Esotericism in Western Culture

[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] *

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

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