ch.1 what is western esotericism

The absolute definition of esotericism

There isn’t one; academics in religious studies have been meaning to put more serious thought into it for decades and recently it has gained more interest

What do we know about esotericism?

Compared to standard religions like Judaism and Christianity, not much

What field of study does esotericism belong to?

Not one, but parts of many: religion, science, philosophy, and the arts are all involved

When was esotericism taken seriously as an academic subject?

Before the 18th century

Why did people stop taking esotericism seriously?

The Enlightenment happened

When did esotericism become popular again?

After WW2 and mostly in the 90s

Popular perceptions of esotericism

They are marred by amateur scholarship and commercial media

Effects of esotericism's dismissal by academics

Any talk of it is wrought with apologies and pejorative connotations

When did “western esotericism” become the preferred label by specialists?

In the 90s

What does the general public think when they hear the term “western esotericism”?

New Age phenomena

What other terms cause the public to raise eyebrows?

“the occult” and “occultism”; scholars have given these terms their own definitions separate from esotericism

Why can't “esotericism” be renamed?

No one would recognize the new term; scholars have agreed to stick to the umbrella term and hope the pejorative connotations cease

When did the term “esoteric” first appear?

In the second century CE, as an adjective

When and where did the term “esoteric” become a noun?

It seems to have been coined in a Germany(Esoterik) in 1792

When and where did the noun “esoterik” travel after Germany?

It migrated to French scholarship in 1828(l'ésotérisme) and appeared in English in 1883