Критика окультизму на сторінках єзуїтського часопису «Przegłąd Powszechny» (1884-1939 рр.)

The purpose of the research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the occult ideas and movements that were subjects of criticism in the magazine «Przegląd Powszechny». Methodology. The research employed general scientific methods, including induction and deduction, as well as the analysis and synthesis of journalistic materials, which facilitated the structuring and systematization of the diverse perspectives presented in the magazine. The study is grounded in the principles of objectivity, historicism, systematicity, integrity, and comprehensiveness. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the brief overview of the religious and philosophical doctrines associated with occultism, which were popular at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries and mentioned in «Przegląd Powszechny». The relevance of the study is driven by the need to analyze ideas that have previously been overlooked by scholars. This approach not only enhances the understanding of religious and philosophical discourses of that time but also allows for an assessment of their impact on the formation of contemporary spiritual and intellectual trends. Conclusions. The magazine Przegląd Powszechny, published by the Society of Jesus, featured articles that criticised the occult practices and esoteric movements, including spiritism, hypnotism, mediumship, theosophy and anthroposophy. The purpose of the criticism was the apology of the Catholic faith and the defense of the Christian's moral values. The authors of the articles, mostly priests, did not confine themselves exclusively to Christian theology. They often used scientific arguments to emphasise the contradictory and unfounded nature of the occult doctrines, and accused the esoteric movements of that time of syncretism and attempts to present their ideas as science. The essence of the criticism was an attempt to demonstrate the inability of the occult to comply with both religious and scientific norms.