A historical exploration from 1848 to 1898 considering the many socio-political, philosophical, scientific, and spiritualist figures whose exploits help define spirituality to this day.

The author begins with Emerson and Marx and life and spirituality in the industrial age. The narrative moves on toward Ruskin in Italy and Thoreau in America and their resistance to such industrialism. The constant churn of Paris with Baudelaire and Levi and the occult are considered. Then it is time for Darwin and Huxley, Whitman, and Wagner, and all the social theories and poetry that attend to them.

The next phase, 1871-1898, will see Blavatsky and her Theosophism along with Nietzsche and his prognostications predominate. The narrative will follow Blavatsky and all her journeys West and East with Olcott and their engagement with Buddhism, Hinduism, and what would become modern Islam. We meet Gandhi and his early life experiences and what would form and shape him. We see the origins of the Indian and Jewish freedom movements with Vivekananda and Herzl. And throughout we are "treated" to Nietzsche's ruminations. The epilogue considers the psychopathology which was coming about with Freud et al.

There's a lot of historical narrative here but not much explanation attempting to tie it all together. It is left for the reader to discern how even the early twenty first century remains haunted by these figures and their spiritual prognostications: the discontent with Christianity; confidence in humanity and its frustration; the line between profound wisdom and hucksterism; spirituality and liberation; the "death of God"; the appeal of Eastern wisdom; etc.

But if you're interested in seeing how thoroughly interconnected the world of the late nineteenth century was, and how all these various "luminaries" tie in to one another, behold.

Very interesting reading.

The Religious Revolution details the shift in thinking from a traditional religious perspective to an individualized system of thought which then could not be contained by the very institutions that fueled the shift. The author details these changes through the narratives of those who were pivotal to this change. It jumps from character to another, all the while building the momentum of the story, mirroring the momentum that was taking place in society.

This book is an exercise of deep thought and analysis about people who changed how our society functions through deep thought and analysis of their own world and roles within it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrah, Straus and Giroux for an ARC of this book.

Different from the author's previous books, Dominic Green draws a line between the rise of modern science and the concurrent ascendance of spiritual movements like Theosophy. An interesting intellectual history that helps us understand why people thought the way they did at this time. They were searching for something bigger than themselves while at the same time trying to disprove its existence.

An interesting read for understanding a period that seems so modern and so foreign.