"Perhaps Hermeticism has fascinated so many people precisely
because it has made it possible to produce many analogies and
relationships to various traditions: to Platonism in its many
varieties, to Stoicism, to Gnostic ideas, and even to certain
Aristotelian doctrines. The Gnostic, the esoteric, the Platonist,
or the deist has each been able to find something familiar in the
writings. One just had to have a penchant for remote antiquity, for
the idea of a Golden Age, in order for Hermeticism, with its aura
of an ancient Egyptian revelation, to have enjoyed such outstanding
success." from the Introduction
Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great Hermes," emerged from the
amalgamation of the wisdom gods Hermes and Thoth and is one of the
most enigmatic figures of intellectual history. Since antiquity,
the legendary "wise Egyptian" has been considered the creator of
several mystical and magical writings on such topics as alchemy,
astrology, medicine, and the transcendence of God. Philosophers of
the Renaissance celebrated Hermes Trismegistus as the founder of
philosophy, Freemasons called him their forefather, and
Enlightenment thinkers championed religious tolerance in his name.
To this day, Hermes Trismegistus is one of the central figures of
the occult his name is synonymous with the esoteric.
In this scholarly yet accessible introduction to the history of
Hermeticism and its mythical founder, Florian Ebeling provides a
concise overview of the Corpus Hermeticum and other writings
attributed to Hermes. He traces the impact of Christian and Muslim
versions of the figure in medieval Europe, the power of Hermeticism
and Paracelsian belief in Renaissance thought, the relationship to
Pietism and to Freemasonry in early modern Europe, and the
relationship to esotericism and semiotics in the modern world."
General
Imprint: |
Cornell University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
September 2011 |
First published: |
2011 |
Authors: |
Florian Ebeling
|
Translators: |
David Lorton
|
Foreword by: |
Jan Assmann
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 11mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
176 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8014-7749-2 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-8014-7749-2 |
Barcode: |
9780801477492 |
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