Western Esotericism: A Concise History

by Antoine Faivre, Christine Rhone (Translator)

Widely received in France, this brief, comprehensive introduction to Western esotericism by the founder of the field is at last available in English. A historical and pedagogical guide, the book is written primarily for students and novices. In clear, precise language, author Antoine Faivre provides an overview of Western esoteric currents since late antiquity. The bulk of the book is laid out chronologically, from ancient and medieval sources (Alexandrian hermetism, gnosticism, neoplatonism), through the Renaissance up to the present time. Its coverage includes spiritual alchemy, Jewish and Christian Kabbalah, Christian theosophy, Rosicrucianism, Illuminism, 'mystical' Free-Masonry, the Occultist current, Theosophical and Anthroposophical Societies, the Traditionalist School, and 'esotericism' in contemporary initiatic societies and in New Religious Movements. Faivre explores how these currents are connected, and refers to where they appear in art and literature. The book concludes with an annotated bibliography, which makes it an essential resource for beginners and scholars alike.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Occult, Religion, Spirituality, Reference, Philosophy

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Antoine 'Tony' Faivre was Professor of Germanic studies at the University of Haute-Normandie, director of the Cahiers del Hermétisme and of Bibliothèque de l'hermétisme, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies and Chair of the History of Esoteric Currents in Modern and Contemporary Europe at École Pratique des Hautes Études at the Sorbonne, and served as editor of Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism along with Wouter J. Hanegraaff. He was awarded the Ordre National du Mérite in 2009.

Faivre was the first to define "Western esotericism" as a legitimate field of interdisciplinary academic study and is held to be one of the foremost scholars in the field he pioneered.

Reviews

[milo · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai peut-être cru à tort que la collection "Que sais-je?" était plus ou moins vulgarisée, clairement il n'en n'est rien vu ce livre, qui est plus une bibliographie commentée, bourrée d'acronymes et de renvois, sans traduction du latin ou de l'allemand, et qui débute sur 30-40 pages de définition du sujet. Si on surmonte tout cela, effectivement, il contient des informations intéressantes sur l’occultisme en Europe, et beaucoup de références.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good read, although it narrows the field of western esotericism. In my view it therefore misses out on vital areas within this field. The translation into English is not perfect either, and there is too much emphasis on names and dates rather than explanatory contents. Still, interesting information.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A condensed version of Western esoteric history from ancient times to the 20th century. It reads more like a bibliography than an actual book. Still, for students of Western esotericism, it provides excellent insight into the foremost leaders of this philosophy. It takes time to explain the parameters of what academics mean by Western esotericism. Given the length, any student interested in this subject should read this book as a good introduction to the field.

[Susu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine Einführung in die Geschichte, diverse Weltbilder und Formen der Esoterik - ein Stück Geistestgeschichte von Antike, über Mittelalter bis in die Gegenwart. Sortiert, mehr eine Bibliographie denn Fokus auf Breite der Darstellung.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and dizzying trip through the various different realms and false starts and enduring appeal of the various "Esoteric" currents in Western history, from the Corpus Hermeticum to more modern theosophical and esoteric currents running anywhere from parallel to orthogonal to trains of rational/empirical thought.

Useful as a timeline and history check of various hermetic claims, and as a reading list for bizarre new things, but somewhat dry overall. A better (and satirical) introduction to all things hermetic can be found in Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum