This is the first systematic treatment of esotericism to appear in English. Here is also a historical survey, beginning with the Alexandrean Period, of the vari

Widely received in France, this brief, comprehensive introduction to Western esotericism by the founder of the field is at last available in English. A historic

A historical and interpretive study of three aspects of Western esotericism from the Renaissance to the twentieth century.

Mysticism and esotericism are two intimately related strands of the Western tradition. Despite their close connections, however, scholars tend to treat them sep

Esotericism is the search for an absolute but hidden knowledge accessed through mystical vision, the mediation of higher beings, or personal experience. In West