H.E.R.M.E.S. Newsletter Autumnal Equinox 2013

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1 H.E.R.M.E.S. Newsletter Autumnal Equinox 2013 CONTENTS H.E.R.M.E.S. PURPOSE 2 INTRODUCTION 2 ANNOUNCMENTS 3 - Purpose update and sub-title change - Publications - Tim Rudbøg, The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: Early Developments and Related Fields Preface to book in full - H.E.R.M.E.S. Publishing - Call for proposals CONFERENCES 8 1

2 H.E.R.M.E.S. PURPOSE: 1: To advance and balance the Academic Study of Esotericism. 2: To establish and maintain a Center for the Academic Study of Esotericism in relation to Religion, Philosophy, Science and Art. Website: INTRODUCTION This newsletter contains three announcements: (1) that H.E.R.M.E.S. has updated its purpose and changed its sub-title; (2) that H.E.R.M.E.S. first book has been published; (3) that H.E.R.M.E.S. Publishing calls for proposals. A list of forthcoming academic conferences related to esotericism is as usual also a part of this newsletter. In relation to the second announcement, several details about the book including the full preface are given below. While I know many of you, just like myself, are busy with work and many time consuming projects, I would still like to invite all members and friends of H.E.R.M.E.S. to submit any article (long or short), announcement, report, communication, art piece or otherwise for future newsletters. With my best wishes for the new cycle, Dr. Tim Rudbøg Director of H.E.R.M.E.S. 2

3 ANNOUNCMENTS Purpose update and sub-title change When H.E.R.M.E.S. was founded in the year 2000 no academic society for the study of esotericism existed. To establish an international society for the study of esotericism therefore became one of our goals as reflected in the sub-title also displayed on our website. Admittedly, H.E.R.M.E.S. has not been explicitly engaged in this endeavor and in 2002 the Association for the Study of Esotericism (ASE) was founded and in 2005 the European Society for the study of Western esotericism (ESSWE)) was established. The ASE and ESSWE have clearly prospered for which we are pleased and after many years in existence it is also clear that both ASE and ESSWE will continue to prosper as societies for the study of esotericism. We therefore feel there is no need to work for this particular goal any longer and will instead concentrate our forces on establishing a research center and our accompanying website in addition to our first purpose ( 1). Thus our second purpose ( 2) is now To establish and maintain a Center for the Academic Study of Esotericism in relation to Religion, Philosophy, Science and Art and this is reflected in our new sub-title Center for the Academic Study of Esotericism. Of course it is still possible to be and to become a member of H.E.R.M.E.S. as these small changes in practice are the only changes. Publications H.E.R.M.E.S. Academic Press 2013 We are happy to announce that Dr. Tim Rudbøg s first book in the Introduction Series to Western Esotericism has recently been published (Aug. 2013). It is available in both hardback and paperback and can be ordered directly from us (H.E.R.M.E.S. Antiquarian), amazon or from your local bookstore. ISBN: (PB) & (HB) The book description on the back cover is as follows: This first volume in the Introduction Series to Western Esotericism serves as a handbook for students and scholars who seek a better understanding of the academic treatment of central ideas and theses concerning mysticism, the hermetic tradition, traditionalism, the occult, Gnosticism, magic, Kabbalah, and related currents. In The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: Early Developments and Related Fields, Dr. Rudbøg outlines the main theoretical developments relevant to the academic study of Western esotericism as they emerged prior to Antoine Faivre s foundational model of Western esotericism as a form of thought first formulated in Preceding the burgeoning growth of the field in the last two decades of the twentieth century, several specialized academic subjects relevant to the discipline had already been well researched and some had even been established as academic categories with their own methodology and specific areas of research. These earlier developments form the basis of this book and will be explored in eight chapters dealing with: 3

4 1. the occult revival from 1800 to the sociology of the occult 3. the traditionalists and perennial philosophy 4. the academic study of magic and religion 5. the history of science and the hermetic tradition 6. studies in mysticism 7. the academic study of Kabbalah 8. studies in Gnosticism and gnosis More recent academic developments, including Faivre s typology, will be covered in subsequent volumes of the series. Here are the front and back covers of the book We also thought it might be useful for you to have the preface of the book in full: 4

5 PREFACE The conception of this book series began with a series of lectures on the academic study of Western esotericism held as an MA student, in the History of Religion, at the University of Copenhagen in the fall of It seemed to me then as it still does now that there is a growing worldwide interest in the nature of Western esotericism and in the continued growth of its study as an academic discipline across the academic landscape. Several significant institutional steps have already been taken. In 1964 the first chair, for what was then entitled History of Christian Esotericism (Histoire de l'ésotérisme chrétien), on the suggestion of Henry Corbin ( ), was established at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, (Religious Studies Section), Sorbonne (Paris). François Secret ( ), an expert on Christian cabala, 1 was the first to hold this chair until his retirement in 1979 when it was renamed History of Esoteric and Mystical Currents in Modern and Contemporary Europe (Histoire des courants ésotériques et mystiques dans l'europe moderne et contemporaine). 2 From then on Antoine Faivre (1934-), who has been instrumental in defining this academic field, held the chair until his retirement in 2002 when Jean-Pierre Brach (1956-) took his place and continues the work on esotericism to this day. In 1999 at the University of Amsterdam, a sub-department for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents was established as a chair-group in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies of the Faculty of Humanities (later merged into the new department of Art, Religion and Cultural Sciences ). The permanent core of this department constitutes a full professorship, two assistant professors as well as a continued program of two PhD students. Its primary tasks are teaching and research in the domain of the history of hermetic philosophy and related currents (Western esotericism). The department has been very productive and offers BA and MA course programs on the history of esotericism as part of its religious studies program. In late 2005 in Great Britain, a third chair and a center for the academic study of esotericism (EXESESO) was established, at the University of Exeter, coinciding with the formation of the new School of Humanities and Social Sciences (combining the departments of History, Sociology, Philosophy, Theology, Classics and Ancient History, and the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies). Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke ( ) was its first professor and director until his untimely death in The center (EXESESO) has continued in his spirit and has offered a complete MA program in esotericism as well as PhD supervision in this field of expertise. Among the better-known learned societies for the study of esotericism are ASE (Association for the Study of Esotericism, est. 2002) based in the USA and ESSWE (European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, est. 2005) based in Europe. Important scholarly journals dedicated to esotericism (and related currents) also exist, such as Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism and Esoterica: the journal of esoteric studies, among others. Finally, the academic study has developed and continues to do so through the many significant articles and books published by 1 The Hebrew word ק בּ ל ה (to receive) is commonly transliterated into English as Kabbalah. The Christian interpretation of the Jewish Kabbalah is, however, often designated the Christian cabala. To distinguish the Jewish Kabbalah from the Christian Kabbalah the designation Christian cabala will be used in this book. 2 Later the term mystical or mystiques was omitted from the title, 'Histoire des courants ésotériques dans l'europe moderne et contemporaine'. 5

6 pioneer scholars in the field, such as Antoine Faivre, Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Nicholas Goodrick- Clarke, Arthur Versluis, Kocku von Stuckrad, and many others. The overall purpose of this Introduction Series to Western Esotericism is both to contribute to these developments by providing interested readers and scholars alike with a comprehensive, yet concise, overview of Western esotericism from an academic perspective including an overview of related topics, such as the occult, traditionalism, magic, Hermeticism, mysticism, Kabbalah, and Gnosticism as well as presenting and discussing the main theories on esotericism such as those formulated by Antoine Faivre, Pierre A. Riffard, Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Arthur Versluis and Kocku von Stuckrad and the history of the main ideas and currents related to Western esotericism from antiquity to modern times. These volumes are therefore designed to be straightforward and educational. Focus will be placed on generality and overview rather than specific expert details. References will be kept at an academic minimum and the information will be presented in a manner that allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions, while still providing some critical discussions and categorizations. The projected volumes in the series are as follows: Volume 1: The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: Early Developments and Related Fields Volume 2: The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: Main Theories and Methods Volume 3: The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: New Perspectives Volume 4: The History of Western Esotericism during Antiquity (600 BCE CE) Volume 5: The History of Western Esotericism during the Middle Ages ( ) Volume 6: The History of Western Esotericism during the Renaissance ( ) Volume 7: The History of Western Esotericism in the Modern World ( ) The first three volumes will outline and discuss important topics related to Western esotericism, such as Gnosticism, Kabbalah, mysticism, Hermeticism, etc., and the main theories of Western esotericism as well as pose new perspectives. The next four volumes will offer a presentation and discussion of the history of Western esotericism from antiquity to modern times. It is hoped that these small volumes, encompassing both the theoretical and historical side of this new academic field, will thus aid in making the field itself more comprehensible to all interested in the subject and serve as useful handbooks for students and scholars working in the field. Since the academic study of Western esotericism is as recent as it is, it has been found most fruitful to keep the discussion of both the range of theories and the history of Western esotericism as wide and open as possible in order to avoid unduly limiting the scope of the field itself. In relation to this, one caveat must be noted at this juncture. Although these volumes are limited to the West as expressed in the designation, Western esotericism, undeniably historical links between the West, the Middle East and far East exist which will be demonstrated and discussed throughout this book series along with various views already existing in the scholarly community. Indeed whether the designation Western should or will be considered valid in the future will be discussed throughout this series. The reader will also become aware of the inter-disciplinary or even trans-disciplinary nature of Western esotericism, as it is intertwined with many aspects of the history of science, religion, philosophy and art. So, even though Western esotericism is generally placed under history or more 6

7 specifically under the history of religions, it is in fact contextually very difficult to separate it, not only from the history of religion, but equally from the history of science, philosophy and art. What Western esotericism should embody, as a scholarly category, has not yet been settled nor whether it might be more correct to speak of Western esotericisms in plural. Certain unique qualities, however construed and still discussed in the scholarly community as central to Western esotericism make it possible to speak of Western esotericism as something distinct from the conventional typologies of religion, science, philosophy and art. The simplest designation for Western esotericism is, that it is a form of knowledge based on direct insight (gnosis) rather than reason (as in philosophy), the senses (as in natural science) or faith/revelation (as in religion). Western esotericism no doubt covers much more than this, as will become evident throughout the volumes in this series, but as a preliminary definition, it will serve the function of introduction and provide the reader with an initial understanding. Uncovering this important aspect of Western culture, touching upon what hitherto and often times confusingly so has been termed the occult, the hermetic tradition, mysticism and magic, will not only enlighten our understanding of largely overlooked aspects of Western culture, but change how we view Western culture, including the history of religion, science, philosophy and art. This exciting revisionary work has already begun and the present book series aspires to contribute to its advancement and further development and thereby help secure the academic study of Western esotericism as a field in its own right and perhaps inspire others toward the same endeavour. Tim Rudbøg, Copenhagen, September 2012 H.E.R.M.E.S. s Publishing Call for proposals H.E.R.M.E.S. s Publishing seeks to publish peer-reviewed academic books, reference works, source-texts, sound historically grounded popular books, revised MA and PhD theses/dissertations and article anthologies related to all aspects of esotericism including magic, occultism, hermeticism and related currents (East and West) from antiquity to modern times. The sub-imprint H.E.R.M.E.S. Academic Press is especially dedicated to publishing academic books related to the academic field of esotericism. H.E.R.M.E.S. is open to all types of methodology and approaches, but demands that modern academic standards be maintained. A strict peer-review and editorial process should be expected prior to acceptance of any Ms. and publication. H.E.R.M.E.S. is proud to represent open accesses in the sense that the author retains the copyright of his/her manuscript, but it is also the responsibility of the author to have obtained the rights to all the material used in the manuscript (as specified in our contract). More information can be found here: Please feel welcome to contact us to discuss your proposal. 7

8 CONFERENCES Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the Modern World September 25, to- September 27, 2013 This is the first conference of the newly established research network, Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy, modernism and the Arts c , funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The conference will be organized in collaboration with the Centre for the History of Hermetic philosophy and related currents, University of Amsterdam. To be held at various locations in Amsterdam: Doelenzaal Library, University of Amsterdam; Singelkerk; Stedelijk Museum; J.R. Ritman Library; and the Theosophical Society Library. See the conference website for more details. Forms and Transformations of Pythagorean Knowledge: Askēsis Religion Science October 23, October 25, 2013 Freie Universitaet, Berlin For further information see: Western Esotericism Session at the American Academy of Religion Conference 2013 November 23, November 26, 2013 Baltimore, Maryland For further information see: Visions of Enchantment: Occultism, Spirituality & Visual Culture March 17, to- March 18, 2014 Cambridge, UK This two-day event is a collaboration between the Department of History of Art, University of Cambridge and the Arts University Bournemouth, and is organised in 8

9 association with the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE). The conference seeks to investigate the formative role that occultism and magic have played in Western and non-western visual and material culture. It aims to present original research in this field as well as to establish a productive dialogue between academics with a particular research interest in occultism and visual culture. For further information see: Tracking Hermes/Mercury March 27, to- March 29, 2014 University of Virginia Of all the divinities of classical antiquity, the Greek Hermes (= Roman Mercury) is the most versatile, complex, and ambiguous. His functions embrace both the marking of boundaries and their transgression, commerce and theft, rhetoric and practical jokes; he also plays the role of mediator between all realms of human and divine activity, embracing heaven, earth and the netherworld. Association for the Study of Esotericism Fifth International Conference Esoteric Practices: Theories, Representations, and Methods June 19-22, 2014 The Association for the Study of Esotericism (ASE) is seeking paper and panel proposals for its fifth International North American Conference on Esotericism to be held at Colgate University, in Hamilton, New York. We are seeking proposals for papers exploring the many dimensions of Western esoteric practices, including theories, representations and methods of practice viewed from cultural, practical, religious and aesthetic fields of inquiry. We encourage papers that address the conference theme in terms of diverse types of representation, including arts and literature, as well as methods that reflect specific theories of esotericism, either historically or in a contemporary context. We invite proposals on magic, alchemy, astrology, ritual practice, mysticism, spiritualism, occultism, hermeticism, neo-paganism, contemporary esoteric movements and teachers, Asian influences on Western traditions, and other relevant topics. We are also interested in panels specifically on mysticism, contemplative practice, and other topics related to the conference theme. ASE regards esotericism as an interdisciplinary field of research and we invite scholars from all disciplines to share their research and writings in support of a cross-fertilization of perspectives. We welcome scholars from a wide range of areas, including anthropology, American studies, art history, history, intellectual history, religious studies, literature, philosophy, psychology, medieval studies, sociology-the full range of academic disciplines 9

10 and fields. Our deadline for panel or paper proposal submission is January 15th If you wish to submit a paper proposal or a thematically focused panel proposal (with three presenters and short descriptions included) for review and possible presentation at the conference, please send it by regular to ASE2014Conference@gmail.com No attachments, please: simply copy and paste your abstract into plain text . Individual abstracts should be limited to one or two paragraphs, and must indicate academic affiliation and/or other academic qualifications. Independent scholars are welcome to submit proposals. Please note that our previous conference was at maximum capacity, so it is best to submit your proposal sooner rather than later. We hope to post a preliminary list of accepted proposals early in Possible venues for the publication of conference papers include the book series Studies in Esotericism (this will be the fourth volume in the series). For more information on the ASE, see our website at An additional announcement will be forthcoming on the 2014 ASE conference, with information on location, hotels, and conference registration. 10