Esotericism in Western Culture

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 *

Wouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.