Editing Spirituality (section)

====Theosophy, anthroposophy, and the perennial philosophy====
{{See also|Western esotericism}}

A major influence on modern spirituality was the [[Theosophical Society]], which searched for 'secret teachings' in Asian religions.{{sfn|McMahan|2008}} It has been influential on modernist streams in several Asian religions, notably [[Neo-Vedanta]], the revival of [[Theravada Buddhism]], and [[Buddhist modernism]], which have taken over modern western notions of [[Religious experience|personal experience]] and [[universalism]] and integrated them in their religious concepts.{{sfn|McMahan|2008}} A second, related influence was [[Anthroposophy]], whose founder, [[Rudolf Steiner]], was particularly interested in developing a genuine Western spirituality, and in the ways that such a spirituality could transform practical institutions such as [[Waldorf education|education]], [[biodynamic agriculture|agriculture]], and [[anthroposophical medicine|medicine]].<ref>{{cite book|last=McDermott|first=Robert|title=The Essential Steiner|year=2007|publisher=Lindisfarne|isbn=978-1-58420-051-2}}</ref><ref>''William James and Rudolf Steiner'', Robert A. McDermott, 1991, in ReVision, vol. 13 no. 4
[http://www.ciis.edu/Documents/Academic%20Departments/PCC/McDermott_William%20James%20and%20Rudolf%20Steiner.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923203445/http://www.ciis.edu/Documents/Academic%20Departments/PCC/McDermott_William%20James%20and%20Rudolf%20Steiner.pdf|date=2015-09-23}}</ref> More independently, the [[spiritual science]] of [[Martinus Thomsen|Martinus]] was an influence, especially in Scandinavia.<ref>Ole Therkelsen: Martinus, Darwin and Intelligent design. A new Theory of Evolution, p. 7</ref>

The influence of Asian traditions on Western modern spirituality was also furthered by the [[perennial philosophy]], whose main proponent [[Aldous Huxley]] was deeply influenced by [[Swami Vivekananda|Swami Vivekananda's]] [[Neo-Vedanta]] and universalism,{{sfn|Roy|2003}} and the spread of social welfare, education and mass travel after [[World War II]].