Annie Besant
Must religion and morals go together? Can one be taught without the other? These questions are as relevant today as they were nearly a century ago when author Annie Besant first addressed them in The Basis of Morality. Whether you are an ardent believer or a hard-nosed skeptic, the age-old relationship between religion and morality is a fascinating one to ponder.
A progressive thinker and activist who advocated for women's rights and freedom of religion, Annie Besant's fate was forever altered when she took a trip to India in the late 1890s. Though the journey was intended as something of a spiritual quest, Besant became interested in the social and political challenges facing the country and eventually took up the cause of Indian independence. In The Case for India, Besant unleashes a torrent of
...Because of her early work as a secular activist who labored tirelessly in support of activities like increasing women's access to birth control information, it surprised many of Annie Besant's friends and colleagues when she developed a strong interest in the esoteric spiritual practice known as Theosophy. But rather than abandoning her previous beliefs and values, Besant incorporated them into her newly spiritualized worldview. Similarly, in this
...Religious historian Annie Besant offers a new take on standard Christian doctrine and practice in Esoteric Christianity. Building on the precept that Christianity is actually a mystery religion (i.e., one that relies on the inner knowledge or Gnosis of a spiritual teacher or mystic), this book explores some of the connections between Christianity and practices such as alchemy, astrology, and ritual magic, and discusses the implications
...Annie Besant was a fascinating figure who made a mark in a staggering number of fields and disciplines over the course of her career, ranging from making significant headway in the domain of women's reproductive rights to popularizing the esoteric spiritual system known as Theosophy in the West. The volume Avataras presents the text of a series of lectures that Besant delivered at an international Theosophy conference in 1899.
Annie Besant began her career as a political activist, working on issues such as suffrage, women's reproductive rights, and socialism. Along the way, she encountered the New Thought movement and developed a strong interest in spirituality. Within a few years, she had established herself as an international leader in the movement. This volume collects a series of lectures on the subject that Besant presented in London in 1907.
The debate over life after death has been at the center of a theological maelstrom for thousands of years. In this volume, Annie Besant draws on Christian tenets, New Thought concepts, and other faith traditions to offer a speculative account of the experience that humans may encounter when they pass from this world. Death -- and After? offers a fascinating take on this age-old conundrum.
Today, yoga is the province of trendy spas, suburban recreation centers, and personal trainers. However, in the early twentieth century, it was regarded as a serious spiritual practice reserved for those who were dedicated to the life of the mind. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you can get back to basics and enrich your practice with this comprehensive guide from yoga expert Annie Wood Besant.
When political activist Annie Besant discovered the spiritual practice known as Theosophy, it changed her life, bestowing upon her a sense of tranquility and purpose. When she came under attack by religious leaders who were suspicious of this unfamiliar faith, Besant fired back with both guns blazing, publishing this scathing but meticulously thorough critique of Christianity.
Even today, atheism is a controversial subject, so it's not surprising that the 1895 publication of British thinker and activist Annie Besant's My Path to Atheism caused quite a stir. In the book, Besant lays out a compelling case for secularism and details her own spiritual journey—one that eventually led to her disavowal of the Christian concept of God.
Though you might not suspect it from its misleadingly dry title, Fruits of Philosophy caused quite a stir in its day. Rather than being an august treatise on the works of Aristotle and Socrates, this slim volume produced by a renegade Massachusetts physician in the early 1830s compiled the most up-to-date information then known about sex, conception, and birth control. The author was later convicted of indecency and sentenced to a term of
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