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Concerning The Spiritual: Minds Maddened By Protestantism

Thursday, March 22, 2012 3:09

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It was H P Blavatsky, cofounder of the Theosophical Society (TS), who wrote of ‘the maddening effect of Protestantism [especially Calvinism].’ Theosophy emerged in the late 1800s as an alternative spirituality—and as an antidote to the maddening effect of Protestantism. Devoid of ritual and colour, devoid of intellectual depth, devoid of emotion (except of the more hysterical kind), and inherently separatist, divisive and backward-looking for the most part, Protestantism—especially in its more evangelical forms—was found lacking and monumentally uninspiring to many intellectuals of the day. It remains the same today—at least for me as well as for many others.

I have been a proud member of the TS for many years. I am in full agreement with its three objects [see left], even though I reject most of the so-called ‘teachings’ of Theosophy (with a capital ‘T’). That doesn’t matter. Beliefs don’t matter. What you do with your life matters.

Sydney, Australia, in the 1920s and 30s, was known in Theosophical circles as ‘The Occult Centre for the Southern Hemisphere.’ Indeed it was, with much of the attention focused on the writings, pronouncements and activities of leading Theosophist and Liberal Catholic bishop Charles Webster Leadbeater [pictured right] who was resident in Sydney from 1914 to 1929 and who otherwise retained a significance ‘presence’ there until his death in Perth in 1934.

Dr Jenny McFarlane, who is a freelance curator and writer based in Canberra, has recently put together a wonderful book—which I heartily recommend—entitled Concerning the Spiritual: The influence of the Theosophical Society on Australian Artists 1890-1934, which has been published by Australian Scholarly Publishing. The book contains a series of fascinating case studies of artists, including Jane Price, Clarice Beckett, Ethel Carrick Fox and Grace Cossington Smith, who had a special relationship with the TS and its ‘radical visuality.’

The book challenges assumptions about early Australian Modernism and offers a convincing, if controversial, basis for reinterpretation. McFarlane writes, ‘The Australian experience itself is reconceptualised as an integral part of a larger, distributed conversation with like-minded artists, intellectuals and activities across the globe. Australian Modernism is recast as an informed primary player in a movement which challenged Western reason and looked to the ‘East’ to revitalize its focus.’ Fascinating. No longer is Australian Modernism seen as entirely derivative and secondary to what was otherwise happening in Europe and North America. No, Australia was a leading player in its own right—with a distinctively unique contribution to the world of art.

The Sydney of today, in which I live, is a lot more multicultural than it was in the 1920s and 30s—which is a good thing—but the life of the city is nowhere near as bohemian or cosmopolitan as it once was. We may have people here from every part of the globe but the ‘international’ flavor has in many ways gone. For the most part, Sydney is just like most large cities in North America—architecturally uninteresting (not so the Sydney Opera House and a few other prominent buildings), and entirely mercantile.

Back to the book. There have been a couple of good books written on Theosophy in Australia but this is the very first book on the influence of the TS on Australian art. As such, the book fills a void and is a most important contribution to Australian cultural, artistic and spiritual history. McFarlane writes very well. She is a brilliant wordsmith and her writing has colour and flair. She also knows her subject-matter—very, very well. For those interested in Australian art, the book is a must. Ditto those interested in Theosophy, the Ancient Wisdom, esoteric Christianity and alternative spirituality. The book contains about 30 beautifully reproduced colour photographs (mainly of works of art) as well as many black-and-white and sepia photographs as well—a truly priceless and unique collection which alone is worth the price of the book.

Concerning the Spiritual: The influence of the Theosophical Society on Australian artists 1890–1934, by Jenny McFarlane
Imprint: Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd ISBN: 9781921875151
Format: PB Release date: February 2012 RRP A$49.95

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