of Scholarly Indebtedness: A Brief Sketch of the Scholarship on Esoteric Religion Purpose and Aims of Spiritual Empires Part I: Spiritual Science: Evolution for the Soul and Spiritual Historiography Chapter 2: Cosmopolitan Spirituality: Rectifying Materialism Materialism’s Dearth Legitimizing Spiritual Science The Intersection of Spirituality and Material Science The Stakes of Reconstructing Social Unity in the Face of Materialism Summary Chapter 3: The Progress of Evolution and Spiritual Science Spiritual Evolution: A Science of the Soul Ratifying Spiritual Science as Empirical Science Barlet: Linking Chemistry to the Divine Annie Besant’s Occult Chemistry and the Ultimate Atom Wilhelm Ostwald’s Source of Life: Die Energie Chapter 4: Rearticulating History and Universal Visions The Laws of Cosmopolitan Spiritual Historicism Universal Evolution of Religious Praxis The Rise and Fall of Civilizations Chapter 5: Spiritual Elites: Setting the Stage of Social and Political Conviction Reconstituting the Soul as Life-Force The Group Soul and Its Deva Builders Spiritual Reconstitution and the Practical Aspects of Social Revision The Outline of Cosmopolitan Political Designs Summing Up: Spiritual Elites and Their Political Mandate Part II: Spiritual Imperialism: Cosmopolitan Religious Partisans in Their Societies and Nations Chapter 6: Merit-Based Karma and Social Engineering in Germany and France The Articulation of Merit-Based Karma in Germany Merit-Based Karma and Social Distinction in Germany Educating the Volk: Caste, Class, and Karma in Germany The Remedies for Socioeconomic Disparities France: Social Revision for the Nation Chapter 7: The Spiritual Empire of England and India: Merit-Based Karma and Social Engineering The British Version of Merit-Based Karma Socialism and the Rise of the Proletariat: The Scourge of Society The Indian Theosophical Model of Caste The Embrace of International Labor in India Chapter 8: Cosmopolitan Spirituality: National Merit in Germany and France “There Is No European People so Similar to the Hindus as We Germans” Spiritual Francocentrism: Synarchy and French National Renewal Mission of the Sovereigns: Leading France to National Synarchy Barlet’s Synarchy: Social Evolution and the Nation “Grand Chancellors”: A French Catholic-esque Priesthood for the World Chapter 9: A New and Improved Empire: British Spiritual Imperialism and Indian National Renewal Yoking Science and Religion for a Better World in the Empire An Indo-British Commonwealth: “A World Federation of All Nations” Indian Tradition: “To Spiritualize and Purify Humanity” India’s Spiritual Resurgence: “To Change the Whole Face of Indian Life” India’s Aryan Heritage: Reforging National Identity India: “My Province, the Motherland, and the Empire” A British-Indian Spiritual Empire Chapter 10: Epilogue Select Bibliography Primary: Books Primary: Journals Secondary Index This book provides a comparative analysis of cosmopolitan (esoteric) religious movements, such as Theosophy, Groupe Independent des Études Ésotériques, Anthroposophy, and Monism, in England, France, Germany, and India during the late nineteenth-century to the interwar years. Despite their diversity, these factions manifested a set of common features--anti-materialism, embrace of Darwinian evolution, and a belief in universal spirituality--that coalesced in a transnational field of analogous cosmopolitan spiritual affinities. Yet, in each of their geopolitical locations these groups developed vastly different interpretations and applications of their common spiritual tenets. This book explores how such religious innovation intersected with the social (labor and economic renewal), cultural (education and religious innovation) and political (Empire and anti-colonial) dynamics in these vastly different national domains. Ultimately, it illustrates how an innovative religious discourse converged with the secular world and became applied to envision a new social order--to spiritually re-engineer the world. Perry Myers is Professor of German Studies at Albion College in Michigan, USA. This book provides a comparative analysis of cosmopolitan (esoteric) religious movements, such as Theosophy, Groupe Independent des Etudes Esoteriques, Anthroposophy, and Monism, in England, France, Germany, and India during the late nineteenth-century to the interwar years. Despite their diversity, these factions manifested a set of common featuresanti-materialism, embrace of Darwinian evolution, and a belief in universal spiritualitythat coalesced in a transnational field of analogous cosmopolitan spiritual affinities. Yet, in each of their geopolitical locations these groups developed vastly different interpretations and applications of their common spiritual tenets. This book explores how such religious innovation intersected with the social (labor and economic renewal), cultural (education and religious innovation) and political (Empire and anti-colonial) dynamics in these vastly different national domains. Ultimately, it illustrates how an innovative religious discourse converged with the secular world and became applied to envision a new social orderto spiritually re-engineer the world. Perry Myers is Professor of German Studies at Albion College in Michigan, USA