![]() It was a community of believers, a colony of idealists and a settlement in San Diego. Point Loma was more than Katherine Tingley and Greenwalt takes great pains to emphasize that. Some of the bibliographic notes have been updated, but most are the same. Some important works, such as Laurence Veysey’s The Communal Experience (1973), might have helped in this reissue, but Greenwalt has chosen to overlook them. In this reissue additional details about Philip Malpas and Hugh Leonard are provided, but the book is essentially the same as the original 1955 version. Their contributions to the horticultural history of San Diego, their artistic and cultural achievements and their dedication to the theosophical ideal all find a place in Greenwalt’s narrative. At present there is little left of the colony to remind San Diegans of the history and Greenwalt’s account stresses their accomplishments rather than their ultimate failure.Įven though Tingley said there was a “top rung to every ladder,” and she perched herself there at Point Loma, she was surrounded by able and dedicated associates. From 1900 to 1929 when Tingley died the colony at Point Loma was a benign and restful community. Point Loma, under Katherine Tingley’s autocratic leadership, was formed to do good, to encourage men and women along a higher path and to provide a haven for the like-minded in a hostile world. However, murder has been committed in the name of almost everything and we should pause before allowing code words and phrases to lead us to false conclusions.įor there is a benign side to the colony experience and this reissue reminds us of that fact. And rightly so since the excesses associated with some contemporary sects should give us pause. The public now shudders when terms like sect, cult or charismatic leader are mentioned. Newspapers, California ones in particular, have deposited bizarre and ghoulish accounts on our doorsteps of the People’s Temple and Synanon. The reissue and modest revision comes at a welcome time. Editor of a nineteen volume series, The American Utopian Adventure and author of the forthcoming Biographical Dictionary of Communal History (Greenwood Press).įor close to twenty-five years Emmett Greenwalt’s study of the theosophical community at Point Loma has been the best and standard account. Fogarty, Editor, Antioch Review, and Associate Professor of History, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Scharf, Managing Editor BOOK REVIEWSĬalifornia Utopia: Point Loma: 1897-1942. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.Īs a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.Thomas L. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.īBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.īBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment.
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