- Magic (History), Religionsphilosophie, Vergleichende Religionswissenschaft, Magic, Methodology, Philosophy, History of Religion, and 87 moreReligion, Occultism, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Western Esotericism (History), Nineteenth Century Occultism, Mysticism, Western Esotericism, Hermetic Corpus, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Sufism, Neoplatonism, Defining Magic, Entangled History, Ancient magic, Alchemy, Renaissance magic and astrology, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, History of magic, Medieval Magic, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Comparative Esotericism, Western Magical Tradition, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Comparative Religion, Natural Magic, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Religious and Magical Practices, Magic, Witchcraft and Paganism in Literature, Religious Studies, History of the Study of Religions, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Study of Religions, History of Religions, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Popular Culture and Religious Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, Arabic magic, Esotericism, New Age (Western Esotericism), Grimoires, Solomonic Magic, Discourse Analysis, History, European History, Cultural History, Sociology Of Deviance, Humanities, Interdisciplinarity, Historiography, History of Science, Ritual, Astrology, Rosicrucianism, History of Astrology, Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetica, Golden Dawn Tradition, Late Antique Magic, Magical Practices, Occulture, Popular/Folk Magic, Ritual Theory, History of Science and Religion, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Islamic Esotericism, History of Hermetic Philosophy, Ritual Studies, Tradition, Esoteric Philosophy, Jewish Magic, Textual Transmission, Occult Sciences, Greek Magical Papyri, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Early Modern History, Book History, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, History of the Book, Censorship, Early Modern Europe, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscript Studies, Book History (History), and Book trade Historyedit
- I am a postdoctoral researcher (PD Dr. habil.) in the study of religion and magic. I am one of the founding members a... moreI am a postdoctoral researcher (PD Dr. habil.) in the study of religion and magic. I am one of the founding members and currently permanent fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies 'Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective' at the university of Erlangen-Nürnberg (www.cas-e.de). Since 2022, I am scientific director (and co-founder) of RENSEP, the Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices (www.rensep.org). Since 2016, I am a board member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (http://www.esswe.org/).
I am currently working on developing a sound methodology for doing practitioner-scholarship in the study of esotericism (and religion more broadly). I also work on a co-authored monograph (building blocks of a new cultural theory of magic) and several edited (CAS-E) works on esoteric practices from a global perspective are in the pipeline.
I have a broad interest and expertise in the history of Western learned magic, and I am, since a few years, particularly interested in its modern and contemporary manifestations (magick). Side interests include the reception of Buddha Maitreya in Western esotericism, processes of religious individualisation, ritual theories and dynamics, the relation between religion and ethics, and the peculiarities of religious experience.edit
This book presents the story of a unique collection of 140 manuscripts of ‘learned magic’ that was sold for a fantastic sum within the clandestine channels of the German book trade in the early eighteenth century. The book will interpret... more
This book presents the story of a unique collection of 140 manuscripts of ‘learned magic’ that was sold for a fantastic sum within the clandestine channels of the German book trade in the early eighteenth century. The book will interpret this collection from two angles – as an artefact of the early modern book market as well as the longue-durée tradition of Western learned magic –, thus taking a new stance towards scribal texts that are often regarded as eccentric, peripheral, or marginal. The study is structured by the apparent exceptionality, scarcity, and illegality of the collection, and provides chapters on clandestine activities in European book markets, questions of censorship regimes and efficiency, the use manuscripts in an age of print, and the history of learned magic in early modern Europe. As the collection has survived till this day in Leipzig University Library, the book provides a critical edition of the 1710 selling catalogue, which includes a brief content analysis of all extant manuscripts. The study will be of interest to scholars and students from a variety of fields, such as early modern book history, the history of magic, cultural history, the sociology of religion, or the study of Western esotericism.
http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783319595245
http://www.palgrave.com/de/book/9783319595245
“This is a tremendously valuable contribution to the study of a pivotal period in the development of modern magic. Undoubtedly, it will become a standard point of reference not only in understanding Enlightenment magic, but also the transmission and transformation of medieval and renaissance traditions. It is also a highly useful bibliographic tool. On that ground alone, no library of modern magic traditions should be without it.” (Frank Klaassen, Associate Professor of History, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and President of Societas Magica)
“This book will provide a valuable resource for the increasing number of scholars working in the field of post-medieval literary magic.” (Owen Davies, Professor of History, University of Hertfordshire, UK)
http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783319595245
http://www.palgrave.com/de/book/9783319595245
“This is a tremendously valuable contribution to the study of a pivotal period in the development of modern magic. Undoubtedly, it will become a standard point of reference not only in understanding Enlightenment magic, but also the transmission and transformation of medieval and renaissance traditions. It is also a highly useful bibliographic tool. On that ground alone, no library of modern magic traditions should be without it.” (Frank Klaassen, Associate Professor of History, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and President of Societas Magica)
“This book will provide a valuable resource for the increasing number of scholars working in the field of post-medieval literary magic.” (Owen Davies, Professor of History, University of Hertfordshire, UK)
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Religion, Comparative Religion, History, European History, and 98 moreCultural History, Censorship, Translation Studies, Early Modern History, History of Religion, Book History, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, History of the Book, Sociology of Crime and Deviance, Renaissance Studies, History of Science, Spirituality, Ritual, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Astrology, Alchemy, Magic, Manuscript Studies, Mysticism, Early Modern Europe, Rosicrucianism, Study of Religions, History Of Rare Book Libraries, History of Astrology, Ancient Religion, Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetica, Spirituality & Mysticism, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Golden Dawn Tradition, Witchcraft (Magic), Myth And Ritual Studies, Liturgics, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Book History (History), Late Antique Magic, Magical Practices, Occulture, Western Esotericism (History), Popular/Folk Magic, Library history, Natural Magic, Occultism, New Age (Western Esotericism), Ritual Theory, Book trade History, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Islamic Esotericism, History of Hermetic Philosophy, Nineteenth Century Occultism, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, Medieval Magic, Marsilio Ficino, Ritual Studies, Religious rituals, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Western Esotericism, Medical History, Magic through the Ages/the emergence and development of the Occult, Book Censorship (history), Renaissance magic and astrology, Written Communication, Early Modern News Culture, Leipzig, Jewish Magic, John Dee, Hermeticism, Textual Transmission, Occult Sciences, New Religions Movements, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Western Civilization, Western Magical Tradition, Sorcery, Dee, John; Renaissance magic, Magic Circle, History of occult sciences, Entangled History, Ceremonial Magick, General research and teaching: history of European magic and alchemy; Hermeticism and Gnosticism; contemporary occultism, Archeology of ritual and magic, Ritual Magic, Magic and conjuring History, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, Magical Spells, Littérature Clandestine XVIIe Et XVIIIe Siècles, European Association for the Study of Religions, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Hermetic Corpus, Western Esoteric Tradition, Western Esotericism V History of Science, Magic and Divination In the Middle Ages, Religious and Magical Practices, Sex Magick, Esoteric Movements, Myth and Magic In Modern World, and Medieval and Early Modern Magic
This book (my revised dissertation) analyses the history of the concept of 'magic' spanning about 2,500 years. Following an introduction discussing the problem of academic definitions of 'magic' in general, the book presents the... more
This book (my revised dissertation) analyses the history of the concept of 'magic' spanning about 2,500 years. Following an introduction discussing the problem of academic definitions of 'magic' in general, the book presents the comprehensive history of the concept of 'magic' for the first time, from its origins in antiquity to the 20th century. Polemic texts with an external perspective are included in equal measure along with authors that described and understood themselves as 'magicians' in Western cultural history.
Research Interests: Comparative Religion, Cultural History, Anthropology, Folklore, History of Religion, and 45 moreEtymology, Children's Literature, Folk Medicine, Astrology, Alchemy, Magic, New Religions, Mysticism, Study of Religions, History of Religions, European Witch Trials, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Daemonic Magic, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Conceptual History, Thelema, Natural Magic, Occultism, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Magic (History), Medieval Magic, History of Religious Studies, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Ancient magic, Language and Etymology, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, Fairy tales, History of the Study of Religions, Folk magic, Greek Magical Papyri, Traditional Witchcraft, Esoteric Prayer, Magical Fetishism, Charming Traditions, Western Magical Tradition, History of the Body, Aleister Crowley, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Magic and Esoterism, Animal Lore, Grimoire Tradition, Esoteric Movements, and BegriffsGeschichte(Conceptual History)
To what extent were practitioners of magic inspired by fictional accounts of their art? In how far did the daunting narratives surrounding legendary magicians such as Theophilus of Adana, Cyprianus of Antioch, Johann Georg Faust or... more
To what extent were practitioners of magic inspired by fictional accounts of their art? In how far did the daunting narratives surrounding legendary magicians such as Theophilus of Adana, Cyprianus of Antioch, Johann Georg Faust or Agrippa of Nettesheim rely on real-world events or practices? Fourteen original case studies present material from late antiquity to the twenty-first century and explore these questions in a systematic manner. By coining the notion of 'fictional practice' , the editors discuss the emergence of novel, imaginative types of magic from the nineteenth century onwards when fiction and practice came to be more and more intertwined or even fully amalgamated. This is the first comparative study that systematically relates fiction and practice in the history of magic. For more information see https://brill.com/view/title/60410?language=en
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Mythology And Folklore, History, Cultural History, and 15 moreHistory of Religion, Literature, Magic, Study of Religions, Fantasy Literature, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Fiction, Religious Studies, Literary studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, and History of magic
This volume brings together key findings of the long-term research project ‘Religious Individualisation in Historical Perspective’ (Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, Erfurt University). Combining a wide range of... more
This volume brings together key findings of the long-term research project ‘Religious Individualisation in Historical Perspective’ (Max Weber Centre for
Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, Erfurt University). Combining a wide range of disciplinary approaches, methods and theories, the volume assembles over 50 contributions that explore and compare processes of religious individualisation in different religious environments and historical periods, in particular in Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe from antiquity to the recent past.
Contrary to standard theories of modernisation, which tend to regard religious individualisation as a specifically modern or early modern as well as an essentially Western or Christian phenomenon, the chapters reveal processes of religious individualisation in a large variety of non-Western and pre-modern scenarios. Furthermore, the volume challenges prevalent views that regard religions primarily as collective phenomena and provides nuanced perspectives on the appropriation of religious agency, the pluralisation of religious options, dynamics of de-traditionalisation and privatisation, the development of elaborated notions of the self, the facilitation of religious deviance, and on the notion of dividuality.
Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, Erfurt University). Combining a wide range of disciplinary approaches, methods and theories, the volume assembles over 50 contributions that explore and compare processes of religious individualisation in different religious environments and historical periods, in particular in Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe from antiquity to the recent past.
Contrary to standard theories of modernisation, which tend to regard religious individualisation as a specifically modern or early modern as well as an essentially Western or Christian phenomenon, the chapters reveal processes of religious individualisation in a large variety of non-Western and pre-modern scenarios. Furthermore, the volume challenges prevalent views that regard religions primarily as collective phenomena and provides nuanced perspectives on the appropriation of religious agency, the pluralisation of religious options, dynamics of de-traditionalisation and privatisation, the development of elaborated notions of the self, the facilitation of religious deviance, and on the notion of dividuality.
Research Interests: Buddhism, Hinduism, Comparative Religion, European History, Theology, and 14 moreMedieval History, History of Religion, History of Christianity, Early Christianity, Ancient Religion, Islamic Studies, Islamic History, Ancient Greek Religion, Sikh Studies, Judaism, Individual Differences, Religious Studies, Indian History, and Indian Philosophy and Religion
Magic has been an important term in Western history and continues to be an essential topic in the modern academic study of religion, anthropology, sociology, and cultural history. 'Defining Magic' is the first volume to assemble key texts... more
Magic has been an important term in Western history and continues to be an essential topic in the modern academic study of religion, anthropology, sociology, and cultural history. 'Defining Magic' is the first volume to assemble key texts that aim at determining the nature of magic, establish its boundaries and key features, and explain its working. The reader brings together seminal writings from antiquity to today. The texts have been selected on the strength of their success in defining magic as a category, their impact on future scholarship, and their originality. The writings are divided into chronological sections and each essay is separately introduced for student readers. Together, these texts - from Philosophy, Theology, Religious Studies, and Anthropology - reveal the breadth of critical approaches and responses to defining what is magic. CONTRIBUTORS: Aquinas, Augustine, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Dennis Diderot, Emile Durkheim, Edward Evans-Pritchard, James Frazer, Susan Greenwood, Robin Horton, Edmund Leach, Gerardus van der Leeuw, Christopher Lehrich, Bronislaw Malinowski, Marcel Mauss, Agrippa von Nettesheim, Plato, Pliny, Plotin, Isidore of Sevilla, Jesper Sorensen, Kimberley Stratton, Randall Styers, Edward Tylor
Research Interests: Anthropology, Social Anthropology, History of Religion, Etymology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, and 36 moreMagic, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Conceptual History, Western Esotericism (History), Cultural Anthropology, Occultism, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, History of Science and Religion, Magic (History), History of Religious Studies, Religious Studies, Ancient magic, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Language and Etymology, Begriffsgeschichte, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, Study of Religion, History of the Study of Religions, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Western Magical Tradition, Magic, Witchcraft and Paganism in Literature, Defining Problem, Anthropology of Religion, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Defining Magic, Religious and Magical Practices, and Esoteric Movements
History is one of the most important cultural tools to make sense of one’s situation, to establish identity, define otherness, and explain change. This is the first systematic scholarly study that analyses the complex relationship between... more
History is one of the most important cultural tools to make sense of one’s situation, to establish identity, define otherness, and explain change. This is the first systematic scholarly study that analyses the complex relationship between history and religion, taking into account religious groups both as producers of historical narratives as well as distinct topics of historiography. Coming from different disciplines, the authors of this volume ask under which conditions and with what consequences religions are historicised. How do religious groups employ historical narratives in the construction of their identities? What are the biases and elisions of current analytical and descriptive frames in the History of Religion? The volume aims at initiating a comparative historiography of religion and combines disciplinary competences of Religious Studies and the History of Religion, Confessional Theologies, History, History of Science, and Literary Studies. By applying literary comparison and historical contextualization to those texts that have been used as central documents for histories of individual religions, their historiographic themes, tools and strategies are analysed. The comparative approach addresses circum-Mediterranean and European as well as Asian religious traditions from the first millennium BCE to the present and deals with topics such as the origins of religious historiography, the practices of writing and the transformation of narratives.
Research Interests: Roman Historiography, History of Religion, Medieval Historiography, Historiography, Study of Religions, and 12 moreHistory of Religions, Ancient Historiography, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, History of Historiography, Jewish historiography, Modern and Postmodern Historiography, Religious Studies, History of magic, Study of Religion, History of the Study of Religions, Islamic Historiography, and Comparative Study of World Religions
I edited a special issue of the journal Entangled Religions (Bochum) on the topic 'Western Learned Magic as an Entangled Tradition'. It includes contributions by Michael Noble, Sophie Page, Owen Davies, Dirk Johannsen, Henrik Bogdan, and... more
I edited a special issue of the journal Entangled Religions (Bochum) on the topic 'Western Learned Magic as an Entangled Tradition'. It includes contributions by Michael Noble, Sophie Page, Owen Davies, Dirk Johannsen, Henrik Bogdan, and myself. My contribution "Conjuring Planetary Spirits in the Twenty-First Century: Textual-Ritual Entanglements in Contemporary 'Magic(k)'" deals with Frater Acher and his unique 'Arbatel experience'. All articles are open access: https://er.ceres.rub.de/index.php/ER/issue/view/323.
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, History, Cultural History, Sociology of Religion, and 15 moreMedieval History, History of Religion, Magic, History of Religions, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Medieval Magic, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, and History of magic
Who is Hans Thomas Hakl, the man behind the Octagon library? Based on 10 hours of semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted in March 2021, the project “Hans Thomas Hakl: Three Lives in One” presents for the first time an extensive... more
Who is Hans Thomas Hakl, the man behind the Octagon library? Based on 10 hours of semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted in March 2021, the project “Hans Thomas Hakl: Three Lives in One” presents for the first time an extensive biographical account of the entrepreneur, scholar, publisher, book collector, and spiritual seeker Hans Thomas Hakl. As much of Hakl’s work was driven by a “respect for the honest - I might even say honourable - losers in the clash of world views” and thus a strong interest in marginalised and disputed topics, authors, and ideas, many of which manifested in the Octagon library, Hakl himself became somewhat of a disputed figure. This article hence aims at portraying a nuanced and multifaceted picture of the founder of the Octagon library, which seeks to transcend one-sided political or ideological perspectives.
Research Interests: Religion, History, Cultural History, Philosophy Of Religion, History of Religion, and 15 moreBook History, History of Science, Magic, Study of Religions, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Literature and Esotericism, Nineteenth Century Occultism, Religious Studies, Books, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, and Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian
This article illustrates textual-ritual entanglements in Western learned magic across almost two millennia through an analysis of Frater Acher's Arbatel experience. Frater Acher is a contemporary practitioner of 'magic(k)' who, between... more
This article illustrates textual-ritual entanglements in Western learned magic across almost two millennia through an analysis of Frater Acher's Arbatel experience. Frater Acher is a contemporary practitioner of 'magic(k)' who, between 2010 and 2013, performed a series of conjurations of six planetary spirits inspired by an early modern manual of learned magic named Arbatel. Frater Acher combined the Arbatel with ritual techniques from numerous further contexts, among them the late ancient Greek Magical Papyri, the Clavicula Salomonis tradition, Paracelsianism, Hermeticism, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, theurgy, modern imagination techniques, as well as chaos 'magic(k)'. As a consequence, Frater Acher's Arbatel experience-as he frames his ritual diaries published online-reveals a strikingly entangled ritual that illustrates the breadth, depth, and complexity of Western learned magic, as well as its manifold entanglements across time and space. His diaries also demonstrate that, even while following largely formalistic premodern scripts of learned magic, contemporary practitioners may nonetheless display a high degree of flexibility, creativity, and innovation. The article closes by reflecting on whether it is likely that such strategies were also present in premodern practitioner scenarios. In doing so, it calls for taking the-extensive but hitherto almost completely neglected-data of experience reports by contemporary practitioners of 'magic(k)' into account when interpreting premodern sources of learned magic. As a consequence, this is the first systematic attempt to compare and juxtapose premodern and modern interpretations and mindsets of practitioners of learned magic. It is thus also the first scholarly article that aims at elucidating a premodern manual of learned magic through reading and analysing the experience report of a contemporary practitioner.
Research Interests: Religion, Anthropology, History of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, and 15 moreHistory of Religions, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Medieval Magic, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, Greek Magical Papyri, and Anthropology of Religion
The introduction to this special issue outlines the concept of Western learned magic and suggests to analyse it as an entangled tradition, thus calling for an interdisciplinary, transcultural and transreligious perspective on its history.... more
The introduction to this special issue outlines the concept of Western learned magic and suggests to analyse it as an entangled tradition, thus calling for an interdisciplinary, transcultural and transreligious perspective on its history. A working heuristic of seven different types of entanglement in the history of Western learned magic is proposed, whereas special emphasis is placed on processes of ritual hybridisation. Entangled rituals are one of the most unique characteristics of Western learned magic and often mirror millenia-long processes of textual-ritual transmission across numerous cultural and religious boundaries. Inspired by this working heuristic of different types of entanglement in the history of Western learned magic, the introduction summarises the six contributions to this special issue. These contributions represent the fruits of a workshop on Western learned magic as an entangled tradition that was held at the Center for Religious Studies (CERES) at the University of Bochum on September 14-15, 2019.
Research Interests: History, Anthropology, History of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, and 15 moreWestern Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, New Age spirituality, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Medieval Magic, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, and Entangled History
The published version of my entry "magic" for the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781405165518), which was discussed previously on academia.edu. I wish to thank everyone for their... more
The published version of my entry "magic" for the Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781405165518), which was discussed previously on academia.edu. I wish to thank everyone for their valuable suggestions. In case you are interested in the full PDF, please drop me a note.
Research Interests: Religion, New Religious Movements, History, Sociology of Religion, History of Religion, and 15 moreMagic, History of Religions, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, and Western Magical Tradition
The first three pages of my contribution to the anthology Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration and the Power of Imagination (Leiden: Brill 2021), co-edited with Dirk Johannsen. In case you are interested in the full text, please drop me a... more
The first three pages of my contribution to the anthology Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration and the Power of Imagination (Leiden: Brill 2021), co-edited with Dirk Johannsen. In case you are interested in the full text, please drop me a note.
The purpose of this concluding chapter is to summarise and synthesise the findings of the entire volume, to weave red threads through the material discussed therein, and to discuss three different types of relationships between fiction and practice that manifested in the history of Western learned magic. Section 1 discusses cases in which fiction has informed practice. Section 2 reverses the perspective and assembles cases in which practice has informed fiction. Section 3 focuses on cases in which the boundaries between fiction and practice are blurred, concluding with unique types of ‘fictional practice’ that seem to have emerged as a culmination of this phenomenon. Assuming that the case studies assembled in the volume are representative of the history of Western learned magic at large, the chapter finally discusses various arguments for a historical trajectory that led to a heightened degree of fiction-practice entanglements from the nineteenth century onwards.
The purpose of this concluding chapter is to summarise and synthesise the findings of the entire volume, to weave red threads through the material discussed therein, and to discuss three different types of relationships between fiction and practice that manifested in the history of Western learned magic. Section 1 discusses cases in which fiction has informed practice. Section 2 reverses the perspective and assembles cases in which practice has informed fiction. Section 3 focuses on cases in which the boundaries between fiction and practice are blurred, concluding with unique types of ‘fictional practice’ that seem to have emerged as a culmination of this phenomenon. Assuming that the case studies assembled in the volume are representative of the history of Western learned magic at large, the chapter finally discusses various arguments for a historical trajectory that led to a heightened degree of fiction-practice entanglements from the nineteenth century onwards.
Research Interests: Religion, History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, History of Religion, and 15 moreLiterature, Magic, Culture, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Medieval Magic, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Literary studies, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, and History of magic
The first three pages of the introduction to the anthology Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration and the Power of Imagination, edited together with Dirk Johannsen (Leiden: Brill 2021). In case your are interested in the full text, please... more
The first three pages of the introduction to the anthology Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration and the Power of Imagination, edited together with Dirk Johannsen (Leiden: Brill 2021). In case your are interested in the full text, please drop me a note.
Research Interests: Religion, History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Sociology of Religion, and 15 moreHistory of Religion, Literature, Magic, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Literary studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, and History of magic
How should we conceptualise religious individuality and dividuality in a historical and comparative perspective?
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Hinduism, Comparative Religion, Intellectual History, and 13 moreSociology of Religion, History of Religion, Individuality, History of Religions, Ancient Religion, Late Antiquity, Church History, Individualism, World Religions, Max Weber, Religious Studies, Bhakti Traditions, and Anthropology of Religion
This article analyses the schism of a contemporary grouping of 'learned magic', the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT), which took place in the early 1990s and is often referred to as the 'Ice Magick War'. After embedding the IOT's... more
This article analyses the schism of a contemporary grouping of 'learned magic', the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT), which took place in the early 1990s and is often referred to as the 'Ice Magick War'. After embedding the IOT's background doctrine – Chaos Magick – within the overall history of 'Western learned magic', its foundation is interpreted as a fascinating attempt at 'institutionalising religious individualisation'. Even though the IOT created grade structures, stipulated prearranged teaching documents and ritual scripts, and engaged in group events and rituals, its founders were well aware of the implications of group formation and did their best to construe the IOT as an embodiment of what Chaos Magick was in total standing for: "a current of eclecticism and a rejection of the principles of absolutism, guruship and totalitarianism" (Carroll 1997). Against this backdrop, the Ice Magick War and the schism that arose out of it seem to illustrate the tension between a strikingly individualist, anti-hierarchical, anti-dogmatic agenda on the one hand and competing dynamics of dogmatisation, authoritarianism, secrecy and power abuse on the other – and may thus point to inherent ambivalences in the notion of 'institutionalising religious individualisation'.
This is the final version published in Martin Fuchs et al. (eds.), Religious Individualisation. Historical Dimensions and Comparative Perspectives, Berlin: de Gruyter 2020, 759-96. In contrast to the version previously uploaded on academia, the final version includes novel insights based on a first-hand interview with Ralph Tegtmeier...
This is the final version published in Martin Fuchs et al. (eds.), Religious Individualisation. Historical Dimensions and Comparative Perspectives, Berlin: de Gruyter 2020, 759-96. In contrast to the version previously uploaded on academia, the final version includes novel insights based on a first-hand interview with Ralph Tegtmeier...
Research Interests: Religion, New Religious Movements, Comparative Religion, History, Sociology of Religion, and 55 morePhilosophy Of Religion, History of Religion, Comparative Esotericism, Individuality, History of Science, Psychology of Religion, Magic, Religious Pluralism, Popular Culture and Religious Studies, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Magical Realism, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Golden Dawn Tradition, Witchcraft (Magic), Chaos Magic, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Religion and Modernity, Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Occulture, Western Esotericism (History), Popular/Folk Magic, Individualism, Occultism, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Religious Experience, Literature and Esotericism, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Religious History, History of Science and Religion, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Nineteenth Century Occultism, Magic (History), Religious Studies, Science of Religion, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Esoteric Philosophy, History of magic, Magic Realism, Individualization, Witchcraft, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Aleister Crowley, Esoteric Studies, Postmodern, Modern, Classical, and Ancient Magic, Spirituality, Philosophy, and Religion, Magick, General research and teaching: history of European magic and alchemy; Hermeticism and Gnosticism; contemporary occultism, Anthropology of Religion, Magic and conjuring History, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, Chaos Magick, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Religious and Magical Practices, and Esoteric Movements
My contribution to Hermes Explains: Thirty-Five Questions about Western Esotericism. Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the chair for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam... more
My contribution to Hermes Explains: Thirty-Five Questions about Western Esotericism. Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the chair for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press 2019...
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Sociology of Religion, Philosophy Of Religion, History of Religion, and 15 moreRitual, Psychology of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Hermeticism, and Anthropology of Religion
For a lecture series in Erfurt, I spoke and wrote about the idea of perfection (self-deification, apotheosis) in 20th century magick. I can only provide the first three pages for the time being. In case you are interested in the full... more
For a lecture series in Erfurt, I spoke and wrote about the idea of perfection (self-deification, apotheosis) in 20th century magick.
I can only provide the first three pages for the time being. In case you are interested in the full text, please drop me a note.
I can only provide the first three pages for the time being. In case you are interested in the full text, please drop me a note.
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Intellectual History, History of Religion, Magic, and 15 moreStudy of Religions, History of Religions, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Aleister Crowley, and Religious and Magical Practices
In: Sophie Page and Catherine Rider (eds.), The Routledge History Handbook of Medieval Magic, London: Routledge 2018, 37-47.
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, History, Medieval Philosophy, Critical Discourse Studies, Medieval Literature, and 54 moreLate Middle Ages, Medieval History, History of Religion, Medieval Studies, Comparative Esotericism, History of Science, Magic, Discourse, Medieval Islam, Medieval Iberian History, Popular Culture and Religious Studies, Medieval Church History, Study of Religions, Medieval Archaeology, History of Religions, Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetica, Critical Discourse Analysis, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Astral Magic, Witchcraft (Magic), History of Religion (Medieval Studies), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Early Middle Ages (History), Occultism, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Medieval Islamic History, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, History of Science and Religion, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Discourse Theory, Medieval Magic, Religious Studies, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle Ages, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, Philosophy and Religious Studies, History of magic, Middle Ages, Hermeticism, Study of Religion, Historia Medieval, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, METHOD AND THEORY FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION, Comparative Study of World Religions, Theology and Religious Studies, Astral Magic, Medieval Astrology and Magic, Discourse-Historical Approach, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Hermetic Corpus, and Religious and Magical Practices
This is my afterword to an amazing volume on 'magic' in Islam: Die Geheimnisse der oberen und der unteren Welt: Magie im Islam zwischen Glaube und Wissenschaft, Leiden: Brill 2018, edited by Sebastian Günther and Dorothee Pielow. The... more
This is my afterword to an amazing volume on 'magic' in Islam: Die Geheimnisse der oberen und der unteren Welt: Magie im Islam zwischen Glaube und Wissenschaft, Leiden: Brill 2018, edited by Sebastian Günther and Dorothee Pielow. The volume is groundbreaking with its 115-page foreword and erudite bibliographical and terminological appendices. I can only provide the first three pages of the article for the time being - in case you are interested in the full text, please drop me a note.
Research Interests: Religion, History, Cultural History, History of Religion, Magic, and 15 moreStudy of Religions, Islamic Studies, Islamic History, Islam, Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, and Religious and Magical Practices
This is a forthcoming encyclopaedia article on the figure of 'Maitreya-Christ' and its reception in 20th and 21st century Western esotericism. It will appear in: Egil Asprem (ed.), Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism, Leiden: Brill... more
This is a forthcoming encyclopaedia article on the figure of 'Maitreya-Christ' and its reception in 20th and 21st century Western esotericism. It will appear in: Egil Asprem (ed.), Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism, Leiden: Brill forthcoming. In consultation with Egil Asprem, it is here provided as a preprint version, which is also archived at ContERN Repository for Self-Archiving (CRESARCH). See https://contern.org/cresarch/cresarch-repository/
Research Interests: Religion, Buddhism, Comparative Religion, Sociology of Religion, History of Religion, and 15 morePopular Culture and Religious Studies, Study of Religions, Religious Syncretism, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Western Esotericism (History), Theosophy, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Comparative Study of World Religions, Contemporary occulture and esotericism, Anthropology of Religion, Maitreya, and Gurus and Guru Movements
In consultation with the publisher (Springer), I here provide the appendices of the book (authored together with Daniel Bellingradt) Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe. The Clandestine Trade in Illegal Book Collections, [New... more
In consultation with the publisher (Springer), I here provide the appendices of the book (authored together with Daniel Bellingradt) Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe. The Clandestine Trade in Illegal Book Collections, [New Directions in Book History], Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan 2017. The appendices include a critical edition of the Leipzig 'catalogus rariorum manuscriptorum' from 1710 (which includes content analyses of all available manuscripts) and four images of the original catalogue.
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, 17th Century & Early Modern Philosophy, Early Modern History, Neoplatonism and late antique philosophy, and 81 moreHistory of Religion, Book History, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, History of the Book, Comparative Esotericism, Divination, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Astrology, Alchemy, Magic, Manuscript Studies, Early Modern Europe, Paracelsus (Philippus Theophrastus Aureolus von Hohenheim), History Of Rare Book Libraries, History of Astrology, History of Religions, Theurgy, Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Book History (History), Western Esotericism (History), Popular/Folk Magic, Neoplatonism, Manuscripts & Material Culture, Occultism, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Book trade History, Christian Kabbalah, Kabbalah, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Codicology of medieval manuscripts, Medieval illuminated manuscripts, History of Science and Religion, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Early modern Germany, Christian Neoplatonism, Medieval Magic, Miracles, Religious Studies, Books, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Book Censorship (history), Renaissance magic and astrology, Medieval manuscripts & early printed books; history of libraries; visual arts & digital media, Manuscripts, History of magic, Early Modern Astrology and Prophecy, Jewish Magic, Religionswissenschaft, Grimoires, Hermeticism, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Hermetism and Magick, Divinations systems, Manuscript studies, codicology, palaeography, medieval paper, Chaucer, circulation of texts and books, history of the book, electronic editing and digital humanities, Mediaeval Manuscript Studies, Paracelsus, History of astrology and astronomy, Theology and Religious Studies, Theology & Religious Studies, History of alchemy, Astral Magic, Medieval Astrology and Magic, Magick, History of Books, Printing, and Publishing, Medieval Alchemy and Hermeticism, Hermeticism in 17th century Europe, alchemy, Magic and conjuring History, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Neoplatonist Theurgy, Paracelsianism, Religious and Magical Practices, Grimoire Tradition, The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, History of Hermeticism, Neoplatonic Theurgy, Paracelsian Medicine, Clavicula Salomonis, and Medieval Hermeticism and Renaissance magic
This article opens a new methodological pathway towards the persistent problem of so-called ‘critical categories’ in the (post)modern Study of Religion: How should scholars deal with versatile or polyvalent concepts that lack generally... more
This article opens a new methodological pathway towards the persistent problem of so-called ‘critical categories’ in the (post)modern Study of Religion: How should scholars deal with versatile or polyvalent concepts that lack generally accepted conceptualizations and continuously evoke misunderstandings or even fierce debates about their proper usage? Instead of arbitrarily reducing the semantic complexity of such categories by means of ‘definitions’, the article calls for acknowledging polysemantics as a core feature or inescapable quality of many, if not all, basic categories in the Study of Religion. Accordingly, the article introduces a new methodological strategy – here coined ‘polysemantic analysis’ –, which consists of two parts: first, through discourse analysis and conceptual reverse-engineering a disputed category is dissected into its components in the form of a semantic matrix, or ‘net of notions’, which may then, second, be applied to religious data. This procedure allows for applying a polysemantic concept to religious data without losing any of its potential analytical value, thus opening the floor for more nuanced and fine-grained analyses. In the article, said strategy is applied to the concept of ‘religious individualization’, a process category that has caught enhanced scholarly attention over the past years. ‘Polysemantic analysis’ reveals a matrix with no less than 26 different notions of the category, which are grouped in four basic domains. This ‘net of notions’ is then applied to the conceptual history of ‘magic’, both to polemical and affirmative discourses. The textual-ritual tradition of ‘Western learned magic’ triggers a wide range of notions ascribed to ‘religious individualization’ and might therefore be interpreted as a particularly noticeable example case of such dynamics, even though there remain some ambiguities to the matter.
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Sociology, Sociology of Religion, Philosophy Of Religion, and 40 moreHumanities, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Research Methods and Methodology, History of Religion, Research Methodology, Semantics, Methodology, Comparative Esotericism, Magic, Terminology, Religious Pluralism, Popular Culture and Religious Studies, History of Sociology, History of Religions, Semantic Analysis, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Sociological Theory, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Conceptual History, Western Esotericism (History), Individualism, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Religious History, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Sociology of religion (Religion), Reverse Engineering, History of Religious Studies, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Philosophy and Religious Studies, History of magic, Religionswissenschaft, Individualization, History of the Study of Religions, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Religious and Magical Practices
This programmatic paper conceptualises a research topic that has emerged in academic research over the past decades—'Western learned magic'—and provides a theoretical foundation for its historicisation to come. Even though a large amount... more
This programmatic paper conceptualises a research topic that has emerged in academic research over the past decades—'Western learned magic'—and provides a theoretical foundation for its historicisation to come. Even though a large amount of specialised findings on this topic have been brought forward in recent years, a diachronic and cross-cultural overview of the history of 'Western learned magic' that reconstructs possible red threads through the manifold material is still an urgent desideratum. Based on the observation that most classic definitions and theories of 'magic' are irrelevant to the history of 'Western learned magic'—as these have been deduced from anthropological sources and theorising—this article raises a range of theoretical issues that need to be taken into account in the course of its historicisation: continuity, changeability, hybridity, deviance, morality, complexity, efficacy, and multiplicity. By means of this novel theoretical setup, historians will be able to work towards a methodologically sound history of 'Western learned magic' that takes into account the recent criticism against a second-order category of 'magic' while, at the same time, revealing outdated stereotypes and master narratives on the topic.
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Religion, New Religious Movements, Comparative Religion, History, and 100 moreEuropean History, Cultural History, Sociology Of Deviance, Humanities, History of Religion, Interdisciplinarity, Comparative Esotericism, Historiography, History of Science, Spirituality, Ritual, Astrology, Alchemy, Magic, World History, Mysticism, Rosicrucianism, Study of Religions, History of Astrology, History of Religions, Ancient Religion, Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetica, Global History, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Golden Dawn Tradition, Witchcraft (Magic), History of Religion (Medieval Studies), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Late Antique Magic, Magical Practices, Tarot, Occulture, Western Esotericism (History), Popular/Folk Magic, Natural Magic, Occultism, New Age (Western Esotericism), Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Ritual Theory, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, History of Science and Religion, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Islamic Esotericism, History of Hermetic Philosophy, Nineteenth Century Occultism, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, Magic (History), Medieval Magic, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Marsilio Ficino, Religious Studies, Ritual Studies, Tradition, Religious rituals, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Occult, Ancient magic, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, Esoteric Philosophy, History of magic, Jewish Magic, Rituals, Hermeticism, Textual Transmission, Occult Sciences, Greek Magical Papyri, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Magic, Religion and Science, Western Civilization, Western Magical Tradition, Aleister Crowley, Sorcery, Anthropology of Ritual and Magic, Occult Sciences in Islam, Magic Circle, Postmodern, Modern, Classical, and Ancient Magic, Spirituality, Philosophy, and Religion, Discourse-Historical Approach, Entangled History, Ceremonial Magick, Ritual Practices, Magick, Kenneth Grant, General research and teaching: history of European magic and alchemy; Hermeticism and Gnosticism; contemporary occultism, Ritual Magic, Magic and conjuring History, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, Magical Spells, European Association for the Study of Religions, History of Witchcraft and Magic, Hermetic Corpus, Western Esoteric Tradition, Religious and Magical Practices, Sex Magick, Esoteric Movements, Myth and Magic In Modern World, and Medieval and Early Modern Magic
Research Interests: Anthropology, History of Religion, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Magic, Study of Religions, and 18 moreMethod and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, History of Science and Religion, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Study of Religion, History of the Study of Religions, Theology and Religious Studies, Defining Problem, Anthropology of Religion, and Religious and Magical Practices
Even though the concept of “magic” has sufffered severe criticism in academic discourse, the category continues to be used in many disciplines. During the last two decades, classicists in particular have engaged in a lively discussion... more
Even though the concept of “magic” has sufffered severe criticism in academic discourse, the category continues to be used in many disciplines. During the last two decades, classicists in particular have engaged in a lively discussion over “magic” and have produced an impressive amount of written output. Given the impossibility of defijining “magic” in a consistent and widely accepted manner, one cannot help but wonder what these scholars are actually talking about. Hence this paper purports (a) to critically review the recent debate on “magic” in Classical Studies, (b) to advocate for abandoning an abstract category of “magic” in favour of a proper analysis of ancient sources and (c) to historicize the term “magic” in Antiquity, that is, to muse on its ancient semantics, functions, and contexts. This methodological approach does not only overcome the major problems inherent in modern definitions of “magic,” but will also yield new insights into terminologies, modes of thought and speech strategies that underlie ancient religious discourses.
Research Interests: Ancient History, History of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, History of Religions, and 24 moreLate Antiquity, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Late Antique Magic, Conceptual History, Contextualizing Ancient Magic, Ancient Egyptian Magic, Magic (History), Antiquity, History of Religious Studies, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Greek and Roman magic, Ancient magic, History of magic, Study of Religion, Greek Magical Papyri, Western Magical Tradition, magic and superstition in Antiquity, Ancient magic and divination, METHOD AND THEORY FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION, Ancient Greek Magic, Graeco-Roman Magic, History of Witchcraft and Magic, and Classical Studies
Research Interests: History of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, Alphonse Louis Constant (Eliphas Lévi), Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, and 19 moreMagic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, New Age (Western Esotericism), Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Nineteenth Century Occultism, Magic (History), Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, Western Magical Tradition, Academic Study of Magic and Occulture, Contemporary occulture and esotericism, Esoteric Freemasonry Occult Alchemy Hermetic Rosicrucian, History of Witchcraft and Magic, French Occult Revival, and Religious and Magical Practices
Introduction to History and Religion
Research Interests:
This review article argues that Wouter Hanegraaff’s Esotericism and the Academy is deeply influenced by a methodological cluster usually referred to as ‘discourse theory.’ That the author is not willing to classify his own approach as... more
This review article argues that Wouter Hanegraaff’s Esotericism and the Academy is deeply influenced by a methodological cluster usually referred to as ‘discourse theory.’ That the author is not willing to classify his own approach as such is explained with recourse to his dispute with Kocku von Stuckrad, who, according to Hanegraaff, would embody discourse theory, whereas Hanegraaff would embody history. A comparison of Hanegraaff’s Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) and von Stuckrad’s Locations of Knowledge in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Esoteric Discourse and Western Identities (Leiden: Brill, 2010) reveals that this is amisleading classification and that Hanegraaff’s study comes closer to what discourse theory is all about. As a consequence, Esotericism and the Academy is the very first study on ‘Western esotericism’ that offers a convincing justification of this particular label as an overarching discursive category.
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Religion, New Religious Movements, Comparative Religion, History, and 29 morePhilosophy Of Religion, Critical Discourse Studies, History of Religion, Comparative Esotericism, Discourse, Religious Pluralism, Popular Culture and Religious Studies, Study of Religions, Critical Discourse Analysis, Michel Foucault, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Western Esotericism (History), New Age (Western Esotericism), Religious History, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Esotericism (Religion), History of Religious Studies, Religious Studies, Foucault power/knowledge - discourse, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Study of Religion, History of the Study of Religions, METHOD AND THEORY FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION, Wouter Hanegraaff, Theology and Religious Studies, and Magic and Esoterism
Research Interests: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Egyptology, History of Religion, Egyptian History, History of Religions, and 12 moreHistory of Egyptology, Ancient Egyptian History, Ancient Egyptian Magic, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, Magic (History), Religious Studies, Ancient Egypt, History of magic, History of the Study of Religions, Ancient Egyptian Magical Practices, Ancient Egyptian Religion and Ritual, and History of Witchcraft and Magic
Research Interests: History, Early Modern History, History of Religion, Magic, Witch Hunt Studies, and 24 moreEarly Modern Europe, History of Religions, European Witch Trials, Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Popular/Folk Magic, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Magic (History), History of the Witchcraze in Europe, Religious Studies, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, Witchcraft, Folk magic, Traditional Witchcraft, Witch Hunts, Anthropological study of witchcraft and sorcery, Early Modernity, Witch hunting, History of Witchcraft and Magic, and Religious and Magical Practices
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Anthropology, Social Anthropology, History of Religion, and 27 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Magic, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Cultural Anthropology, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Magic (History), History of Religious Studies, James George Frazer, Religious Studies, History of magic, Study of Religion, Ethnologie, History of the Study of Religions, Witchcraft, Traditional Witchcraft, Anthropology of Ritual and Magic, Europäische Ethnologie, Theory of magic, Anthropology of Religion, Religious and Magical Practices, and History of the Academic Study of Religions
The term ‘magic’ is characterised by a complex etymology (part 1) and by a multifaceted semantic field (part 2). Throughout Western history, discourses on magic have typically performed one of two social functions: ostracisation and... more
The term ‘magic’ is characterised by a complex etymology (part 1) and by a multifaceted semantic field (part 2). Throughout Western history, discourses on magic have typically performed one of two social functions: ostracisation and othering on the one hand, and fascination and self-identification on the other. While powerful anti-magical discourses set the dominant social, political and legal attitudes towards magic for millenia, at least from late antiquity onwards a practitioner discourse flourished in parallel, leading to the development of ‘Western learned magic’, a textual-ritual tradition that employed strikingly positive notions of magic (part 3). Such positive notions have, over the course of the last few decades, become widespread and influential motifs in popular media, contemporary spiritualities, and new religious movements. In the light of this suprising reversal of the long-term historical trend, it seems reasonable to argue that classical sociological theories of secularisation and disenchantment have been proven wrong (part 4). In sum, magic is anything but a self-evident signifier. Rather, it is a complex cultural concept and a critical category in the study of religion that calls for nuanced modes of re-definition and re-theorisation (part 5).
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Sociology, Sociology of Religion, Philosophy Of Religion, and 15 moreHistory of Religion, Magic, Popular Culture and Religious Studies, Study of Religions, Modernity, Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, Theology and Religious Studies, Magick, Anthropology of Religion, and History of Witchcraft and Magic
This paper, co-authored together with Matthias Heiduk, will appear in:
Matthias Heiduk, Klaus Herbers and Hans-Christian Lehner (eds.), Prognostication in the Medieval World. A Handbook, Berlin: de Gruyter 2020 (in print).
Matthias Heiduk, Klaus Herbers and Hans-Christian Lehner (eds.), Prognostication in the Medieval World. A Handbook, Berlin: de Gruyter 2020 (in print).
Research Interests: Religion, History, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, and 15 moreDivination, Magic, Study of Religions, Medieval Europe, Western Esotericism (History), Hermetism, Medieval Magic, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, History of magic, Middle Ages, Magical Spells, and Religious and Magical Practices
This paper will appear in a special issue of the journal Entangled Religions (https://er.ceres.rub.de/) on the topic 'Western learned magic as an entangled tradition', to be published by the end of this year (hopefully). All suggestions... more
This paper will appear in a special issue of the journal Entangled Religions (https://er.ceres.rub.de/) on the topic 'Western learned magic as an entangled tradition', to be published by the end of this year (hopefully). All suggestions and recommendations are welcome and much appreciated...
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Sociology of Religion, Anthropology, History of Religion, and 15 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Magic, History of Religions, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality, and Anthropology of Religion
Research Interests: Religion, History, History of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, and 15 moreWestern Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Early Modern European Witchcraft, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Traditional Witchcraft, Wicca, Wiccan and Pagan Traditions, Anthropology of Religion, and Religious and Magical Practices
Research Interests: Religion, History, Cultural History, History of Religion, History of Science, and 15 moreMagic, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Modernity, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, and Religious and Magical Practices
Research Interests: Religion, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Comparative Religion, History, Ancient History, and 51 moreCultural History, Cultural Studies, Classics, History of Religion, Popular Culture, History and Classical tradition studies, Comparative Esotericism, Magic, Culture, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Ancient Religion, Late Antiquity, Ancient Philosophy, Witchcraft (Magic), Intellectual and cultural history, Ancient Greek Religion, Ancient myth and religion, Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Late Antique Magic, Magical Practices, Western Esotericism (History), Ancient Greek History, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Religious History, History of Science and Religion, Ancient Egyptian History, Ancient Egyptian Magic, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, Antiquity, Ancient Near Eastern History, Religious Studies, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Ancient magic, Patristics and Late Antiquity, Ancient Egypt, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, Jewish Magic, Classics: Ancient History and Archaeology, Study of Religion, Folk magic, Greek Magical Papyri, Western Magical Tradition, Magical Spells, Magic Amulets Christian Magic, History of Judaism In Antiquity, Religious and Magical Practices, and Classical Studies
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
I was interviewed on my new project 'Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices From a Global Perspective" at the university of Erlangen-Nuremburg...
Research Interests: Religion, Sociology of Religion, Anthropology, Philosophy Of Religion, History of Religion, and 14 moreReligion and Politics, Science and Religion, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Occultism, World Religions, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Anthropology of Religion
I have been interviewed for the CEEO (Centro de Estudios sobre el Esoterismo Occidental) - UNASUR (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas) newsletter 6/1 (2018).
Research Interests: Religion, Comparative Religion, Sociology of Religion, Philosophy Of Religion, History of Religion, and 15 moreMagic, Study of Religions, History of Religions, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, Anthropology of Religion, and Religious and Magical Practices
Together with Carole Cusack, I have been interviewed for the ESSWE newsletter 9/1 (2018).
Research Interests: History of Religion, Comparative Esotericism, Magic, Study of Religions, History of Religions, and 11 moreMethod and Theory in the Study of Religion, Western Esotericism (Anthropology), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), New Age spirituality, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, and Esoteric Studies
Research Interests:
The workshop explores the textual-ritual tradition of 'Western learned magic' from an interdisciplinary, longue-durée and cross-cultural perspective. As the study of 'Western learned magic' has hitherto been scattered across different... more
The workshop explores the textual-ritual tradition of 'Western learned magic' from an interdisciplinary, longue-durée and cross-cultural perspective. As the study of 'Western learned magic' has hitherto been scattered across different fields of research, the workshop assembles eight acclaimed scholars in the field who have worked on relevant source material from st antiquity to the 21 century.
All contributions strive for interpreting the material from a comparative perspective and with a particular focus on ritual dynamics, thus highlighting intercultural and religious routes of transmission as well as fascinating types of 'entangled rituals'. The contributions will be published in a special issue of online journal Entangled Religions, guest-edited by Bernd-Christian Otto.
14 - 15 September 2019 | CERES | Ruhr-Universität Bochum
All contributions strive for interpreting the material from a comparative perspective and with a particular focus on ritual dynamics, thus highlighting intercultural and religious routes of transmission as well as fascinating types of 'entangled rituals'. The contributions will be published in a special issue of online journal Entangled Religions, guest-edited by Bernd-Christian Otto.
14 - 15 September 2019 | CERES | Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Research Interests: Religion, History, History of Religion, History of Science, Magic, and 15 moreStudy of Religions, History of Religions, Witchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Ancient Egyptian Magical Texts, Medieval Magic, Ancient magic, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, Renaissance magic and astrology, Entangled History, and Religious and Magical Practices
I have been interviewed by the public relations team at the university of Erfurt about the sixth International Conference of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, which took place in Erfurt in June 2017:... more
I have been interviewed by the public relations team at the university of Erfurt about the sixth International Conference of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, which took place in Erfurt in June 2017:
https://aktuell.uni-erfurt.de/2017/05/29/nachgefragt-esoterik/
https://aktuell.uni-erfurt.de/2017/05/29/nachgefragt-esoterik/
Research Interests:
I have been interviewed by the public relations team at the university of Erfurt about my book Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe: https://aktuell.uni-erfurt.de/2017/08/29/nachgefragt-8/
Research Interests:
I have been interviewed by Bild, the often questionable German newspaper with the widest circulation:
https://www.bild.de/regional/leipzig/buecher/die-geheimnisvollen-zauberbuecher-der-albertina-53227622.bild.html
https://www.bild.de/regional/leipzig/buecher/die-geheimnisvollen-zauberbuecher-der-albertina-53227622.bild.html
Research Interests:
I have been interviewed by SWR 2 on my book Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe:
https://www.swr.de/swr2/programm/sendungen/impuls/swr2-impuls/-/id=1853902/did=19788918/nid=1853902/sdpgid=1443046/1uez9l6/index.html
https://www.swr.de/swr2/programm/sendungen/impuls/swr2-impuls/-/id=1853902/did=19788918/nid=1853902/sdpgid=1443046/1uez9l6/index.html
Research Interests:
I have been interviewed for Swiss television (SRF; Sternstunde Religion) in a telecast on magic and Harry Potter:... more
I have been interviewed for Swiss television (SRF; Sternstunde Religion) in a telecast on magic and Harry Potter:
https://www.srf.ch/kultur/gesellschaft-religion/religion-bei-harry-potter-viele-magische-motive-lassen-sich-auf-die-bibel-zurueckfuehren
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLfrRZl9s0c
https://www.srf.ch/kultur/gesellschaft-religion/religion-bei-harry-potter-viele-magische-motive-lassen-sich-auf-die-bibel-zurueckfuehren
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLfrRZl9s0c
Research Interests: Religion, History of Religion, Magic, Study of Religions, Harry Potter, and 11 moreWitchcraft (Magic), Magic and the Occult (Anthropology Of Religion), Witchcraft (Anthropology Of Religion), Western Esotericism (History), Harry Potter studies, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Religious Studies, Esotericism, Western Esotericism, History of magic, and Occult Esoteric Magick Spirituality
An article about my book on the Leipzig collection of 'codices magici' (Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe: The Clandestine Trade in Illegal Book Collections):... more
An article about my book on the Leipzig collection of 'codices magici' (Magical Manuscripts in Early Modern Europe: The Clandestine Trade in Illegal Book Collections):
http://www.zeit.de/wissen/geschichte/2017-08/magie-zauberei-zaubersprueche-europa-schriften-sammlung-leipzig-forschung/komplettansicht
http://www.zeit.de/wissen/geschichte/2017-08/magie-zauberei-zaubersprueche-europa-schriften-sammlung-leipzig-forschung/komplettansicht