The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism

Publisher:

Cambridge University Press

Publication date:

05 May 2016

18 April 2016

ISBN:

9781139027649

9780521509831

9780521734912

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139027649

Dimensions:

(228 x 152 mm)

Weight & Pages:

0.95kg, 514 Pages

Dimensions:

(229 x 152 mm)

Weight & Pages:

0.7kg, 516 Pages

Subjects:: History, Religion, Religion: General Interest, History of Ideas and Intellectual History

You may already have access via personal or institutional login

Selected: Digital

Add to cart View cart Buy from Cambridge.org

Subjects:: History, Religion, Religion: General Interest, History of Ideas and Intellectual History

Information

Contents

Metrics

Accessibility

Mysticism and esotericism are two intimately related strands of the Western tradition. Despite their close connections, however, scholars tend to treat them separately. Whereas the study of Western mysticism enjoys a long and established history, Western esotericism is a young field. The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism examines both of these traditions together. The volume demonstrates that the roots of esotericism almost always lead back to mystical traditions, while the work of mystics was bound up with esoteric or occult preoccupations. It also shows why mysticism and esotericism must be examined together if either is to be understood fully. Including contributions by leading scholars, this volume features essays on such topics as alchemy, astrology, magic, Neoplatonism, Kabbalism, Renaissance Hermetism, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, numerology, Christian theosophy, spiritualism, and much more. This Handbook serves as both a capstone of contemporary scholarship and a cornerstone of future research.

‘Glenn Alexander Magee has brought together a ‘dream team’ of scholars, and from an impressively broad range of generations, from esteemed senior doyens to emerging young intellectuals about to reshape the conversation once again. Magee also brings his own trademark philosophical clarity to the definitional and historical tasks at hand. The result is a cutting-edge collection of essays that delivers exactly what it promises: a concise and clear map of the hidden intellectual tradition of the West from ancient Greece to today.’

Jeffrey J. Kripal - J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, Rice University, Houston, and author of The Serpent’s Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion

‘This long-overdue collection contains work of the best minds of the field and is certain to advance current research in Western esotericism. A must purchase.’

David Appelbaum - State University of New York, New Paltz

‘It is impossible to understand our civilization without awareness of the immense influence upon it of mystical and esoteric ideas and practices. This generous collection of scholarly essays at last offers reliable support for the academic study of humanity’s age-old and contemporary quest for higher levels of consciousness.’

Jacob Needleman - San Francisco State University

'Contributors to this handbook are world-class - writers such as Wouter J. Hanegraaff and Kocku von Stuckrad, Antoine Faivre and Arthur Versluis. Each has written magisterially about the content and place of mysticism and esotericism, making this not merely an arcane field of intellectual inquiry but a living and contended area where theologians and historians, anthropologists and students of cultural and religious history engage and should do so. As exemplars of inquiry in their own right, the essays are excellent, thoughtfully expressed and contentious where they need to be, unpacking complex ideas such as those of Boehme and Swedenborg elegantly.'

Stuart Hannabuss Source: Reference Reviews

References

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Total number of HTML views: 0

Total number of PDF views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

Total views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.

The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism

Book description

Reviews

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Save Search

Contents

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information