Two vintage books by noted controversial Rosicrucian author, occultist, and mystic, Harvey Spencer Lewis - the founder in the US and the first Imperator of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC), from 1915 until 1939. Think Dan Brown Da Vinci Code type of ancient mythical secret society orders which has claimed to have had many prominent members throughout its history tracing back to Egyptian times.
Both volumes were published by the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC in 1979 in San Jose, California in faux leather hardbound bindings. Both are volumes are part of a larger series of Rosicrucian library volumes.
The Mystical Life of Jesus - Volume III
The Secret Doctrines of Jesus - Volume IV
OVERALL Condition: VG+ and GOOD
Lewis was born in Frenchtown, New Jersey, to Aaron Rittenhouse Lewis and a German-born teacher, Katharina Hoffmann. He worked in advertising as an illustrator (the modern term commercial artist best describes his line of work), and he used that experience to promote AMORC, through print ads, booklets and magazine illustrations. Lewis first learned of the Rosicrucians through his interest in paranormal phenomena. His membership of a group investigating and exposing more than 50 fraudulent mediums[clarification needed] led to the formation of the New York Institute for Psychical Research, of which he was elected president at the age of 20.
He later related that he was initiated into a Rosicrucian order during a trip to France. Given the mission to both bring Rosicrucian ideas back to America (an immigrant German group had a settlement in Pennsylvania during the 17th century, but it had long been dissolved), and to promote them in a modern way, Lewis established AMORC, becoming its first Imperator. He translated from French and German what became the Order's first canon of lessons in mysticism, and spent the rest of his life working ceaselessly on AMORC's behalf.
Lewis engineered and supervised the creation of Rosicrucian Park, in San Jose, California, designing its unique buildings – the Egyptian-style temple, the fifth planetarium in the United States, a science laboratory, lecture auditorium, library, and administrative offices. Today his internationally recognised Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum on Naglee Avenue is a popular tourist attraction.
Lewis authored The Mystical Life of Jesus in 1929. The book is notable for defending a variant of the swoon hypothesis that Jesus survived his crucifixion. Lewis plagiarized entire chapters from The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling.
AMORC claims an association with a "perennial philosophy", often referred to as "The Primordial Tradition". The Order further states that it is heir and custodian of the "Rose-Croix" of the past, thereby making it the oldest existing Traditional Fraternity and a modern-day manifestation of the 'Rosicrucian Fraternity' of old, which is believed by some to have originated in the traditions of the Ancient Egyptian Mystery schools. The ancient Mysteries are said to have been preserved through the millennia by closed secret societies until the early years of 17th Century Europe. At that point, according to AMORC internal mythology, the time was right for the existence of this body of secret knowledge to become open, i.e. revealed, to the world, in the form of the Rosicrucian manifestos.
Condition:
The Mystical Life of Jesus -VG+/VG+
The book is in VERY GOOD+ condition. Clean, colorful boards. Former owner ex libris embossment on FFEP. Bright white pages with no writing or stickers or foxing. Light edge wear rubbing, two corners slightly bumped and a few pages with some creasing else FINE.
The dust jacket is VERY GOOD+ - light soiling, a few small chips and very small tears and edgewear crinkling. Spine is sunned a bit.
The Secret Doctrines of Jesus - G/VG-
The book is in Good condition - Clean, colorful boards. Former owner ex libris embossment on FFEP. Light edge wear. Areas of water dampening and water dampening stains. Areas of underlining and margin marks in pen throughout book. Rear endpapers with annotated notes in pen referencing sections of the book.
The dust jacket is in VERY GOOD- condition. Light edge wear rubbing and crinkling. Stains to front panel and rear panel. Spine sun-faded.
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