Editing George King (religious leader)

{{Short description|British author, founder of the Aetherius Society  (1919–1997)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = George King
| image              = Portrait_of_George_King_(author).jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1919|01|23|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Wellington, Shropshire]], England, [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1997|07|12|1919|01|23|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[Santa Barbara, California]], United States
| other_names        = 
| occupation         = Writer and founder of the [[Aetherius Society]]
| years_active       = 1954–1997
| known_for          = [[Aetherius Society]]
| notable_works      = ''Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga'' (1955)<br/>''The Twelve Blessings'' (1962)<br/>''The Nine Freedoms'' (1963)
}}
'''George King''' (23 January 1919, [[Wellington, Shropshire]] – 12 July 1997, [[Santa Barbara, California]]) was a British author, esotericist, and spiritual figure who founded the [[Aetherius Society]], a [[new religious movement]], during the mid-1950s.

==Biography==
George King was born on 23 January 1919, in [[Wellington, Shropshire]], England and brought up in a protestant family with strong occult interests.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zuGoDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Aetherius+Society%22+%22george+king%22+%22anglican%22&pg=PT27|isbn=9781941482100|title=The King Who Came to Earth: A Biography|date=25 August 2019|publisher=The Aetherius Society}}</ref><ref name=I2000Aeth>Isaksson, Stefan (2000). "The Aetherius Society". In [http://www.anthrobase.com/Txt/I/Isaksson_S_01.htm ''New religious UFO movements: extraterrestrial salvation in contemporary America''].</ref><ref name=Smith>{{cite book |editor-last=Partridge |editor-first=Christopher Hugh |year=2003 |title=UFO Religions |publisher=Routledge |chapter=Opening A Channel To The Stars: The Origins and Development of the Aetherius Society |first=Simon G. |last=Smith}}</ref>  His father (also called George King) was a school teacher and mother Mary a nurse and later small business owner. The family relocated on several occasions as his father sought better appointments, settling for a period in North Yorkshire. King was educated at [[Guisborough Grammar School]]. In 1937 King at the age of 18 left the family home and moved to London. Led by his belief in [[pacifism]] he became a [[conscientious objector]] during the [[Second World War]], serving in the [[Auxiliary Fire Service]]. Later he worked as a chauffeur and security officer.

As a youth and young man King studied [[theosophy]], [[Spiritualism (beliefs)|spiritualism]], [[anthroposophy]], [[rosicrucianism]] and [[yoga]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coulombe |first1=Charles |title=Heretic of the week: George King |url=https://catholicherald.co.uk/heretic-of-the-week-george-king/ |access-date=8 December 2024 |work=Catholic Herald |date=4 April 2019}}</ref> In 1954, he claimed that a voice told him "Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Dr Christopher |title=Cults of Unreason |publisher=[[Harrap]] |year=1973 |isbn=0245518703 |location=London |pages=150}}</ref> Afterwards in 1955, he founded the [[Aetherius Society]] and published the book ''Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga''.<ref name=Smith/> In 1959 he was interviewed on BBC television about his beliefs and experiences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lifeline: Mars and Venus speak to Earth |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e0d931fe04cb41eb8b9e0f787abfdb57 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=8 December 2024}}</ref>

George King died in [[Santa Barbara, California]], on 12 July 1997, at the age of 78, according to the Aetherius Society.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Barrett|first1=David|title=A Brief Guide to Secret Religions: A Complete Guide to Hermetic, Pagan and Esoteric Beliefs|date=26 May 2011|publisher=Hachette UK|isbn=978-1849018111|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bbKeBAAAQBAJ|access-date=8 January 2018}}</ref> However, his death was not reported in major newspapers.

==Titles==
The Aetherius Society usually refers to King as "Dr. George King".<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |url= http://www.aetherius.org/dr-george-king/ |title=Dr. George King: Master Of Yoga & Founder Of The Aetherius Society |work=aetherius.org |year=2014 |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> The society does not, however, document where King received his doctorate. [[David V. Barrett|David Barrett]] states that King received his doctorate from the "International Theological Seminary of California, a degree mill with no accreditation". King is also referred to as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Aetherius Churches. His consecration as a bishop was from the [[Theosophy]]-related [[Liberal Catholic Church]].<ref name=B2011p119/>

King is also "referred to [by the society] as an author, inventor, metaphysician, occultist, prophet, psychic, spiritual healer, spiritual leader, teacher, yogi and Aquarian master".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Saliba |first1=John A |title=The Earth is a Dangerous Place -- The World View of the Aetherius Society |journal=Marburg Journal of Religion |date=December 1999 |volume=4 |issue=2 |page=2 |url=https://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/ep/0004/article/view/3762/3578|access-date=11 December 2024}}</ref> He was also lavished with innumerable titles, degrees, and honors from unorthodox sources.<ref name=LS2003p124>{{cite book |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=James R. |title=Encyclopedic Sourcebook of UFO religions |date=2003 |publisher=Prometheus Books |location=New York |isbn=1-57392-964-6 |page=124 |chapter=The Earth is a dangerous place: the world view of the Aetherius Society |first=John A. |last=Saliba}}, also in the "[[Marburg Journal of Religion]]": [https://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/ep/0004/article/view/3762/3578 link to the article]</ref> According to the society, the various honors were all given to King as a "token offer of gratitude" for his work.<ref name=B2011p119/> [[Mikael Rothstein]] observes that all of this hagiographical material is primarily aimed at believers who have special, 'esoteric' knowledge about King, whereas the society's communications during publicity campaigns are angled differently.<ref name="Hagiography">{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lteid47_0-kC&q=aetherius%20society&pg=PA3 |chapter=Hagiography and Text in the Aetherius Society |first=Mikael |last=Rothstein |title=Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact |editor-first=Diana G. |editor-last=Tumminia |publisher=Syracuse University Press |date=30 April 2007 |pages=3, 5, and 24|isbn=9780815608585 }}</ref>{{rp|13–15}}

Barrett notes that amongst King's titles are listed a Knighthood in the Sovereign Military Orthodox Dynastic Imperial Constantinian Order of Saint George, which was from a branch of the [[Succession to the Byzantine Empire|Byzantine Royal House in exile]], and was not recognized by the [[College of Arms]] in England, as the title "Sir" might imply.<ref name=B2011p119/> King received other chivalric titles and various degrees. Barrett states that neither the chivalric titles nor the degrees were recognized by any mainstream bodies.<ref name=B2011p119>Barrett, David V. (2001) p119</ref>

According to one source,<ref>Baron, Alexander, ''Is There Intelligent Life on Earth? Inside the Whacky World of the Aetherius Society'' (1992, London, I.T.M.A.) {{ISBN|1-871473-16-0}}, pages 11-12.</ref> King used as a formal title "[[Eminence (style)|His Eminence]] Sir George King, O.S.P.,{{efn|Order of Saint Peter}} Ph.D., Th.D., D.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of the Aetherius Churches." The knighthood is not British but from "an unspecified foreign source". American radio personality [[Long John Nebel]] had King as a guest on his show and later wrote: " 'George King of England' – is what he calls himself, and you can't be sure whether he's pausing after 'George,' or after 'King,' but it doesn't really matter because after about three minutes you get the idea strong and clear."<ref>Nebel, Long John, ''The Way Out World'' (hardcover, 1961, NY, Prentice-Hall) page 52, (paperback, 1962, NY, Lancer) page 47.</ref>

In 1991 King was "presented Letters Patent of Armorial Bearings also known as a Grant of Arms, by Bluemantle Pursuivant, a Herald of Her Majesty's College of Arms in England."<ref name=LR2003p144-5>{{cite book |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=James R. |title=Encyclopedic sourcebook of UFO religions |date=2003 |publisher=Prometheus Books |location=New York |isbn=1-57392-964-6 |pages=144–145 |chapter=The idea of the past, the reality of the present, and the construction of the future: millenarianism in the Aetherius Society |first=Mikael |last=Rothstein}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=none|journal=Cosmic Voice |date=January–February 1996 |volume=17}}</ref> A Grant of Arms is applied for; anyone can receive a [[College of Arms#Granting and proving descent of arms|Grant of Arms]], if they can satisfy one of several requirements,<ref>{{cite web |title=Petitioning for Arms |url=https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/services/granting-arms#:~:text=There%20are%20no%20fixed%20criteria,life%2C%20are%20taken%20into%20account. |website=www.college-of-arms.gov.uk |publisher=College of Arms |access-date=13 December 2024}}</ref> but King could not and his grant was annulled the following year.<ref>College of Arms MS I. 84, pp. 325-6.</ref>

According to skeptic [[James Randi]], George King's titles of 'Reverend', 'Doctor' and 'Sir' are unverified.<ref name=randi>{{cite web |last1=Randi |first1=James |title=Aetherius Society |url=https://web.randi.org/a---encyclopedia-of-claims.html |website=web.randi.org |publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) |access-date=11 December 2024}}</ref>

==Reception and criticism==

King has been described as a [[mystagogue]] and a religious virtuoso in the manner he formed and led the development of the Aetherius Society as a "magico-religious" organisation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wallis |first1=Roy |title=The Aetherius Society: A Case Study in the Formation of a Mystagogic Congregation |journal=The Sociological Review |date=February 1974 |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=27–44 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-954X.1974.tb00240.x |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-954X.1974.tb00240.x |access-date=11 December 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref> His claims have been denounced as [[pseudoscience]] by some skeptics.<ref name=randi/>

==Publications==
Selected writings:

*1955. ''Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga''. Los Angeles: Aetherius Society.
*1958. ''Life on the Planets''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1961. ''You Are Responsible!''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1962. ''The Twelve Blessings''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1963. ''The Nine Freedoms''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1964a. ''The Flying Saucers: A Report on the Flying Saucers, Their Crews and Their Mission to Earth''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1964b. ''Contact Your Higher Self Through Yoga''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1966. ''A Book of Sacred Prayers''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*{{c.}} 1975. ''The Five Temples of God''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1979. ''Operation Sunbeam: God's Magic in Action''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society. [First published in 1958.]
*1982. ''Operation Space Magic: The Cosmic Connection''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1987. ''Operation Space Power: The Solution of the Spiritual Energy Crisis''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1988. ''Life on the Planets''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society. [First published in 1958.]
*1989. ''Contact with a Lord of Karma''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*n.d. ''The Practices of Aetherius''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.
*1996. With Richard Lawrence. ''Contacts with the Gods From Space: Pathway to the New Millennium''. Hollywood, CA: Aetherius Society.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|George King}}
*[https://drgeorgeking.org/ Official website] maintained by the [[Aetherius Society]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, George}}
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Wellington, Shropshire]]
[[Category:English religious writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English male writers]]
[[Category:British emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Founders of new religious movements]]
[[Category:Contactees]]
[[Category:Converts to new religious movements from Christianity]]
[[Category:English religious leaders]]