Here, There & Everywhere
Method & Theory in the Study of Religion June 24, 2025 DOI: 10.1163/15700682-bja10152 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that early proposals for a "global history of esotericism," despite good intentions, are theoretically unconvincing and unintendedly Eurocentric. Proposes that the CAS-E project's focus on "esoteric" practices rather than discourse may avoid these deficiencies, and that its global comparativism is compatible with historical research on Western esotericism. |
Abstract
The study of esotericism emerged during the 1990s as a new academic program of research focused on previously-neglected historical traditions in Western culture. During the first decade of the 2000s, it established itself as a new field that was widely (although not exclusively) referred to as “Western esotericism.” But during the 2010s, questions began to be raised about this focus on the occident, leading to the emerging new agenda of creating a “global history of esotericism.” I will argue that the initial proposals in this direction, while undoubtedly inspired by the best of intentions, are unconvincing on a theoretical level and unintendedly Eurocentric. By focusing on “esoteric” practices rather than discourse, the new CAS-E project may have found a way forward that avoids these deficiencies. While its immediate predecessors are weakened by an oppositional logic of mutual exclusion, the CAS-E agenda of global comparativism is perfectly compatible with historical research focused on esotericism in Western culture.