Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity
"This remarkable book reintroduces us to a Platonism long forgotten in the West. In a passionate tour de force of scholarship and insight, Algis Uzdavinys argues that philosophy was once a mystagogic rite of initiation transmitted by the great Neoplatonic teachers from Plotinus to Damascius. Uzdavinys's wide scholarship not only draws profound connections between Platonic philosophy, theurgy, and the ancient Egyptian wisdom that Platonists acknowledged as their source, he also draws illuminating parallels between theurgy and Indian Tantra. His enraptured prose leads us into the non-dual vision of the later Platonists where each of us is invited to become a link in the Golden Chain that extends from heaven to earth." --Gregory Shaw, Stonehill College, author ofTheurgy and the Soul "This book clearly establishes three things: that traditional myth (as the Neoplatonists maintained) is the symbolic expression of metaphysics, as metaphysics is the exegesis of myth; that Greek philosophy was not an isolated 'miracle' but a reinterpretation of perennial themes common to the ancient Near Eastern, Mesopotamian, Indian, and especially Egyptian religions; and that Platonic philosophical discourse was but one-half of a whole which included an invocatory/contemplative practice known as 'theurgy.'"--Charles Upton, author ofKnowings "In this most stimulating and wide-ranging work, AlgisUzdavinys, drawing on the resources of his enormous learning, leads Neoplatonic theurgy back to its roots in Ancient Egypt, thereby setting Platonic philosophy in a new and wider context. Students of Neoplatonism will find themselves much indebted to him, and all readers will find their outlook on life significantly changed."--John M. Dillon, Trinity College, Dublin, author ofThe Middle Platonists