Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read new age religion and western culture. Primary new age sources in alphabetical order 525 bibliography 531 index of subjects 559 index of names 571. Wouter j hanegraaff recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the new age movement and an everincreasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically.
Wouter hanegraaffs book is the fullest and most incisive overview to date of new age religion as an intellectual movement. New age religion cannot be characterized as a return to preenlightenment worldviews, but is to be seen as a qualitatively new syncretism of esoteric and secular elements. Presents the first systematic analysis of the structure and beliefs of the new age movement, and the historical emergence of new age as a secularized version of western esoteric traditions. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought suny series, western esoteric traditions. This fascinating work presents the firstever comprehensive analysis of new age religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing the reader with a means of orientation in the bewildering variety of the movement. Jesus christ the bearer of the water of life a christian. Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the new age movement and an everincreasing. Diverse individuals from around the world practice new age spirituality. The term new age itself refers to the age of aquarius, which, according to new age followers, is dawning. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought studies in the history of religions, band 72. Paradoxically, new age criticism of modern western culture is expressed to a considerable extent on the premises of that same culture. This fascinating work presents the firstever comprehensive analysis of new age religion and its historical. The new age movement is a term applied to a range of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices that developed in western nations during the 1970s.
Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought 19961998. New age religion and western culture published on 11 sep 2001 by brill. Major confusion about the new age has been generated by academics, countercult groups, fundamentalist and other evangelical christians and traditional muslim groups, etc. New age movement, movement that spread through the occult and metaphysical religious communities in the 1970s and. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the new age movement and an everincreasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. The celebration of the self and the sacralization of modernity, oxford blackwell 1996. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought suny series, western esoteric traditions suny series in western. Aug 29, 2018 at present, the new age tome titled a course in miracles has sold well over 1,000,000 copies and has spawned over 1,000 study groups in the united states alone. Western culture, sometimes equated with western civilization, western lifestyle or european civilization, is a term used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values. The journal of alternative and emergent religions vol.
New age religion and western culture esotericism in the mirror of secular thought by wouter j. Its great merit is the clear and unambiguous way in which it opens up the field by defining. The new age appears to be in good shape in the first decade of the 21st century with a very wide following. Precise scholarly definitions of the new age differ in their emphasis, largely as a result of its highly eclectic structure. Rather than dismissing the intellectual content of new age beliefs. Jun 09, 2009 by new age design, western culture is being permeated with a variety of techniques for altering the consciousness and tapping universal energy e. 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. Below is the index for my posts inspired by this excellent book. The new age does express a cloudy sort of religion, claiming vague connections with both christianity and the major faiths of the east new agers like to say the jesus spent 18 years in india absorbing hinduism and the teachings of buddha, plus an occasional dab of pantheism and sorcery. New age spiritualitythe new age movement in america can be best understood as both a discourse community and a new social movement. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought ebook written by wouter j.
Reprinted by permission of julian philip scott, grandson of christopher dawson. Esotericism in the mirror of nature, leidennew yorkkoln brill 1996. Such statistics point to a broad penetration of new age ideas in western culture. New age religion and secularization 293 new agers themselves tend to present a highly biased and factually misleading picture of these traditions8but from a historical point of view it is true that the new age movement has indeed emerged from what may be referred to as esoteric currents in western culture. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought w j hanegraaff analyzing contemporary new age beliefs, this work argues that the foundations of such beliefs lie in the western esoteric traditions of the renaissance. Christopher dawson 18891970 was most likely the most penetrating student of the relationship of religion and culture who has ever written. Hanegraaff and you can download with pub, pdf, txt, doc, and more file format with free. New age religion and western culture 9780791438541. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought, state university of new york press, albany, new york. Wouter jacobus hanegraaff born april 10, 1961 is full professor of history of hermetic philosophy and related currents at the university of amsterdam, the netherlands.
The 600 pages in this academic volume are packed with insights and information for religious scholars, meditators, and researchminded spiritual seekers who desire indepth knowledge about the origins of esoteric and. Jan 01, 1996 new age religion and western culture book. New age religion and western culture esotericism in the. Presents the first systematic analysis of the structure and beliefs of the new age movement, and the. New age religion and secularization 293 new agers themselves tend to present a highly biased and factually misleading picture of these traditions8but from a historical point of view it is true that the new age movement has indeed emerged from what may be referred to as. The new age movement is the first comprehensive and affordable book on new age to appear it has an equally comprehensive but more expensive competi tor in wouter hanegraaffs new age religion and western culture. Hanegraaff painstakingly reconstructs the sources of them in western thought. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought suny series, western esoteric traditions suny series in western esoteric traditions wouter j. New age religion and western culture is a gold mine of wellargued research by religious studies scholar wouter j. The new age movement in america can be best understood as both a discourse community and a new social movement. The one version of the new age that does not exist. The modern new age movement emerged as a distinct lifestyle from the late 1960s through the early 1970s, although elements can be traced back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. This fascinating work presents the first comprehensive analysis of. Seven major teachings of the new age jeremiah project.
Hanegraaff regarded the new age as a form of popular culture criticism, in that it represented a reaction against the dominant western values of judeochristian religion and rationalism, adding that new age religion formulates such criticism not at random, but falls back on the ideas of earlier western esoteric groups. Dec 29, 2018 what is new age and what is the new age religion. New age is a term applied to a range of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices that grew rapidly in the western world during the 1970s. As a discourse community, new age denotes a group of people who embrace a shared core of social and religious values and speak about those values in a common language. New religious movement, any relatively new religion characterized by innovative responses to modern conditions, perceived counterculturalism, eclecticism and syncretism, and charismatic and sometimes authoritarian leadership. Wouter hanegraaff, new age religion and western culture. Hanegraaff state university of new york press, 1998 this book is the first comprehensive analysis of. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought, brill, leiden 1996, state university of new york press, albany 1998. Hanegraaff, state university of new york press, suny series in western esoteric traditions february 1998, 580 pages writing as an unbiased academic, neither gullible nor critical, hanegraaff provides a superb overview of the new age movement and. He works out the difference as well as the similarities among new age. This new age religion is an attempt at a oneworld religion.
Heelas, paul, 1996 the new age movement, blackwell, oxford. There is no new age church,nonew age religion,noo ciallyregisterednew age. The study of western culture catholic education resource center. This fascinating work presents the firstever comprehensive analysis of new age religion and its historical backgrounds, thus providing the reader with a.
Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought suny series, western esoteric traditions reprint by wouter j. Hanegraaff, 9780791438541, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. What is new age religion, and why cant christians get on. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The celestine prophecy celestine workbook the tenth. The study of western culture catholic education resource. Its great merit is the clear and unambiguous way in. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern new age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth. New age religion and western culture pdf flowrutracker. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought paperback average rating. It is supposed to bring peace and enlightenment and to reunite man with god.
Professor of history of hermetic philosophy and related currents wouter j. It looked forward to a new age of love and light and offered a foretaste of the coming era through personal transformation and healing. Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the new age movement. New religious movements are sometimes pejoratively referred to as cults. Description new age religion and western culture wouter j. It gained momentum in the 1980s and strengthened with the harmonic convergence event in 1987. The celestine prophecy celestine workbook the tenth insight. Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought, nova religio on deepdyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips. What is new age religion, and why cant christians get.
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