In this Book
- Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism
- Book
- 2011
- Published by: Fordham University Press
summary
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 without sensationalism or cheap generalizations, but on the basis of expert scholarship and attention to textual and historical detail. While there are few domains where the imagination may so easily run wild, the various contributions seek to distinguish fact from fiction-only to find that historical realities are sometimes even stranger than the fantasies. In doing so, they reveal the outlines of a largely unknown history spanning more than twenty centuries.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. 1-6
- Introduction: Things We Do Not Talk About
- pp. ix-xxii
- Paschal Beverly Randolph and Sexual Magic
- pp. 355-368
- List of Contributors
- pp. 521-528
- Index of Persons
- pp. 529-539
- Index of Subjects
- pp. 540-546
Additional Information
ISBN
9780823246441
Related ISBN(s)
9780823233410
MARC Record
OCLC
606928952
Pages
544
Launched on MUSE
2012-06-26
Language
English
Open Access
No