K. Paul Johnson
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K[enneth] Paul Johnson is a historian of esotericism who has written books on Theosophy and Edgar Cayce.
In the past he has been a Mormon and a Bahá'í (as a teenager), then a member of both the Theosophical Society and the Association for Research and Enlightenment (from the late 1970s intermittently through the early 2000s). In 2005 he joined the Church of Light (founded by "C.C. Zain) which Johnson discovered by way of astrology software by Allen Edwall that uses Zain's Hermetic astrology.
Johnson is currently head librarian at the Halifax County-South Boston Regional Library.
[edit] Books
- In Search of the Masters (self-published, 1990) contains material that was later reworked into the following:
- The Masters Revealed (SUNY Press, 1994) attempts to recover the identities of the Blavatsky's Mahatmas. Where most non-Theosophical commentators assume them to have been invented by Mme. Blavatsky, and Theosophical ones believe them to have actually existed as described, Johnson proposes a third way of understanding the Mahatmas--as disguised versions of real, historical figures whom Blavatsky met during her travels. (The need for this dissimulation arose from the political situation of 19th-century British India, he says.) Johnson tentatively suggests a list of real-world spiritual figures (e.g., Thakar Singh Sadhanwalia, Ranbir Singh, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sarat Chandra Das) who share various features in common with their putative counterparts. One casualty of Johnson's proposed revision is that unlike Theosophy's masters, these individuals had little in common with one another (or with Blavatsky), and seem to have lacked supernatural powers or authority.
- Initiates of Theosophical Masters (SUNY Press, 1995), a quasi-sequel to the above (though less focused on Theosophy). Includes material on Radhasoami, the Baha'i religion, and the Fourth Way, all of which share Theosophy's interest in Oriental spiritual masters. Johnson approaches all of these spiritual movements from a skeptical point of view, though not in an attempt to debunk them.
- Edgar Cayce in Context. Examines various aspects of a well-known Kentucky clairvoyant. Johnson admires some aspects of Cayce (such as astrology, ESP, and his interpretation of Jesus), more than others (such as his "pseudo-history" or his prophecies).
[edit] Reception
- In Search of the Masters went mostly unnoticed except among a few Theosophical publications, which gave it cordial reviews.
- The Masters Revealed, though well-received outside of Theosophical circles (including the New York Times Book Review), inspired mixed reactions from Theosophists. Joy Mills, Claire Walker, and Geoffrey Farthing praised the book; John Algeo, Daniel Caldwell, David Pratt, Nicholas Weeks, and Bruce McDonald criticized it. (See the link below for details.)
- Initiates of Theosophical Masters remains an obscure work.
- Edgar Cayce in Context was received politely by the A.R.E., the Edgar Cayce organization. However, the book did not result in any significant changes to the A.R.E.'s teachings or publications.
