History
Programme overview
Location
Streatham Campus, Exeter
Exeter is a leading world centre for the study of Western Esotericism. Research students are supervised by members of the Centre for the Study of Esotericism which fosters advanced research into historical and comparative aspects of the esoteric traditions from the Hellenistic period in late antiquity through the Renaissance and early modern period to the present.
Research interests include areas such as
- patterns of globalization in modern esotericism
- theosophy and esoteric theories of spiritual evolution in the twentieth century
- Hermeticism, pietism and alchemy in the Enlightenment era
- Theology of Electricity; Emanuel Swedenborg; Theosophy and Modern Art
- Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy
- contemporary Gnostic and millenarian movements
- esotericism and political thought;
- Renaissance music, magic and astrology
- the function of the symbolic imagination in spiritual perception
- musical performance practice and the visual arts as vehicles for spiritual knowledge
- magical and divinatory thought in relation to contemporary culture
- the history, symbolism and practice of alchemy, especially in Paracelsian medical alchemy (Spagyrics)
- typology of alchemical and magical practice, Paracelsian philosophy, and the interweaving of Hermetic, Neo-Platonic and kabbalistic strands in the works of influential figures like Ficino, Pico, Reuchlin, Agrippa and Dee; Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry
- the history of magic and esoteric currents in Central and Eastern Europe
- modern esoteric fiction; the interface between spirituality and nature from 18th century to the present.
To find out more about our research specialisms visit the staff pages at the Centre for the Study of Esotericism website.
