Western Esotericism: A Concise History

Western Esotericism......Page 5
Contents......Page 1
I. Five Meanings of the Word Esotericism......Page 11
II. Sixth Meaning:A Group of Specifi c Historical Currents......Page 15
III. From the Religionist and Universalist Approach to the Historico-Critical Approach......Page 18
IV. A New Manner of Constructing the Object......Page 21
V. State of Research and Institutionalization......Page 25
VI. Past and Present Obstacles to the Recognition of This Specifi c Field......Page 29
VII. Perspectives: Throwing New Light on Old Questions......Page 32
1. Alexandrian Hermetism......Page 35
2. Other Non-Christian Currents......Page 36
3. In Christian Thought of the First Eleven Centuries......Page 37
1. Aspects of Theology......Page 38
2. “Sums” and Universal Syntheses......Page 39
3. Hermetism, Astrology, and Alchemy......Page 40
1. Jewish Kabbalah......Page 41
3. The Arts......Page 42
1. Re-emergence and Success of the Corpus Hermeticum......Page 45
2. Christian Kabbalah......Page 47
3. Homo Universalis: Activity, Dignity, and Synthesis......Page 48
1. Paracelsism......Page 49
2. Jacob Boehme and the Theosophical Current......Page 51
3. The First Rosy-Cross......Page 53
1. Philosophia Occulta......Page 56
2. Alchemy: Science of Humanity, Nature, and Myths......Page 59
3. A Hermetico-Emblematic Art......Page 60
1. At the Dawn of Illuminism......Page 63
2. The Great Theosophers......Page 64
3. Faces of Illuminism......Page 67
1. Continuity of the Occult Sciences......Page 68
2. Alchemy, Shadow Side of the Enlightenment and Light of Mythology......Page 70
3. Animal Magnetism......Page 71
1. Strict Observance and Rectifi ed Scottish Rite......Page 73
2. Other Masonic and Paramasonic Systems......Page 75
3. Initiation in Art......Page 76
1. Nature Philosophy in the Romantic Era (1790–1847)......Page 79
2. Main Representatives of This Current......Page 81
3. Naturphilosophie and Animal Magnetism......Page 83
4. Esotericism on the Edge of Naturphilosophie (1815–1857)......Page 84
5. Esotericism in Art (1815–1847)......Page 86
1. From the Romantic East to the India of the Theosophical Society......Page 87
2. Advent of Spiritualism and Occultism (1847–1860)......Page 88
3. Growth of Occultism in the Era of Scienticism and Continuity of Theosophy (1860–1914)......Page 90
1. Masonic or Paramasonic Societies......Page 94
2. The Theosophical Society......Page 96
3. Esoteric Arts and Literature......Page 97
1. “Traditional Sciences,” Christian Theosophy, and New Forms of Gnosis......Page 99
2. Presence of Christian Theosophy......Page 102
3. Gnosis and Science: Toward a New Pansophy?......Page 104
1. René Guénon......Page 106
2. The Perennialist Current......Page 109
3. Initiatic Societies......Page 110
4. “Tradition”: A Multifaceted Notion......Page 112
1. Arts and Literature......Page 114
2. Psychology and the Humanities......Page 116
3. Historiography of Western Esotericism......Page 118
Bibliography......Page 121
B......Page 129
C......Page 130
F......Page 131
H......Page 132
K......Page 133
M......Page 134
P......Page 135
S......Page 136
W......Page 137
Z......Page 138