Books by Wouter J. Hanegraaff
Cambridge University Press, 2022
In Egypt during the first centuries CE, men and women would meet discreetly in their homes, in te... more In Egypt during the first centuries CE, men and women would meet discreetly in their homes, in temple sanctuaries, or in solitary 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 gnōsis.
"Western esotericism has been a pervasive presence in Western culture from
late antiquity to the... more "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"
Academics tend to look on 'esoteric', 'occult' or 'magical' beliefs with contempt, but are usuall... more 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.
In this study, Wouter Hanegraaff examines the structure, themes, and development of Emanuel Swede... more In this study, Wouter Hanegraaff examines the structure, themes, and development of Emanuel Swedenborg's massive work Arcana Coelestia, published between 1749 and 1756. Written as a work of biblical exegesis (of Genesis and Exodus), Swedenborg also interpolated material on his visionary experiences, which have long fascinated readers. In the second part of the study, Dr. Hanegraaff examines the contemporary reception of the multi-volume work, particularly the critical reactions of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Christoph Oetinger. He finds that Swedenborg's biblical exegesis, so important in his divine calling, was largely ignored in favor of the mystical experiences.
This is the first complete edition and translation in any modern language of the Hermetic writing... more This is the first complete edition and translation in any modern language of the Hermetic writings of Lodovico Lazzarelli, an Italian poet and mystical philosopher from the late 15th century. Lazzarelli’s seminal importance for the history of Renaissance Hermetism was recognized by Paul Oskar Kristeller as early as 1938. While Marsilio Ficino had famously translated the Corpus Hermeticum into Latin, it was Lazzarelli who had first translated its final three tracts, that had been absent from the manuscript used by Ficino. Furthermore, with his Crater Hermetis Lazzarelli had produced a jewel of Christian Hermetic literature, which still remains one of the purest and most impressive examples of the genre, in addition to being one of the very earliest testimonies of Christian kabbalah as well. In recognition of these facts, Lazzarelli was given a central role in the first scholarly collection of Renaissance Hermetic texts, published by Eugenio Garin and others in 1955. However, in the wake of Frances Yates’ Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition (1964), which brought the Hermetic Tradition to the attention of a large international audience, Lazzarelli was marginalized and forgotten. Only since the mid-1980s, Italian scholars like Claudio Moreschini and Maria Paola Saci have began once more to call attention to the poet from San Severino, but again their influence has remained restricted to the circles of Italian specialists.
Presents the first systematic analysis of the structure and beliefs of the New Age movement, and ... more Presents the first systematic analysis of the structure and beliefs of the New Age movement, and the historical emergence of "New Age" as a secularized version of Western esoteric traditions.
Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first comprehensive analysis of New Age Religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions. While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth century.
From rumors about Gnostic orgies in antiquity to the explicit erotic symbolism of alchemical text... more 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 on the basis of expert scholarship and attention to textual and historical detail. While there are few domains in which the imagination can so easily run wild, the various contributions seek to distinguish fact from fiction�only to find that historical realities are sometimes even stranger than fantasies. In doing so, they reveal the outlines of a largely unknown history spanning more than twenty centuries.
Hermes in the Academy commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Center for History of Hermetic Ph... more Hermes in the Academy commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (GHF) at the University of Amsterdam. The center devotes itself to the study of Western esotericism, which includes topics such as Hermetic philosophy, Christian kabbalah and occultism.
This volume shows how, over the past ten years, the GHF has developed into the leading international center for research and teaching in this domain.
This is the first comprehensive reference work to cover the entire domain of “Gnosis and Western ... more This is the first comprehensive reference work to cover the entire domain of “Gnosis and Western Esotericism” from the period of Late Antiquity to the present. Containing around 400 articles by over 180 international specialists, it provides critical overviews discussing the nature and historical development of all its important currents and manifestations, from Gnosticism and Hermetism to Astrology, Alchemy and Magic, from the Hermetic Tradition of the Renaissance to Rosicrucianism and Christian Theosophy, and from Freemasonry and Illuminism to 19th-century Occultism and the contemporary New Age movement. Furthermore it contains articles about the life and work of all the major personalities in the history of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, discussing their ideas, significance, and historical influence.
Né en 1934, diplômé de l'École Pratique des Hautes Études (1965), Docteur ès-Lettres (1969), Anto... more Né en 1934, diplômé de l'École Pratique des Hautes Études (1965), Docteur ès-Lettres (1969), Antoine Faivre a été Professeur de Langue et Littérature allemandes à l'Université de Bordeaux III (de 1972 à 1985), puis à l'Université de Rouen (de 1985 à 1991). Depuis 1969, A. Faivre dirige un séminaire à l'École Pratiques des Hautes Études (Section des Sciences Religieuses, Sorbonne), d'abord en tant que Chargé de conférences (1967-1979), puis en tant que Directeur d'Études (il est titulaire de la Chaire «Histoire des Courants ésotériques et mystiques dans l'Europe moderne et contemporaine», depuis 1979). Le présent recueil vient tout naturellement rendre hommage au chercheur, qui a tant apporté à l'histoire critique de cette nouvelle spécialité, mais aussi témoigner de la vitalité de celle-ci. Nombre de ses élèves, collègues et amis ont ainsi souhaité être associés à cet hommage en lui offrant les quelque soixante et un articles (rédigés en trois langues: français, anglais et allemand) qui composent ce volume. Cinq parties principales regroupent les thèmes suivants: histoire de l'alchimie. Hermétisme. Kabbale (Partie I) ; Romantisme allemand. Naturphilosophie. Théosophie chrétienne (Partie II); Franc-maçonnerie, et sociétés initiatiques à caractère ésotérique, comme le rosicrucisme (Partie III); Imagination, littérature et ésotérisme, Imaginaire (Partie IV). Une cinquième partie rassemble, d'une part, des études à caractère biographique (sur des auteurs comme Henry Corbin ou Gershom Scholem), et d'autre part, des réflexions d'ordre méthodologique. Une Bibliographie des travaux publiés par l'auteur (1960 à 2000), ainsi qu'un indispensable Index, complètent utilement cet important ouvrage.
This volume is based upon papers read during the innovative section "Western Esotericism and the ... more This volume is based upon papers read during the innovative section "Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion" organized at the 17th International Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR) in Mexico City, August 5-12, 1995. The section was created in order to fill a long-standing hiatus in the academic study of religions: whereas phenomena such as gnosticism and hermetism in antiquity, and even the occult sciences of that period, have long been recognized as subjects worthy of serious investigation, the history of similar and related phenomena in more recent periods has hardly received the same measure of scholarly attention and recognition. The present volume is devoted to the academic emancipation of these areas as constituting a legitimate domain of research, which may be referred to by the generic label "western esotericism". Preceded by an introductory essay on the birth of this new discipline in the study of religion, the volume provides a sample of current research in the field and devotes special attention to some central methodological questions.
This volume introduces what has sometimes been called "the third component of western culture." I... more This volume introduces what has sometimes been called "the third component of western culture." It traces the historical development of those religious traditions which have rejected a world view based on the primacy of pure rationality or doctrinal faith, emphasizing instead the importance of inner enlightenment or gnosis: a revelatory experience which was typically believed to entail an encounter with one's true self as well as with the ground of being, God.
The contributors to this book demonstrate this perspective as fundamental to a variety of interconnected traditions. In Antiquity, one finds the gnostics and hermetics; in the Middle Ages several Christian sects. The medieval Cathars can, to a certain extent, be considered part of the same tradition. Starting with the Italian humanist Renaissance, hermetic philosophy became of central importance to a new religious synthesis that can be referred to as Western Esotericism." The development of this tradition is described from Renaissance hermeticists and practitioners of spiritual alchemy to the emergence of Rosicrucianism and Christian theosophy in the seventeenth century, and from post-enlightenment aspects of Romanticism and occultism to the present-day New Age movement.
This volume contains a collection of studies describing and analyzing stereotypes of women in the... more This volume contains a collection of studies describing and analyzing stereotypes of women in the religions of Ancient Israel and Mesopotamia, and in Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Medieval Christianity, Islam, Indian Sufism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Tibetan religions, and modern Neopaganism.
In all these traditions the stereotypes are based on generalizations, which are socially, culturally or religiously legitimized, and which seem to have a lasting influence on society's conceptions of women. They represent oversimplified opinions, which are, however, regularly challenged by the women who are affected by them.
In all traditions the stereotypes are ambiguous, either because women have challenged their validity, or because historical developments in society have reshaped them. They influence public opinion by emphasizing dominant views, as a strategy to restrain women and to keep them controlled by the rules and morals of a male-dominated society
Papers by Wouter J. Hanegraaff
Sarah Perez, Bastiaan van Rijn & Jens Schlieter (eds.), Intentional Transformative Experiences: Theorizing Self-Cultivation in Religion and Esotericism (De Gruyter), 2024
Mary Anne South (1817-1910), later known as Mrs. Atwood, is the author of a seminal book (often, ... more Mary Anne South (1817-1910), later known as Mrs. Atwood, is the author of a seminal book (often, although problematically, seen as the original founding document of "Spiritual Alchemy") published anonymously in 1850 as A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery. Shortly after publication, Mary Anne's father (who had been collaborating with her, unsuccessfully, on a large didactic poem about the Hermetic Mystery) bought back all the copies and allegedly burned all of them in front of his house, because he believed the book revealed awesome spiritual secrets that should remain concealed. Fortunately, some copies survived, and the book was re-published in 1918. I argue in this article that Mary Anne South was a naturally gifted metaphysician (an Anima Naturaliter Platonica) who has not received nearly enough of the credit she deserves. Her great book is based not just on alchemical traditions but at least as strongly on her remarkably perceptive reading of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Asclepius. With her uncanny intuition for what the Hermetica were all about, with some of her key conclusions she was far ahead of ther time. Specifically, she understood the radical nonduality at the heart of the Hermetic Mystery, and its central focus on embodiment and rebirth (palingenesia). Going far beyond the original Hermetica, she believed that the secret of rebirth had been known to early-modern authors such as Cornelius Agrippa and Eirenaeus Philalethus and involved the physical manipulation of bodily fluids.
Aries, 2024
A Response to Steven Engler & Mark Q. Gardiner, "(Re)defining Esotericism: Fluid Definitions, Pro... more A Response to Steven Engler & Mark Q. Gardiner, "(Re)defining Esotericism: Fluid Definitions, Property Clusters and the Cross-Cultural Debate," in special issue of Aries on "definition of esotericism."
Charles M. Stang & Jason A. Josephson Storm (eds.), Theosophy and the Study of Religion, 2024
An analysis of philhellenism & the non-philhellenism "neo-Romantic" perspectives on Hermetism by ... more An analysis of philhellenism & the non-philhellenism "neo-Romantic" perspectives on Hermetism by the academic Richard Reitzenstein and the Theosophist G.R.S. Mead.
Correspondences 11:1, 2023
German and Dutch are traditionally seen as belonging to the West Germanic language family. Modern... more German and Dutch are traditionally seen as belonging to the West Germanic language family. Modern German, referred to as Neuhochdeutsch (New High German), began developing out of Frühneuhochdeutsch (Early New High German) after 1500 and came into its own around the end of the thirty-year war in 1648. Diets or Duits was used as a generic umbrella term for the West Germanic languages; but during the sixteenth century, as the Dutch won their independence from Spain during the eighty-year war ("Union of Utrecht" in 1579, leading to the "Republic of the Seven United Netherlands" established in 1581), they began referring to their own language as Nederlands to distinguish it from the High German known to them as Overlands (a term that is no longer used today). Confusingly for English speakers, the modern words German and Dutch are translated in German as Deutsch and Holländisch (or Niederländisch), and in Dutch as Duits and Nederlands. When we look at standard core vocabulary in the study of esotericism, we find that many German and Dutch terms are calques (e.g. "Esotericism" becomes Esoterik resp. Esoterie, "Occultism" becomes Okkultismus resp. Occultisme, or "Secret Knowledge" becomes Geheimwissen resp. geheime kennis). 1 Translation is
Correspondences 11:1, 2023
Another prominent example built on the same argumentative logic would be Mignolo, Darker Side of ... more Another prominent example built on the same argumentative logic would be Mignolo, Darker Side of the Renaissance, esp. part I.
Rever: Revista de Estudos da Religião 23:2, 2023
Portuguese translation of my 2013 article "Textbooks and Introductions to Western Esotericism."
Polja 68. 543, 2023
Serbian translation of my 2010 article "Magnetic Gnosis: Somnambulism and the Quest for Absolute ... more Serbian translation of my 2010 article "Magnetic Gnosis: Somnambulism and the Quest for Absolute Knowledge."
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Books by Wouter J. Hanegraaff
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"
Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first comprehensive analysis of New Age Religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions. While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth century.
This volume shows how, over the past ten years, the GHF has developed into the leading international center for research and teaching in this domain.
The contributors to this book demonstrate this perspective as fundamental to a variety of interconnected traditions. In Antiquity, one finds the gnostics and hermetics; in the Middle Ages several Christian sects. The medieval Cathars can, to a certain extent, be considered part of the same tradition. Starting with the Italian humanist Renaissance, hermetic philosophy became of central importance to a new religious synthesis that can be referred to as Western Esotericism." The development of this tradition is described from Renaissance hermeticists and practitioners of spiritual alchemy to the emergence of Rosicrucianism and Christian theosophy in the seventeenth century, and from post-enlightenment aspects of Romanticism and occultism to the present-day New Age movement.
In all these traditions the stereotypes are based on generalizations, which are socially, culturally or religiously legitimized, and which seem to have a lasting influence on society's conceptions of women. They represent oversimplified opinions, which are, however, regularly challenged by the women who are affected by them.
In all traditions the stereotypes are ambiguous, either because women have challenged their validity, or because historical developments in society have reshaped them. They influence public opinion by emphasizing dominant views, as a strategy to restrain women and to keep them controlled by the rules and morals of a male-dominated society
Papers by Wouter J. Hanegraaff
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"
Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first comprehensive analysis of New Age Religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions. While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth century.
This volume shows how, over the past ten years, the GHF has developed into the leading international center for research and teaching in this domain.
The contributors to this book demonstrate this perspective as fundamental to a variety of interconnected traditions. In Antiquity, one finds the gnostics and hermetics; in the Middle Ages several Christian sects. The medieval Cathars can, to a certain extent, be considered part of the same tradition. Starting with the Italian humanist Renaissance, hermetic philosophy became of central importance to a new religious synthesis that can be referred to as Western Esotericism." The development of this tradition is described from Renaissance hermeticists and practitioners of spiritual alchemy to the emergence of Rosicrucianism and Christian theosophy in the seventeenth century, and from post-enlightenment aspects of Romanticism and occultism to the present-day New Age movement.
In all these traditions the stereotypes are based on generalizations, which are socially, culturally or religiously legitimized, and which seem to have a lasting influence on society's conceptions of women. They represent oversimplified opinions, which are, however, regularly challenged by the women who are affected by them.
In all traditions the stereotypes are ambiguous, either because women have challenged their validity, or because historical developments in society have reshaped them. They influence public opinion by emphasizing dominant views, as a strategy to restrain women and to keep them controlled by the rules and morals of a male-dominated society
deconstruction over the previous decades, it is high time for our
discipline to move forward and begin reconstructing the study of
religion as a whole on new and better foundations. If we want to
have our voices heard and have an impact on the wider public
debate instead of being marginalized and defunded as irrelevant,
we need a positive and convincing, even inspiring new narrative
about religion that demonstrates its great importance not just to
societal but to general human concerns. The article outlines one
possible direction for such a new narrative, focusing on the key
terms ‘experience,’ ‘consciousness,’ ‘imagination,’ and ‘spirituality.’
Far from implying a new kind of religionism along the lines of the
Eranos or Eliade schools, this means that we should move such
topics out of the taboo sphere for secular scholars and reclaim
them for critical non-religionist methods and approaches.