By Peter Mietzner Nowadays, when one does not know, one’s googles. If it is not on the Internet somewhere, one can almost accept that it does not exist. In this case even that did not really help, unfortunately, as the search brought very little about Theolosophy, except screwy references to the occult, the Rosecrucians and similar. There I was stuck. Encarta did not know the word “Theolosophy”, either. Neither did the BBC, the Oxford dictionary, nor Websters – not even Wikipedia! There is a site for the doctrine, if I may call it that, but that was at least two years out of date and had very little information per se. Needless to say, at this stage, I did not find any definitive result for “Edgar C. Links”either. Looking at the word itself, it would seem to suggest the philosophy about God and God-like issues, and that was my rationale with which I tackled the book – or, rather, booklet of 115 A5 closely-typed pages. About the author: He is a teacher in Namibia and, from the book, well-versed in English. So, I put my thinking cap on and came up, with the help of the meagre resources at my disposal, with some general formulation of the terms. With Theolosophy, it seems, the prime tenet is tolerance or, more accurately, celebrating different points of view. Theolosophists believe in the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations). They say: “We are not a religion, but rather a disorganized spiritual & philosophical community. Everyone is welcome, as long as everyone remembers that everyone is welcome. The only wrong point of view is that any one POV is right and that others are wrong.” Either Bailey has never been confronted with that statement or missed the word “everyone”, or his brand of Theolosophy is one of the others not mentioned. Obviously this is a well-written book. However, I can’t imagine an intelligent Christian taking many of the proposed arguments seriously. To the book’s credit, it gives an (yet tedious, muddled and often contradictory) account of contemporary Christian theology. However, if I wanted to know more about God, I must say, the Bible, in all its complexity, would be of more value and, often, makes more sense. Most of the logical arguments given are to me invalid and/or obsolete, and could probably be picked apart by anyone who took first-year philosophy. If you’re looking for reasons to take Christianity seriously, this isn’t a book for you. If you’re a Christian looking for some kind of academic vindication, Henry Bailey writes some excellent fiction. From the above it should be abundantly clear that this is not a scorching best-seller. Neither is it easy reading. One, who is not steeped in the fundamentalist notions Christianity comes up with from time to time, will find this book as easy and appetizing as running the Fish River Canyon Hike in one Day, barefoot and with no water or food. Announcing the spirit of a thousand years – that is the actual title, it seems (now, where have I heard the term “a thousand years” before?) is divided into 21 doctrines. From Earth to the Economy, the Spirit, Time, Parity, Education and the body to the Realm, Growth, The Place and Theolosophy itself. But, don’t despair – the chapter about Theolosophy does not really explain it either, except in esoteric and occult fashion. It is like being given a computer and told to put it together without a guide, but telling all of the time just how excellent this computer is. The author, who does not bother with an introduction to the topic or a foreword on what to expect, clearly does not expect the uninitiated to breeze through what he calls “tenets”. He does gallop (thoughtlessly and without explaining what, for instance, M3 means) through concepts like the M1, M2 and M3 money supplies, mineralogy, agriculture and mining – and various others – with nary a breath in-between. I managed to read most of the chapters without succumbing to numbing somnabulence, but I can think of many other books much more suitable to a quiet evening of contemplation, philosophy and wondering about things in general; for instance, the “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” from Lawrence of Arabia or “Atlas shrugged” or “the Fountainhead” from Ayn Rand. To put it bluntly, using Bailey’s own terminology: This is not the rock upon which my religion is built. If Theolosophy floats your boat, please give it a try. You may be one of those (like the 144 000 from the Bible) who will enjoy what they are reading and use the concepts contained in the book as a point of departure to further investigate belief in a Supreme Being and what He/She means to us as mere mortals thrust upon an earthly stage. The Book can be bought from the author at N$35 per copy.