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Esotericism

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New Religious Movements and Esotericism in a global context

Contents

Overview

Current Research

Projects with External Funding

Selected Publications

Links

Additional Information

Overview

Since the 19th century there have been many new religious and so-called esoteric movements that considered themselves the re-discoverers or heirs of older traditions. The study of modern alternative religious movements has been a desideratum of academic research for a long time. During the last years, research into esotericism has been established as a field of study within cultural studies, which has become ever more important in the face of growing religious diversity in Europe. The fact that most of these movements act within a global context is still largely neglected today. Along with the genealogical research into the emergence of esoteric movements since the 19th century, this global perspective is a central concern of this major field of study.

 

Current Research

 

Completed:

 

Projects with External Funding

  • Julian Strube, DFG project "Tantra and the Global Religious History of the 19th and 20th Century." [more]

 

Completed:

  • DFG-subproject, "The position of Emanuel Swedenborg within the enlightenment and esoteric discourses of the 18th century", within the research group "The Enlightenment in the Context of Modern Esotericism" (duration 2004-2010). As well as theology and religious studies, this interdisciplinary research group covers the disciplines of historiography, philosophy and German studies.

 

Selected Publications

Michael Bergunder

  • What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies.
    In: Method and Theory in the Study of Religion 22 (2010): 9-36
  • (Ed.) Westliche Formen des Hinduismus in Deutschland. Eine Übersicht.
    (Neue Hallesche Berichte; 6). Halle 2006.

 

Friedemann Stengel

 

Julian Strube

 

Yan Suarsana

  • Die Insel der Weisheit. Balinesische Esoterik und globale Religionsgeschichte. In: ZfR 23/2 (2015), S. 320-342.

Links

 

Additional Information

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Archivierte Mitteilungen, Tagungsprogramme und -berichte
Neuerscheinung: Sozialismus, Katholizismus und Okkultismus im Frankreich des 19. Jahrhunderts