New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought (Suny Series, Western Esoteric Traditions) [Paperback]

Wouter J. Hanegraaff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 1998 | Series: Suny Series, Western Esoteric Traditions

Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first comprehensive analysis of New Age Religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions. While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'"This is a formidable bookIt is an indispensable manual for all those studying the New Age phenomenonan interesting, informative, illuminating and accurate depiction of New Age thought and practices.'
John A. Saliba, "Bulletin of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, 2000.
'"This is a must for all students of religion'
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, "Ambrix, 2002. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Wouter J. Hanegraaff is a Research Fellow at the Department for the Study of Religions at Utrecht University in The Netherlands. He is coeditor of Gnosis and Hermeticism: From Antiquity to Modern Times, also published by SUNY Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 596 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (January 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791438546
• ISBN-13: 978-0791438541
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and compelling research of new age religion, September 7, 2005

By 

Ido Hartogsohn (Tel Aviv, Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought (Suny Series, Western Esoteric Traditions) (Paperback)

I have just finished reading this lengthy book after a month of heated night readings.

This one is really a milestone in the research of the new age phenomenon, as it is the first (and up until now the only) book to seriously and exhaustively research the variety of new age ideas, their inter-connectedness and their origins.

Haanegraaf doesn't leave the discussion on a sociological level, as other authors on the new age have frequently done. He isn't satisifed until he enters the core of every doctrine and theory and explains it thoroughly to the reader.

Haanegraaf covers an unusal amount of material over the 525 pages long primary text of the book. He presents ideas and comments about them briefly and concisely but also profoundly and always in an interesting and intelectually stimulating way.

The different observations and structures Haanegraaf presents in this work are bound to become a basis for future research of the new age phenomenon.

This is one of the best books i've read in a while, and a must for anyone interested in New Age.

20 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, June 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought (Suny Series, Western Esoteric Traditions) (Paperback)

This book is a MUST READ for any student of religious studies. Its provides a consolidation and analysis of the new age literature. Extensive use of references and footnotes - you won't be disappointed...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought, November 11, 2009

By 

javafusion - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought (Studies in the History of Religions) (Hardcover)

Private symbolism and the dissipation of mystery are indeed connected. The New Age movement tends to make each private individual into the center of his or her symbolic world; and it tends to seek salvation in universal explanatory systems which will leave no single question of human existence unanswered, and will replace mystery by the certainty of perfect knowledge. The reader of this study will have to make up his or her own mind about whether the attainment of such knowledge would save the world or, instead, deprive it of all meaning.