Jesus Christ and Spiritualism

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Jesus Christ and Spiritualism is a correspondence written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in Light on 2 august 1919.

In the same article, Light published 5 different opinions from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Miss H. A. Dallas, James Coates, Wm. A Jones (Wales) and T. H. Stevenson. Below is the Conan Doyle's one:


Jesus Christ and Spiritualism

Light (2 august 1919, p. 242)

We give herewith a further instalment of correspondence on the above subject, necessarily condensing the communications in some cases. A reply from the Rev. F. Fielding-Ould to the various criticisms on his article will appear later.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

What ruined early Christianity and reduced it to a jumble of creeds all at loggerheads over mystical questions? It was the attempt in the second century or thereabouts to closely define things which the human brain is incapable of understanding, and then to quarrel with those who did not agree with the definition. Where we consider the breadth and gentle toleration of Christ's teaching we can, it seems to me, see that all those successive Councils of the Church which got more and more dogmatic in their teaching were essentially unChristian in their spirit. Spiritualism is, in my opinion, an attempt to get back to the simplicity as well as to the phenomena of the early Christian days. We have to cease the twisting of texts and the drawing of iron lines round matters which are admitted to be infinite and therefore beyond our capacity. It would be a thousand pities if any considerable body of Spiritualists began to excommunicate their neighbours upon such grounds. Every Spiritualist whom I know is convinced that Christ is the highest of Spirits. Upon that there is no contention. Why not leave it at that, and let each determine in his own soul and reason how far that highest spirit approached actual divinity? Only in this way can we find unity and mutual tolerance.