Western Esotericism and New Religious Movements
The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements June 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190466176.013.34 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Western esotericism is a distinct field of study, often defined as "rejected knowledge," and identifies four recurring discourses in esoteric NRMs: secrecy and unveiling, initiation and progress, the higher self, and Secret Masters. Proposes that these discourses help structure the beliefs and practices of groups like Spiritualism, Theosophy, Thelema, and Wicca. |
Abstract
The study of Western esotericism is a comparatively new field of research that covers a wide range of currents, notions and practices from late antiquity to the present. Esotericism is often understood as the “rejected knowledge” of Western culture, which often centers on claims of absolute knowledge or gnosis. This chapter discusses four discourses that can be found in many esoteric NRMs, namely “secrecy and unveiling”, “initiation and progress”, “the higher self”, and “Secret Masters”. In the second part of the chapter four examples of esoteric NRMs are briefly discussed, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Thelema, and Wicca.