Western Esotericism (academic field)

Western Esotericism is an academic field of research, scholarship, and education that focuses on the history of European and Middle Eastern Esotericism.

As an academic field, Western Esotericism rose in 1970s in continental Europe and specifically in the Netherlands at the University of Amsterdam,Fact|date=December 2007 with its research methodologies developed by a single professor.Fact|date=December 2007 It later spread in France in the University of Sorbonne,Fact|date=December 2007 and it has now reached England at the University of Exeter.

chools

Universities that teach the subject include:
* University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands
* University of Sorbonne in France (École pratique des hautes études)
* University of Exeter in the UK

Degrees that can be granted include:
* MA in Western Esotericism from University of Exeter, UK.

Subjects

University courses in Western Esotericism usually includeFact|date=December 2007 alchemy, astrology, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, Hermeticism, Neoplatonism, Christian Kabbalah, Hermetic Qabalah, Kabbalah, and numerology.

Academic legitimacy

Studying such subjects as astrology at universities of good reputation may at first seem strange, but it should be noted that degrees in Western Esotericism usually focus on the history of esotericist currents.Fact|date=December 2007

The aim of research in Western Esotericism is to discover the interactions between esotericism and society at large and to study the history and spread of esotericist currents and movements.Fact|date=December 2007

One could also say that since universities already teach theology and comparative religion, it makes perfect sense to teach the history of esotericism as well.Fact|date=December 2007

See also

* Behmenism
* Esotericism
** Esoteric Christianity
** Esoteric cosmology
** Esotericism in Germany and Austria
* Gnosticism
* Mysticism
** Christian mysticism
** German mysticism
* Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
* Occult
* Theosophy

External links

* [http://www.amsterdamhermetica.com University of Amsterdam Center for Study of Western Esotericism] Research & BA/MA programs in Western esotericism.
* [http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/research/exeseso/ University of Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO)]
** [http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/research/exeseso/staff.htm Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO): Staff]
** [http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/postgrad/ma/esotericism.htm MA in Western Esotericism at the University of Exeter]
* [http://www.esswe.org ESSWE] European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, with many links to associated organizations, libraries, scholars etc.
* [http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/ Esoterica website]
* [http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/degrees/history/esotericismma.shtml MA in Western Esotericism from Exeter]
* [http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/research/exeseso/staff.htm Some Western Esotericism professors]