Theosophia: Hidden Dimensions of Christianity

The title of this book will instantly be associated with Mme. Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society which is an unfortunate mistake. The theosophy which Versluis speaks of is more related to Gnostic and mystical Christianity than Blavatsky’s syncretic blend of the world’s religions. Versluis recognizes the negative connotations that Gnostic carries with it and tries to offer insight into the true nature of Gnostic thought. However he does focus on famous Gnostics such as Marcion and Valentinus but examines the thought of Tauler, Eckhart and Boehme. Jacob Boehme is a fascinating and complex figure and Versluis offers some hope of understanding the complex works of the perhaps the most famous Christian theosopher. He also examines the troubled relationship of Platonism and Hermeticism with Christianity which has an important bearing on later Christian theosophy. Be warned this book is relatively easy to read considering the topics being discussed but one might want to read around some of the key themes and characters first.