Universal Zetetic Society

The Universal Zetetic Society (UZS) was the precursor to the Flat Earth Society. It was founded shortly after the death of Samuel Rowbotham (aka Parallax) by Rowbotham's adherents. The UZS was active well into the early part of the 20th century, publishing many issues of a magazine titled The Earth Not a Globe Review. In 1971, the UZS was renamed The Flat Earth Society when Samuel Shenton became its leader.

The UZS declared itself multiple purposes. It firstly acted to provide a scientific peer review for Robotham's Earth Not a Globe by collecting professional quotes and references in its publications. Secondly, it also had a theological motivation to peruse the sentiments of last chapter of Earth Not a Globe to its next level, where Robotham described that Flat Earth research was possible evidence for the Bible which described the same cosmology.

An advertisement for the Universal Zetetic Society's Earth Not a Globe Review states:

https://books.google.com/books?id=VocXAQAAMAAJ&lpg=PA362



The lines "in confirmation of the Holy Scriptures, based on practical investigation" and "Prove all things; hold fast on that which is true" shows that Lady Blount and her society took Rowbotham's philosophy at the end of his book and continued it. The UZS sought to use direct physical science research to support scripture, as opposed to relying on faith or speculation for religious belief, which Rowbotham criticizes. The Universal Zetetic Society is the evolution of a religious organization, which sought to use physical evidence to support its beliefs.

The Flat Earth Society no longer has a religious-oriented mandate, but at the time the topic of religion vs. science was a very popular and engrossing subject for the Victorian Era. Similar to the prolific Religion vs. Evolution debates at the time, the Universal Zetetic Society acted as the place where science and religion met at a crossroads on matters of Earth Science and Astronomy.

A Gresham College lecture states:

https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-victorians-religion-and-science



The 1800's was marked by the theme of science vs. religion, even more-so than the 1700's. During this time there was the Darwin-evolution controversy, Shroud of Taurin photographed, religion in schools, the separation of church and state debates, etc.

Another article:

https://victorianweb.org/science/science&religion.html







The Universal Zetetic Society was a direct product of these debates, an innovative effort to preserve religion by showing that science sctually supported it, rather than contradicted it.