Rosicrucian and Rosicrucianism

Rosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society claimed to have been established during the Late Medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz. Rosicrucianism holds a doctrine or theology "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm." Rosicrucianism is symbolized by the Rosy Cross. The legendary origin of modern-day Rosicrucianism was a manifesto, the "Fama Fraternitaris", printed in 1614. This document claimed that an unknown German called 'The Highly Illuminated Father C.R.C." was the founder of the first "Secret Society of the Rose Cross" in the thirteenth century.

In between 1607 and 1616, two anonymous manifestos were published, first in Germany and later throughout Europe. These were Fama Fraternitatis RC (The Fame of the Brotherhood of RC) and Confessio Fraternitatis (The Confession of the Brotherhood of RC). The influence of these documents, presenting a "most laudable Order" of mystic-philosopher-doctors and promoting a "Universal Reformation of Mankind", gave rise to an enthusiasm called by its historian Dame Frances Yates the "Rosicrucian Enlightenment".

Rosicrucianism was more closely related with Protestantism than Roman Catholism and in particular, was most closely associated with Lutheranism. According to historian David Stevenson, it was also influential to Freemasonry as it was emerging in Scotland. In later centuries, many esoteric societies have said to derive their doctrines, in whole or in part, from the original Rosicrucians. Several modern societies, which date the beginning of the Order to earlier centuries, have been formed for the study of Rosicrucianism and allied subjects.

Nothing in the Rosicrucian philosophy which claimed to possess the "secret of the ages" was built upon Jesus Christ and His revelation to man. Rosicrucians teach that Christianity has perverted and suppressed "ancient truths." They deny the historic definition of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ, saying that the Son of God was only "a spirit be longing to our human evolution...the Christ spirit which entered the body of Jesus was a ray from the Cosmic Christ...we may follow Jesus back in his previous incarnations, and we can trace his growth to the present day."