Western Esotericism: A Concise History

Contents

Contents Introduction 1 I. Five Meanings of the Word "Esotericism" 1 II. Sixth Meaning: A Group of Specific Historical Currents 5 III. From the Religionist and Universalist Approach to the Historico-Critical Approach 8 IV. A New Manner of Constructing the Object 11 V. State of Research and Institutionalization 15 VI. Past and Present Obstacles to the Recognition of this Specific Field 19 VII. Perspectives: Throwing New Light on Old Questions 22 Chapter 1 Ancient and Medieval Sources of the Modern Western Esoteric Currents 25 I. The First Eleven Centuries 25 1. Alexandrian Hermetism 25 2. Other Non-Christian Currents 26 3. In Christian Thought of the First Eleven Centuries 27 II. In Medieval Thought 28 1. Aspects of Theology 28 2. "Sums" and Universal Syntheses 29 3. Hermetism, Astrology, and Alchemy 30 III. lnitiatic Quests and Arts 31 1. Jewish Kabbalah 31 2. Chivalry and Initiatic Societies 32 3. The Arts 32 vi ❖ C O N T E N T S Chapter 2 Esotericism in the Heart of the Renaissance and the Flames of the Baroque 35 I. A Discovery of Humanism: Philosophia perennis 35 1. Re-emergence and Success of the Corpus Hermeticum 35 2. Christian Kabbalah 37 3. Homo Universalis: Activity, Dignity, and Synthesis 38 II. The Germanic contribution: Nature Philosophy and Theosophy 39 1. Paracelsism 39 2. Jacob Boehme and the Theosophical Current 41 3. The First Rosy-Cross 43 III. Readings of the World and of Myths 46 1. Philosophia Occulta 46 2. Alchemy: Science of Humanity, Nature, and Myths 49 3. A Hermetico-Emblematic Art 50 Chapter 3 Esotericism in the Shadow of the Enlightenment 53 I. Sunburst of Theosophy 53 1. At the Dawn of Illuminism 53 2. The Great Theosophers 54 3. Faces of Illuminism 57 II. From the Arts of Reading to the Art of Subtle Fluids 58 1. Continuity of the Occult Sciences 58 2. Alchemy, Shadow Side of the Enlightenment, and Light of Mythology 60 3. Animal Magnetism 61 III. A Century of Initiations 63 1. Strict Observance and Rectified Scottish Rite 63 2. Other Masonic and Paramasonic Systems 65 3. Initiation in Art 66 Chapter 4 From Romantic Knowledge to Occultist Programs 69 I. The Era of Naturphilosophie and the Great Syntheses 69 1. Nature Philosophy in the Romantic Era 69 (1790-1847) 2. Main Representatives of This Current 71 3. Naturphilosophie and Animal Magnetism 73 4. Esotericism on the Edge of Naturphilosophie (1815-1857) 74 5. Esotericism in Art (1815-1847) 76 II. Universal Tradition and Occultism 77 1. From the Romantic East to the India of the Theosophical Society 77 2. Advent of Spiritualism and Occultism (1847-1860) 78 3. Growth of Occultism in the Era of Scientism, and Continuity of Theosophy (1860-1914) 80 III. Esotericism in Initiatic Societies and in Art (1848-1914) 84 1. Masonic or Paramasonic Societies 84 2. The Theosophical Society 86 3. Esoteric Arts and Literature 87 Chapter 5 Esotericisms of the Twentieth Century 89 I. Gnoses in the Wake of the Western "Tradition" 89 1. "Traditional Sciences," Christian Theosophy, and New Forms of Gnosis 89 2. Presence of Christian Theosophy 92 3. Gnosis and Science: Toward a New Pansophy? 94 II. At the Crossroads of "Tradition" 96 1. Rene Guenon 96 2. The Perennialist Current 99 3. Initiatic Societies 100 4. "Tradition": A Multifaceted Notion 102 CONTENTS .:. vii viii ❖ C O N T E N T S III. Arts and Humanities 104 1. Arts and Literature 104 2. Psychology and the Humanities 106 3. Historiography of Western Esotericism 108 Bibliography 111 Index of Names 119 ...