Doctrine
[introduction here]
Doctrine vs Theology
Understanding the difference between doctrine and theology is incredibly easy to grasp.
Doctrine, simply put, is the official teaching of any church. That’s it. Simple, right? Pick a church. Any church. The teachings it puts out as authoritative are its doctrines. Now, it can be more subtle—as in the case of OTO/EGC—but it’s usually pretty straight-forward.
Doctrines always have a hierarchy of truths.
You can always find them in lists. One of the last hierarchies of doctrinal support for an idea I read in a book was (1) Direct Communication of A∴A∴ superiors, (2) Crowley’s Writings, (3) Personal HGA, and then (4) Class A Books. It’s a stepping stone path or ladder of truths.
The Law of Thelema comes from the A∴A∴. No matter how you feel about the mythology of the Great White Brotherhood, this is our mythology at this present time. It is one of Thelema’s overall doctrines. I choose here to maintain that as we move on.
Other organizations may have additional teachings they provide to their membership and consider authoritative. The only text that is authoritative to all Thelemites outside of any organizational mandate or agenda is the Book of the Law.
Theology, on the other hand, is a pluralistic and systemic attempt to reflect on both scripture and tradition. It takes into account the Book of the Law and it looks at the way in which it has been studied, applied, and expounded upon since its reception by all people in all times in all places.
Theology looks at the Law of Thelema in light of our questions today, those existential concerns, that Ultimate Concern, the situation of humanity today. Theology explores Thelema not in some darkened back room with incense and naked women, but in the global and local face of crisis, hunger, tyranny, and helplessness.
The difference between doctrine and theology is vast. We rail against doctrine. We rail that we don’t want to get caught up in «being like the last aeon.» We’re already there. We have a magisterium that offers doctrines and goes around authoritatively lecturing on doctrines to reinforce their brand of significance. We all abide by certain doctrines by virtue of being members of one organization or another—myself included. For all our recoil from doctrines, we rush to accept them and so often without much critical thought at all.
But we miss the theology because we want to look like rebels without a cause. We miss the reality on the ground because we don’t want to get caught up in words. We miss the reality of what’s going on right here, right now, in the application of our Law because we’re too afraid of the white noise that has been generated by fear of the past.
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Canons of Thelemic Philosophy & Religion © 1996-2024 by Qui Vident.
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