Esotericism in Western Culture: Counter-Normativity and Rejected Knowledge($90.00Value)

Description

This accessible introduction by the world’s leading expert explains why the study of esotericism is not a marginal pursuit but belongs at the center of modern research in the humanities . Reflecting updates in the field since the foundational publication Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed (2013), Wouter J. Hanegraaff demonstrates that the exclusion of “rejected knowledge” from normative accounts of Western civilization is the reflection of a narrow Eurocentric ideology that became the template for discrediting and ultimately destroying so-called “primitive” cultures associated with “superstition” and “pagan idolatry” during the global colonial age. Rejecting this “rejection of rejected knowledge” means restoring the suppressed to its legitimate place in history and cultural analysis. Through this approach, Wouter J. Hanegraaff depicts a radically inclusive vision of the Greater West and its forgotten histories, from pagan antiquity through Jewish, Christian, and Islamic cultures up to secular modernity and beyond. “[This book is] a comprehensive introductory work for a general audience that functions simultaneously as a historical overview, methodological intervention, and critique of academic bias.” ― Reading Religion “If you decide to read just one book about esotericism, this should be the one. Hanegraaff is the leading world specialist in all things esoteric.” ― Massimo Introvigne, Center for Studies on New Religions, Italy “ Esotericism in Western Culture is an outstanding guide for anyone venturing into the multifaceted world of esotericism. With its well-organized structure and clear, accessible writing, this book offers both students and scholars a comprehensive introduction to the field.” ― Henrik Bogdan, University of Gothenburg, Sweden “ Esotericism in Western Culture is a repository of treasures. Around the encyclopedic history of esotericism that is central to the book lie fascinating discussions of related issues, exoteric as well as esoteric. Both a journey of exploration and a reference work, this book is clearly written and extremely readable.” ― Mark Sedgwick, Aarhus University, Denmark “Hanegraaff is our most reliable and erudite guide into esoteric thought and rejected knowledge, here made even more pressing through the concept of counter-normativity. Taken as a whole, this book is a telling answer to Rainer Maria Rilke's pained and poetic question at the very beginning, “Is it possible that nothing true and important has been seen, recognized and said?”.” ― Jeffrey J. Kripal, Rice University, USA “[This book] establishes itself as an indispensable reference. It redefines the way of envisaging the history of Western thought, by reintegrating the occulted traditions and by unveiling the logics of exclusion that have shaped our modernity ... the work goes beyond the academic framework: it invites one to rethink Western culture in the light of what it has chosen to forget.” ― Laval Théologique et Philosophique [Bloomsbury translation] “Hanegraaff's introduction is almost encyclopedic in its comprehensiveness, and this book bids fair not just to supplant its earlier iteration but to function as an entrance gate for anyone interested in the study of esotericism as a 'highly pluralistic field of scholarly research'.” ― Modern Language Review Wouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and President of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism.