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

• Perennialism - The idea that all religions are part of one single universal truth

Scholarship

Main article: Academic study of Western esotericism

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 on 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 on the Jewish Kabbalah
• Illuminism - A late 18th and early 19th century syncretic religion based on Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Swedenborgianism and eastern religions.
• Kabbalah - A type of Jewish mysticism
• Neoplatonism - Religion based on Platonic philosophy and ancient Greek paganism
• New Age - Western esoteric religious movement based on 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 on 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

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

External links

• European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism