Theosophist and Transhumanist (The Divine Self, vol. 3)

The definitive history of “spiritual but not religious” thought in the modern era

In this third and final volume of The Divine Self series, Michael Horton traces the development of “spiritual but not religious” thought in modernity, starting with the metaphysical insights of the Enlightenment and ending with the transhumanist ideals of Silicon Valley. 

As Horton surveys the arc of modern history, he offers fresh perspectives on familiar figures such as Jonathan Edwards, Immanuel Kant, William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Friedrich Nietzsche. He also introduces readers to movements and events that are less well known: the surprising rise of Gnostic feminism in the nineteenth century, the exclusive Eranos gatherings in the early twentieth century, and more. Combining extensive research with a comprehensive grasp of history, Horton shows how key intellectual trends—including rationalism’s critique of external religious authority, Pietism’s emphasis on inner experience, and Romanticism’s celebration of individual feeling—combined to produce the modern conviction that authentic spirituality is found not in church doctrine but in individual consciousness.

Concluding with a perceptive analysis of worldviews that currently pervade the tech sector, Horton persuasively shows that as institutional Christianity declines in the West, it is being replaced not by science per se but by natural supernaturalism. Ambitious and expansive, this volume—along with volumes 1 and 2 in the series—is an essential resource for anyone who wants to understand the “spiritual but not religious” phenomenon in Western culture.