Imagining the East

Imagining the East: The Early Theosophical Society is the first scholarly anthology dedicated to examining how the early Theosophical movement approached the East. Founded in New York in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky, H. S. Olcott, and others, the Society promoted early Western engagement with Indian and Tibetan philosophies.

The volume explores how formative-period Theosophists understood Eastern traditions and interacted with Asian populations. Contributors contrast these esoteric perspectives with mainstream orientalism, British colonialism, and Christian missionary efforts while showing how Theosophical ideas mirrored prevailing nineteenth-century intellectual values.

Essays address the early reception of Buddhism and Hindu philosophy alongside historical developments in modern religions and Western esotericism.