Church of Light
Church of Light
(religion, spiritualism, and occult)Elbert Benjamine (C. C. Zain) incorporated the Church of Light in Los Angeles in 1932, although its roots lie in Emma Harding Britten’s 1876 book Art Magic. The Church of Light views itself as an outgrowth of the Brotherhood of Light, which it says separated from Egyptian theocracy in 2400 b.c.e. and subsequently became a secret order.
The Church of Light teaches that there is only one religion—the laws of nature. Astrology is emphasized as a vehicle for interpreting the laws of nature, although all occult sciences are recognized. The core teaching of the church is contained in 21 courses. After completion, members are given a Hermetic certificate. The church stresses service to others.
The Church of Light is important to the history of astrology in the United States. The church was one of the few organizations offering high-quality correspondence courses in astrology in the early twentieth century, and many older contemporary astrologers studied with the church.