Outline of Western esotericism

Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition,^[1] is a term scholars use to classify a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthodox Judeo-Christian religion and Age of Enlightenment rationalism.^[2] It has influenced, or contributed to, various forms of Western philosophy, mysticism, religion, pseudoscience, art, literature, and music.

Western esotericism is a religious movement that is theological, social, politics or philosophical interpretations of religion not represented or controlled by a specific organisation, sect or denomination.

Common beliefs in Western esotericism

A common idea in Western esotericism is perennialism, the idea that all religions are part of one single universal truth.

Scholarship

Organisations and societies

European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism - Scholarly society in Europe

Journals

Aries - Peer-reviewed academic journal published by Brill Academic Publishing on behalf of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism
Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft - Peer-reviewed academic journal published by the University of Pennsylvania Press and released triannually

Religions and movements of Western esotericism

Bogomilism - 10th century neo-Gnostic sect of Christianity
Catharism - 12th to 14th century quasi-dualist and pseudo-Gnostic sect of Christianity
Christian Kabbalah - Christian sect based off the Jewish Kabbalah
Christian theosophy - An esoteric religious movement that has elements of Christianity and Judaism
Esoteric Christianity - Mystic and esoteric sects of Christianity
Gnosticism - Jewish and early Christian sect that believes in the existence of an evil demiurge who made the material universe
Hermeticism - Religion based around the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic figure combining elements of the Greek god, Hermes and the Egyptian god, Thoth
Hermetic Qabalah - Western esoteric religion involving mysticism and the occult that is based off the Jewish Kabbalah
Illuminism - A late 18th and early 19th century syncretic religion based off Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Swedenborgianism and eastern religions.
Kabbalah - A type of Jewish mysticism
Neoplatonism - Religion based off Platonic philosophy and ancient Greek paganism
New Age - Western esoteric religious movement based off occultism, Spiritualism, New Thought and Theosophy that grew rapidly in 1970s and was started due to the counterculture of the 1960s
New Thought - 19th century religious movement in the United States that combined elements of ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, Taoist, Hindu, Buddhist and ancient Egyptian religions and philosophies
Occult - Esoteric and supernatural beliefs outside of organised religion
Proto-Gnosticism - Christian religious movements similar to Gnosticism that existed in the first few centuries of Christianity
Pythagoreanism - Philosophy based off the teachings and beliefs of the 6th century BCE philosopher and polymath, Pythagoras
Thelema - An early 20th century religious movement founded by British occultist, Aleister Crowley

References

^ Morris, Brian. Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2006, p. 298.
^ Baier, Karl (2021). "Esotericism". In Segal, Robert A.; Roubekas, Nickolas P. (eds.). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion. Wiley. p. 237. ISBN 978-1-119-09278-0. Retrieved 12 August 2024.

External links

European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism

[1] Morris, Brian. Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2006, p. 298.

[z948-2] Baier, Karl (2021). "Esotericism". In Segal, Robert A.; Roubekas, Nickolas P. (eds.). The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion. Wiley. p. 237. ISBN 978-1-119-09278-0. Retrieved 12 August 2024.

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