Hidden Side of Christian Festivals

by C.W. Leadbeater, Wynn Wagner (Editor)

Written by one of the foremost authorities on esoteric Christianity, HIDDEN SIDE takes you on a journey beneath the popular surface meaning of the major events in the church's year. It was written a few months after World War One, and that still is a strong memory to the author. Archbishop Leadbeater (1854-1934) was the second Presiding Bishop of the Liberal Rite of the church catholic. He was one of the most well-known authors on esoteric Christianity of the twentieth century. "Christianity is one of the great paths up the mountain of light at the summit of, which sits God Himself. It is one of the paths, but only one, and if we have a number of people all round the base of the mountain, the shortest path to the top for each man is the path, which opens before him. It would be foolish to have the idea that we must go and drag a man all round the base of the mountain in order to make him walk up our particular path. "Our efforts to convert people from other religions and modes of worship are unnecessary and presumptuous. The effort to bring to the knowledge of God people who are ignorant of His ways is a grand and noble action; that we should by deed as well as by word preach our belief that there is a God, and that to live as He would have men live is the only sure way to comfort and peace - that is a noble work; but to try to convert a man who is already good along his own line in order to make him good along ours is not a sensible thing to do." Abp. Charles W. Leadbeater from "The Epiphany"

362 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2008

About the author

Charles Webster Leadbeater was an influential member of the Theosophical Society, author on occult subjects and co-initiator with J.I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church.

Originally a priest of the Church of England, his interest in spiritualism caused him to end his affiliation with Anglicanism in favour of the Theosophical Society, where he became an associate of Annie Besant. He became a high-ranking officer of the society, but resigned in 1906 amid a scandal. Accusations of his detractors were never proven and, with Besant's assistance, he was readmitted a few years later. Leadbeater went on to write over 69 books and pamphlets that examined in detail the hidden side of life as well as maintain regular speaking engagements. His efforts on behalf of the society assured his status as one of its leading members until his death in 1934.

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