Recent Academic Research on Esotericism in the Balkans
Aries January 30, 2023 DOI: 10.1163/15700593-02301002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that a stark discrepancy exists between the abundant presence of esoteric ideas and practices in the former Yugoslav countries and Bulgaria and the limited specialized scholarship on them, and suggests that esotericism studies, though unevenly developed across the region, are gradually finding a place in South Slavic academia. |
Abstract
Abstract In this paper I offer a concise analysis of contemporary scholarship on esotericism in the countries of former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. After a brief historical contextualization, I examine the development and principal features of this scholarship over the last three decades. My main argument is that, due to various historical reasons, there is a stark discrepancy between the abundant presence of esoteric ideas and practices in these countries and the extent of specialized scholarship dealing with them. I also suggest that there is an uneven development of esotericism studies across the region, but that these studies are gradually finding their place in South Slavic academia.