The study of contemporary esoteric discourse has hitherto been a largely neglected part of the new academic field of Western esotericism. Contemporary Esotericism provides a broad overview and assessment of the complex world of Western esoteric thought today. Combining historiographical analysis with theories and methodologies from the social sciences, the volume explores new problems and offers new possibilities for the study of esoterica. Contemporary Esotericism studies the period since the 1950s but focuses on the last two decades. The wide range of essays are divided into four thematic sections: the intricacies of esoteric appeals to tradition; the role of popular culture, modern communication technologies, and new media in contemporary esotericism; the impact and influence of esotericism on both religious and secular arenas; and the recent \’de-marginalization\’ of the esoteric in both scholarship and society.
语言:
英文
格式:
pdf
作者:
Egil Asprem, Kennet Granholm
目录:
Contributors ix 1 Introduction 1 Egil Asprem and Kennet GranholmPART I: TRADITION2 Constructing Esotericisms: Sociological, Historical andCritical Approaches to the Invention of Tradition 25 Egil Asprem and Kennet Granholm3 Inventing Africa: Esotericism and the Creation of anAfrocentric Tradition in America 49 Fredrik Gregorius4 Secret Lineages and de Facto Satanists: Anton LaVey’s Use of Esoteric Tradition 72 Per Faxneld5 Perennialism and Iconoclasm: Chaos Magick and the Legitimacy of Innovation 91 Colin DugganPART II: POPUlAR CUlTURE AND NEW MEDIA6 Occulture is Ordinary 113 Christopher Partridge7 From Book to Bit: Enacting Satanism Online 134 Jesper Aagaard Petersen8 Accessing the Astral with a Monitor and Mouse: EsotericReligion and the Astral Located in Three-DimensionalVirtual Realms 159 John L. Crow9 The Secrets of Scientology: Concealment, Information Control and Esoteric Knowledge in the World’s Most Controversial New Religion 181 Hugh B. Urban10 Hidden Knowledge, Hidden Powers: Esotericism andConspiracy Culture 200 Asbjørn DyrendalPART III: ESOTERIC TRANSFERS11 Discursive Transfers and Reconfigurations: Tracing theReligious and the Esoteric in Secular Culture 226 Kocku von Stuckrad12 Radical Politics and Political Esotericism: The Adaptation ofEsoteric Discourse within the Radical Right 244 Jacob Christiansen Senholt13 New Age Spirituality and Islamic Jihad: Paulo Coelho’s Manual of the Warrior of Light and Shamil Basayev’s Manual of theMujahid 265 Eduard ten Houten14 Deep Ecology and the Study of Western Esotericism 287 Joseph Christian GreerPART IV: lEAVINg ThE MARgINS15 The Secular, the Post-Secular and the Esoteric in the PublicSphere 309 Kennet Granholm16 Psychic Enchantments of the Educated Classes: The Paranormaland the Ambiguities of Disenchantment 330 Egil Asprem17 The New Kids: Indigo Children and New Age Discourse 351 Daniel Kline18 A Small-Town Health Centre in Sweden: Perspectives on the Western Esotericism Debate 372 Liselotte Frisk19 Entheogenic Esotericism 392 Wouter J. Hanegraaff20 A Deliciously Troubling Duo: Gender and Esotericism 410 Jay Johnston Bibliography, Discography and Filmography 426 Index 463