Religion and theology

Use in the book

I gives these contrasts a historical story, claiming that priests, creeds, and Constantine obscured older wisdom. IV states the definitions explicitly and admits that students need not accept the terminology. V then gives religious feeling a positive expression through the Father and Mother images.

VII tests the boundary by asking why THE ALL creates. Its final appeal to Hermes' silence leaves the ultimate motive unspoken. The failure to answer belongs to the author's definition of the limit of speculative inquiry.

Places to read

1. I The Hermetic Philosophy · Block 7… “that the teachers became priests, and so mixed theology with the philosophy, the result being that the occultism of India and Persia has been gradually lost amidst the mass of religious” …
2. IV THE ALL · Block 7“The Hermetists believe and teach that THE ALL, "in itself," is and must ever be UNKNOWABLE. They regard all the theories, guesses and speculations of the theologians and metaphysicians regarding the” …
3. IV THE ALL · Block 8“And still more presumptuous are those who attempt to ascribe to THE ALL the personality, qualities, properties, characteristics and attributes of themselves, ascribing to THE ALL the human emotions, feelings, and” …
4. IV THE ALL · Block 9… “to state that we make a distinction between Religion and Theology—between Philosophy and Metaphysics. Religion, to us, means that intuitional realization of the existence of THE ALL, and one's relationship to” …
5. V The Mental Universe · Block 16… “reverence for THE ALL, which feeling we call "religion"—that respect, and reverence for THE FATHER MIND? Is it any wonder that, when you consider the works and wonders of Nature, you” …
6. VII THE ALL in All · Block 19… “have intended to apply the axiom of his philosophy, that: "The lips of Wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding," believing that even his advanced students did not possess” …

In this edition

The four discipline names retain the source's wording. Positive religious imagery is not removed merely because theological speculation is criticized.

Reading the argument

These are the author's chosen distinctions, not neutral definitions of all religion or philosophy. The historical story about suppressed wisdom is also asserted without the documentary argument needed to establish it. The lexicon explains both uses without endorsing the polemic.

Religion

“Religion” — 7 occurrences in 4 text blocks: Intro.4; IV.9; V.16; VII.7.

Theology

“Theology” — 9 occurrences in 4 text blocks: I.7; IV.9; VI.4; VII.18.

Philosophy

“Philosophy” — 29 occurrences in 20 text blocks: Intro.2, 5; I.7–9; II.2, 25; III.14; IV.9, 18; VI.3, 13; VII.19; VIII.3, 11, 25, 30; XIII.3; XIV.2, 19.

Metaphysics

“Metaphysics” — 6 occurrences in 3 text blocks: IV.9; VI.4; VII.18.

Gnostics

“Gnostics” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: I.7.

Constantine

“Constantine” — 1 occurrence in 1 text block: I.7.