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 New Publication (2009)
Hermes in the Academy: Ten Years' Study of Western Esotericism at the University of Amsterdam (ed. by Wouter J. Hanegraaff & Joyce Pijnenburg)
In the past ten years, the chair for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents has succeeded in establishing itself as the most important center for study and teaching in this domain, and has strongly contributed to the establishment of Western esotericism as a recognized academic field of research. This volume is published at the occasion of the 10th anniversary.
It contains a history of the creation and development of the chair, followed by articles on aspects of Western esotericism by the previous and current staff members, contributions by students and Ph.D. students about the study program, and reflections by international top specialists about the field of research and its academic development.
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 New Publication (2008)
Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism (ed. by Wouter J. Hanegraaff & Jeffrey J. Kripal)
From rumours about gnostic orgies in antiquity to the explicit erotic symbolism of alchemical texts, from the subtly coded eroticism of medieval kabbalah to the sexual magic practiced by contemporary occultists and countercultural translations of Asian Tantra, the history of Western esotericism is rich in references to the domains of eros and sexuality. This volume, which brings together an impressive array of top-level specialists, is the first to analyze the eroticism of the esoteric without sensationalism or cheap generalizations, but on the basis of expert scholarship and attention to textual and historical detail. While there are few other domains where the imagination may so easily run wild, the various contributions seek to distinguishfact from fiction - only to find that historical realities are sometimes even stranger than the fantasies. In doing so, they reveal the outlines of a largely unknown history spanning more than twenty centuries.
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 New Publication (2007)
Swedenborg, Oetinger, Kant: Three Perspectives on the Secrets of Heaven, West Chester 2007.
Emanuel Swedenborg's multivolume Arcana Coelestia (published between 1749 and 1756), nowadays known as Secrets of Heaven, consists of a detailed line-by-line exegesis of Genesis and Exodus, extended doctrinal tracts, and vivid descriptions of Swedenborg's visionary travels through heaven and hell. This book provides a critical analysis of Swedenborg's magnum opus, and discusses the history of its early reception in the German context. The central authors in that regard are the Christian theosopher/kabbalist and Lutheran theologian Friedrich Christoph Oetinger (1702-1782)and the great Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). They both had their own distinctive perspective on the "Secrets of Heaven", and took critical position with respect to Swedenborg's Arcana Coelestia. As demonstrated in this book, Oetinger was more critical of Swedenborg than is often assumed, whereasKant's satirical treatment of the "Spirit Seer" in fact contains a serious discussion of his metaphysics and its philosophical implications, with significant implications for Kant's own philosophical project. By studying the relation between these three important thinkers and their perspectives on the "Secrets of Heaven", we gain new insights into what was at stake in the battle between religion, science and esotericism in the Age of Reason.
ISBN 9780877853213
xxiii + 171pp.
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 New Publication (2005)
Wouter J. Hanegraaff & Ruud M. Bouthoorn, Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447-1500): The Hermetic Writings and Related Documents.
This is the first complete edition and translation in any modern language of the Hermetic writings of Lodovico Lazzarelli, an Italian poet and mystical philosopher of the late 15th century. While recognized as a seminal figure by Italian scholars such as Kristeller and Garin, Lazzarelli's life and work have nevertheless been neglected byhistorians. This book's extensive Introduction challenges existinginterpretations and presents a fresh perspective on Lazzarelli's work and significance. It also argues that the evidence about him and his spiritual master, the prophet Giovanni "Mercurio" da Correggio, forces scholars to rethink Frances Yates' concept of Renaissance Hermeticism.
Contents
I. Lodovico Lazzarelli and the Hermetic Christ: At the Sources ofRenaissance Hermetism (Wouter J. Hanegraaff)
II. Lodovico Lazzarelli: The Hermetic Writings
[Epistola Enoch - Three Prefaces addressed to Giovanni da Correggio - Crater Hermetis - Alchemical Writings]
III. Related Documents
[Filippo Lazzarelli, The Life of Lodovico Lazzarelli - Giovanni da Correggio, Sonetto - Giovanni da Correggio, Oratio - Johannes Trithemius about Giovanni da Correggio]
Bibliography
Index
Critical acclaim:
"A first-rate study. The introductory monograph brings together well the known points about Lodovico Lazzarelli and Giovanni "Mercurio" da Correggio, uncovers new links between them, and synthetically offers the first ever clear narrative account about them in any language, and certainly in English. The textual section makes a tremendous contribution to scholarship by not only offering editions but also translations of the main texts, notably the Epistola Enoch and the Crater Hermetis. In the "Related Documents" section, a number of important pieces of evidence help to contextualize the whole set of episodes. The translations within the editions are sound and well-commented, and the running commentary is a great contribution.
Christopher Celenza (Michigan State University)
ISBN 0-86698-324-4
x + 356 pp.
Contact the Publisher: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies |
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 New publication (2005)
On 8 March 2005,the first copy of the Brill Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism (2 volumes) has been officially presented to Dr. S. Noorda, the president of the Board of Governors of the University of Amsterdam.
The DGWE, edited by Wouter J. Hanegraaff (in collaboration with Antoine Faivre, Roelof van den Broek and Jean-Pierre Brach), is the first comprehensive reference work to cover the entire domain of "Gnosis and Western Esotericism" from the period of Late Antiquity to the present. Containing around 400 articles by over 180 international specialists, it provides critical overviews discussing the nature and historical development of all its important currents and manifestations, from Gnosticism and Hermetism to Astrology, Alchemy and Magic, from the Hermetic Tradition of the Renaissance to Rosicrucianism and Christian Theosophy, andfrom Freemasonry and Illuminism to19th-century Occultism and the contemporary New Age movement. Furthermore it contains articles about the life and work of all the major personalities in the history of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, discussing their ideas, significance, and historical influence.
Critical acclaim:
"... a brilliantly conceived and skillfully executed reference tool unlike anything the scholarly worldhas ever seen. Intwo massive volumes it covers every aspect of pagan, Jewish and Christian discourses and phenomena traditionally labeled gnosticism, hermeticism, astrology, magic, the "occult sciences", esoteric religion and much more. The detailed and insightful articles, on nearly every related topic imaginable, are producedby an impressive array of renowned scholars,and usefully include up-to-date bibliographies. Six years in the making, thisis a work that every student of religion, ancient and modern,will certainly want to own".
Bart D. Ehrman, James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of Religious Studies,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
ISBN9004 1487 1
List price Euro 289,-- / US$ 289,--
Now also available in a cheaper one-volume edition.
The Dictionary can be ordered online (see link below).
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Professional Information
Wouter J. Hanegraaff (1961) studied classical guitar at the Municipal Conservatory at Zwolle (1982-1987) and Cultural History at the University of Utrecht (1986-1990), with a specialization in alternative religious movements in the 20th century. From 1992-1996 he was a research assistant at the department for Study of Religions of the University of Utrecht, where he defended his dissertation NewAge Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought on 30 november 1995 (cum laude). From1996to 2000 he held a postdoctoral fellowship from the Dutch Assocation for Scientific Research (NWO), and spent a period working in Paris. On 1 september 1999 he was appointed full professor of History ofHermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam (see link). From 2002-2006 he waspresident of the Dutch Society for the StudyofReligion (NGG, see link), and since 2005 he is president of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE, see link). In 2006 he was elected member of theRoyal Dutch Academy of Sciences (Koninklijke Nederlandse Academie van Wetenschappen, KNAW).
Editorial Activities (=journals and monographseries; for edited books see below)
Editor (with Antoine Faivre and Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke) of Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism (Brill publ.) and editor of the "Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism" (Brill publ.). He is member of the editorial board of the journals Numen (Brill), Religion Compass and Esoterica, and of the advisory board of Journal of Contemporary Religion (Carfax) and Nova Religio (University of California Press).
Bookpublications
- New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought, Leiden etc.: Brill 1996 / Albany: State University of New York Press 1998.
- Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447-1500):The Hermetic Writings and RelatedDocuments (with R.M. Bouthoorn), Tempe: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2005.
- Swedenborg, Oetinger, Kant: Three Perspectives on the Secrets of Heaven, West Chester: Chrysalis Books 2007.
- Female Stereotypes in Religious Traditions (ed. withR.Kloppenborg), Leiden etc.: Brill 1995.
- Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times (ed., with R. van den Broek), Albany: State University of New York Press 1998.
- Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion
(ed. with A. Faivre), Louvain: Peeters 1998. Esoterisme, gnoses & imaginaire symbolique: Melanges offerts a Antoine Faivre (ed. with R. Caron, J. Godwin & J.-L. Vieillard-Baron), Louvain: Peeters 2001.. Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism (ed. in collaboration with A. Faivre, R. van den Broek & J.-P. Brach), 2 vols., Leiden etc.: Brill 2005.Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism (ed. with Jeffrey J. Kripal), Leiden / Boston: Brill 2008.
For complete list of publications, including articles and book reviews, see link:
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE)
CURRICULUM VITAE |
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Teaching
Together with Dr. C.K.M.(Kocku) von Stuckrad and Dr. M. (Marco) Pasi, Wouter Hanegraaff is responsible for the Bachelor Minor "Westerse Esoterie" and the Master trajectory "Mysticism and Western Esotericism", which are both part of the program Religious Studies. For the time being, the University of Amsterdam is the only academic institution in the world that offers a complete program in this field. International students are welcome to apply for admission to the Master program, which is offered in a 1-year and a 2-year (research) variant.
General course descriptions and regularly updated programs can be found at the subdepartment's website (see link below, sections "Prospective Students" and "Current Students"). For practical information about admission etc., contact the Graduate School of Humanities (see link).
Subdepartment History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents
Graduate School of Humanities |
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