Theosophy and the Canadian Idealist Tradition: A Preliminary Exploration

Abstract

Between the years 1890 and 1930, many prominent Canadian artists, writers, feminists and other intellectuals were influenced by the teachings of the Theosophical Society. Troubled by the religious implications of Darwinist thought, their Christian beliefs were further undermined by the impact of the first war and the ensuing economic depression. While they initially turned to Theosophy out of a need for answers in their struggles with religious doubt, these men and women came to feel that "the new religion" at once accounted for and actively inspired them in their search for a genuinely Canadian art and culture.