Western esotericism : a brief history of secret knowledge
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Western esotericism : a brief history of secret knowledge
Equinox Pub., 2005
- : hbk
- : pbk
- Other Title
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Was ist Esoterik
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [147]-161) and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
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: hbk ISBN 9781845530334
Description
Esotericism is the search for an absolute but hidden knowledge accessed through mystical vision, the mediation of higher beings, or personal experience. In Western cultural history esoteric approaches to religion have often been in conflict with - and suffered at the hands of - more established forms of religious belief and practice. 'Western Esotericism' presents a very broad and engaging history of the people and ideas which have shaped occult history from antiquity to today. Throughout the history of esotericism the dynamic of concealment and revelation has characterized the search for secret knowledge. Pursued both publically and privately, esotericism has come to influence more mainstream religious practice and culture and has significantly shaped our understanding of modernity. Today, esotericism continues to be practised by a range of both established and new religious movements. 'Western Esotericism' presents the essential guide to one of the most fascinating, provocative, and sustained of religious traditions.
Table of Contents
Preface I. Introduction: What is Esotericism? II. Esotericism in the Ancient World III. The Kabbalah: Understanding the Hidden in the Revealed IV. The Renaissance: Re-Inventing the Ancient World V. Esotericism in the Confessional Age VI. Esotericism, Enlightenment, Science VII. Institutionalized Esotericism: Secret Societies VIII. Pioneer of Modern Esotericism: The Theosophical Society IX. Esotericism and Modernity
- Volume
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: pbk ISBN 9781845530341
Description
A controversial issue of public debate during the recent years, esotericism can be described as the search for an absolute but hidden knowledge that people claim to access through mystical vision, the mediation of higher beings, or personal experience. In Western cultural history these claims often led to conflicts with more established forms of scriptural religions and with reductionist interpretations in science and philosophy. In this highly readable book Kocku von Stuckrad describes the impact of esoteric currents from antiquity to the present and pursues the continuities and breaks in a tradition that significantly influenced the formation of modernity. When Hermes Trismegistos reveals wisdom of an absolute quality, the unveiling of hidden knowledge in Jewish Kabbalah is transformed by Christians, Renaissance thinkers speak of an 'eternal philosophy,' or when in the 'New Age' people try to get in contact with a source of superior understanding--in every case the dynamic of concealment and revelation is at stake and the ways this hidden knowledge can be made accessible for human curiosity.
Table of Contents
Preface I. Introduction: What is Esotericism? II. Ancient Esotericism III. Understanding the Hidden from the Revealed: Kabbalah IV. Re-Inventing Antiquity V. Esotericism in the Confessional Age VI. Esotericism, Enlightenment, and Science VII. Institutionalized Esotericism: Secret Societies VIII. Preparing the Path to Modern Esotericism: The Theosophical Society IX. Esotericism and Modernity
by "Nielsen BookData"