What is Thelema?
Q: What is Thelema?
A: Thelema is the English spelling of the Greek noun θέλημα, which means "will". It was first written about by François Rabelais in his books of fiction and refers to a way of life based on the phrase "Do what thou wilt".
Q: How did Aleister Crowley revive Thelema?
A: Aleister Crowley revived Thelema in 1904 when he wrote The Book of the Law. This book contained both the word Thelema in Greek as well as the phrase "Do what thou wilt", from which Crowley took Thelema as the name of his own religion.
Q: Who are credited with perpetuating Thelema?
A: Shri Gurudev Mahendranath wrote that François Rabelais, Sir Francis Dashwood, and Aleister Crowley must share the honor of perpetuating Thelema.
Q: What does 'Thelematic Law' refer to?
A: 'Thelematic Law' refers to an idea first written about by François Rabelais in his famous books of fiction, Gargantua and Pantagruel. This idea was summed up in the phrase “Do what thou wilt” (“fay çe que vouldras” in old French).
Q: When did Sir Francis Dashwood practice this law?
A: Sir Francis Dashwood practiced this law during the mid 18th century at Medmenham.
Q: What do early Christian writings refer to when using 'the will'?
A: Early Christian writings use 'the will' to refer to God's will, human will, and even God's opponent -the Devil's- will.
