Theos-Talk Archives (August 1994 Message tl00037)

Vic,

        This is a really weird feeling for me.  On the one hand, I
        am really excited that such a project is underway.  As I
        have al- ready said, it is a work -- *I* believe -- that is
        sorely needed.  On the other hand, I take the news with a
        little trepidation -- specifically about:

> ...  Contributed articles have come from > many people, which
include some of the most respected names in the theosoph- > ical
world ...

        By its very nature, I believe, an encyclopedia is supposed
        to be a collection of articles that can be referenced and
        *under- stood* by the nonexperts who may be researching the
        field or, as in my case, just trying to understand the
        fundamentals.

        It seems to me that such a project would *have to be:

> ...  subject to much editing and re-editing ...

        to make it readable, understandable, and enjoyable to a
        person living in the modern 20th-century world.  This is,
        after all, the "complaint" I was voicing (Oops, I forgot, I
        don't usually com- plain ;-) ).  Are these editors going to
        attempt such a conver- sion? Will I be able to look up
        "First Cause," "Globes," "Ether- ic Body," and the like and
        get a plain-English (I assume it is being written in
        English) "translation" of theosophical concepts and terms
        described in 20th-century terminaology?

> ...  Assistance and support to this project would be most welcome
...

        BTW, was this project announced anywhere? ...  The AT? ...
        The Quest? ...  anywhere? I'll admit to being a little
        backed up on my reading of the journals I subscribe to, but
        I don't remember seeing this project, or any requests for
        assistance, being pub- lished anywhere else.

> ...  Among the > major areas that need experts are in the
philosophical, historical and > biographical categories ...

        Is there any other, non-expert help needed? Is there a pro-
        jected publication date? Has a publisher even been lined
        up? As I said in my earlier post, I am currently working on
        a non- theosophical, technical writing project of my own
        (maybe more than one).  But if I can find the time and if
        there is something a non-expert can do, I'd be willing.

> This work will require years and many, many people.  Will you
help?

        Thanks for posting your note.  It's good to hear that some-
        thing is being worked on.  And I hope that some of the
        experts on this forum might find the time to contribute --
        in modern 20th- century terms -- to keep the number of
        years to a minimum.  Never thirst ...

Bill--
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