Esotericism Disputed: Major Debates in the Field

When graduate students enroll in classes that are devoted to “esotericism” or “Western esotericism,” they usually are fascinated by the class topics, even though they have only a vague idea of what esotericism means. They are curious to learn more about magic, alchemy, astrology, paganism, witchcraft, or shamanism. These students are positively surprised that, apparently, some academics seriously study subjects such as Harry Potter, the Matrix, the Kabbalah Center, Ayahuasca mysticism, Wicca, and Black Metal, as well as seemingly unorthodox traditions such as the ancient gnostics, magical amulets from the Middle Ages, astrological calculations of the end of the world, and the quest to find the language of the angels.