New Age religion and Western culture
Subtitle: esotericism in the mirror of secular thought
By: by Wouter J. Hanegraaff.
Series: Studies in the history of religions,; v. 72; Studies in the history of religions ;; 72.
Publisher: E.J. Brill
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Leiden; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 580
Subjects: New Age movement.; Occultism.
Description: Recent years have seen a spectacular rise of the New Age movement and an ever-increasing interest in its beliefs and manifestations. This fascinating work presents the first 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. Making extensive use of primary sources, the author thematically analyses New Age beliefs from the perspective of the study of religions.

While looking at the historical backgrounds of the movement, he convincingly argues that its foundations were laid by so-called western esoteric traditions during the Renaissance. Hanegraaff finally shows how the modern New Age movement emerged from the increasing secularization of those esoteric traditions during the nineteenth century.

. This ground-breaking publication is compulsive reading for all those involved or interested in the New Age movement.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [531]-558) and indexes.