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From rumors about gnostic orgies in antiquity to the explicit
erotic symbolism of alchemical texts, from the subtly coded
eroticism of medieval kabbalah to the sexual magic practiced by
contemporary occultists and countercultural translations of Asian
Tantra, the history of Western esotericism is rich in references to
the domains of eros and sexuality. This volume, which brings
together an impressive array of top-level specialists, is the first
to analyze the eroticism of the esoteric without sensationalism or
cheap generalizations, but on the basis of expert scholarship and
attention to textual and historical detail. While there are few
domains where the imagination may so easily run wild, the various
contributions seek to distinguish fact from fiction-only to find
that historical realities are sometimes even stranger than the
fantasies. In doing so, they reveal the outlines of a largely
unknown history spanning more than twenty centuries.
Academics tend to look on 'esoteric', 'occult' or 'magical' beliefs
with contempt, but are usually ignorant about the religious and
philosophical traditions to which these terms refer, or their
relevance to intellectual history. Wouter Hanegraaff tells the
neglected story of how intellectuals since the Renaissance have
tried to come to terms with a cluster of 'pagan' ideas from late
antiquity that challenged the foundations of biblical religion and
Greek rationality. Expelled from the academy on the basis of
Protestant and Enlightenment polemics, these traditions have come
to be perceived as the Other by which academics define their
identity to the present day. Hanegraaff grounds his discussion in a
meticulous study of primary and secondary sources, taking the
reader on an exciting intellectual voyage from the fifteenth
century to the present day and asking what implications the
forgotten history of exclusion has for established textbook
narratives of religion, philosophy and science.
Western esotericism has been a pervasive presence in Western
culture from late antiquity to the present day, but until recently
it was largely ignored by scholars and surrounded by misconceptions
and prejudice. This accessible guide provides readers with the
basic knowledge and tools that will allow them to find their way in
this bewildering but fascinating field. What is it that unites
phenomena as diverse as ancient gnosticism and hermetism, the
"occult sciences" of astrology, alchemy, and magic, rosicrucianism,
as well as Christian theosophy, occultism, spiritualism, and the
contemporary New Age spiritualities? What can the study of them
teach us about our common cultural and intellectual heritage, and
what is it that makes them relevant to contemporary concerns? How
do we distinguish reliable historical knowledge from legends and
fictions about esoteric traditions? These and many other questions
are answered clearly and succinctly, so that the reader can find
his way into the labyrinth of Western esotericism and out of it
again.
Sales restricted to North America paperback only due to
co-publication agreement with Koninklijke Brill NV. Brill retains
the cloth rights in all remaining countries.English language rights
only.
Western esotericism has been a pervasive presence in Western
culture from late antiquity to the present day, but until recently
it was largely ignored by scholars and surrounded by misconceptions
and prejudice. This accessible guide provides readers with the
basic knowledge and tools that will allow them to find their way in
this bewildering but fascinating field. What is it that unites
phenomena as diverse as ancient gnosticism and hermetism, the
"occult sciences" of astrology, alchemy, and magic, rosicrucianism,
as well as Christian theosophy, occultism, spiritualism, and the
contemporary New Age spiritualities? What can the study of them
teach us about our common cultural and intellectual heritage, and
what is it that makes them relevant to contemporary concerns? How
do we distinguish reliable historical knowledge from legends and
fictions about esoteric traditions? These and many other questions
are answered clearly and succinctly, so that the reader can find
his way into the labyrinth of Western esotericism and out of it
again.
In Egypt during the first centuries CE, men and women would meet
discreetly in their homes, in temple sanctuaries, or insolitary
places to learn a powerful practice of spiritual liberation. They
thought of themselves as followers of Hermes Trismegistus, the
legendary master of ancient wisdom. While many of their writings
are lost, those that survived have been interpreted primarily as
philosophical treatises about theological topics. Wouter J.
Hanegraaff challenges this dominant narrative by demonstrating that
Hermetic literature was concerned with experiential practices
intended for healing the soul from mental delusion. The Way of
Hermes involved radical alterations of consciousness in which
practitioners claimed to perceive the true nature of reality behind
the hallucinatory veil of appearances. Hanegraaff explores how
practitioners went through a training regime that involved luminous
visions, exorcism, spiritual rebirth, cosmic consciousness, and
union with the divine beauty of universal goodness and truth to
attain the salvational knowledge known as gnosis.
Academics tend to look on 'esoteric', 'occult' or 'magical' beliefs
with contempt, but are usually ignorant about the religious and
philosophical traditions to which these terms refer, or their
relevance to intellectual history. Wouter Hanegraaff tells the
neglected story of how intellectuals since the Renaissance have
tried to come to terms with a cluster of 'pagan' ideas from late
antiquity that challenged the foundations of biblical religion and
Greek rationality. Expelled from the academy on the basis of
Protestant and Enlightenment polemics, these traditions have come
to be perceived as the Other by which academics define their
identity to the present day. Hanegraaff grounds his discussion in a
meticulous study of primary and secondary sources, taking the
reader on an exciting intellectual voyage from the fifteenth
century to the present day and asking what implications the
forgotten history of exclusion has for established textbook
narratives of religion, philosophy and science.
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