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History and Evolution:
By William E. Steinman:
Part 80, Bohme:
October 4, 2004:
Now we can take a look at a rather strange person of the Renaissance, Jakob Bohme (1575-1624). Bohme was a humble German shoemaker who somehow became a theosophist and mystic. In fact, he is considered by some to be the founder of modern Theosophy. Theosophy, which means divine wisdom, is a religious philosophy which examines the nature of the human soul based on mystical insight into the nature of God. It is as old as the Greek philosophers and continues to influence religious mysticism in our time.
The modern Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875 and is still active. Followers of this philosophy, though diverse, exhibit some common characteristics. Most important is the emphasis on mystical experience. Theosophists pretty much agree that a deeper spiritual reality exists and that direct contact may be established with that reality through activities intended to induce a state which transcends human consciousness. Meditation is one such activity. Almost as important and coupled with transcendence is the believer's emphasis on esoteric doctrine. This is the teaching which is gained through this inner experience.
These people are also very interested in what can be called occult phenomena. They tend to believe in supernatural happenings and in their ability, through effort, to acquire supernatural or spiritual powers. They believe that divine wisdom opens up the mysteries of nature and our deeper, more meaningful being. In addition they understand reality to consist of just one principle underlying all apparent dualism. Bohme is one who became a believer in and spokesman for these religious principles.
Near the end of his teens Bohme lived in Gorlitz which was a cauldron of controversies concerning the reformation. The place was overflowing with splinter groups of all stripe. There were Anabaptist radicals, crypto-Calvinists, Humanists, Paracelsian physicians, orthodox Lutherans, and a few etceteras. There was also Martin Moller, the Lutheran pastor of Gorlitz. Moller had a very persuasive presence and influenced many people in his religious meetings. It seems Bohme was one person so influenced.
For sure, Bohme is alleged to have had a religious experience when he was just 25 years old. In this sudden insight he is said to have acquired some kind of knowledge through which he resolved the problems of his time. This gets kind of mystical here. It seems Bohme claimed to have rediscovered the dialectical principle that in Yes and No all things consist. You may wonder, as I did, what the heck that means, if anything. I get that its kind of like the Eastern principle of duality or Yin and Yang. The existence of a thing not only implies but demands its opposite. It makes a modicum of sense.
Now, Bohme's experience was not much different than that of many other youngsters who are influenced by very persuasive men of the cloth. By itself, it would not have been particularly significant in the history of man. However, Bohme was one shoemaker who also happened to be very articulate. How or why he became articulate is a mystery. There is nothing in his background or schooling to explain it. His education was basic at best.
Nonetheless, Bohme did write, about theology, philosophy, and astrology in a collection called Aurora. Although he wrote for himself and his friends Moller's successor, one Gregory Richter, got his hands on a copy. Instead of using common sense and ignoring it, he made it important by condemning it. I should be so lucky with Falwell. Of course, the town council forbade Bohme to continue his writing.
So Bohme shut up for a while but he did not stop thinking. Meanwhile he did well as a cobbler and acquired a circle of intellectual friends. They loaned him books which stimulated his ongoing thoughts. That is when he read and assimilated the ideas of Paracelsus. Recall that Paracelsus was the egomaniacal Swiss physician and alchemist who took the name Paracelsus meaning greater than Celsus. Bohme took up the terminology of Paracelsus and also his interest in mysticism.
He began to write again, but he keep the circulation among his intellectual friends who were coming to respect the thinking of this strange cobbler. In this time, Bohme wrote some devotional tracts which linked mysticism with devotional ideas. Several of these works were published by his friends in a book called The Way to Christ. For sure, Richter was piqued and he roused some rabble who made Bohme's life difficult.
In spite of that he continued to write and expound his philosophies.
One work in particular, The Election of Grace, still stands as
a masterpiece of theosophic exposition. It influenced a number
of philosophers and theologians. He continued to write, in defiance
of th town council until his death in 1624. Though the local rabble
continued to harass him he was exonerated by the elector's court
in Dresden. No matter, his neighbors were still surly, but in
the end he was found to qualify for the last sacrament before
he died.
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