MA Western Esotericism
Our Master program gives students a unique possibility to dive deeper into the history of Western esotericism under the supervision of specialists. The MA comes in a one-year and a two-year variety. In the one-year program students follow elective courses and write a final thesis. The two-year Research MA variety consists of the same electives, but in addition, students can do tutorials with HHP teachers, and have to complete three core courses on method and theory in Religious Studies. They will also conduct independent research for a longer MA thesis. For more information about the religious studies components, please refer to the UvA website or the UvA Course Catalogue 2019-2020.
On this page you will find more information about our elective courses on esotericism, available for both one-year and two-year MAs. There are three core modules, covering different historical periods and thematic aspects: Contested Knowledge, Renaissance Esotericism, and Occult Trajectories. Additionally there is a shorter introductory module entitled “Western Esotericism and Its Scholars”. Please note that the three core modules come in two varieties each, taught in alternating years. This alternation makes it possible for Research MA students, specializing in a particular period, to follow two courses on their period over two consecutive years. Thus, for example, someone writing an MA thesis on Renaissance kabbalah might want to follow Renaissance Esotericism I and II, while a candidate researching occultist authors of the 20th century might do Occult Trajectories I and II.
All our MA courses are given in seminar form where students interact closely with the instructor and with each other. Through group discussion, powerpoint presentations, book reviews and research papers, students are taught to think and work as independent academic researchers. More than just acquiring specialist knowledge in a cutting-edge field in the humanities, our MA students are thus being prepared for the realities of professional academic life.
Religionism and Historicism (6EC)
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When: 1st semester, block 3
Instructor: W.J. Hanegraaff
Language of instruction: English
Course description:
This module is concerned with the notion of historicity and its relation to religious universalism. While modern notions of “religion” typically imply a claim of universal truth and validity grounded in the true nature of reality, a consistent emphasis on historicity implies questioning and relativizing such claims by emphasizing historical specificity, unicity, contingency, contextuality, and unpredictable change. In short, while religion makes general claims about an ultimate truth (e.g. “God”, “the Divine”, “the Absolute”, or “the Sacred”) that by definition cannot be touched by the forces of history and social change, it is in the very nature of historicity to question and undermine such claims. Sooner or later, all students of religion find themselves confronted with this conflict, and have to work out its implications with respect to the very meaning and significance of studying “religion” from an academic point of view. The objective of this course is make students aware of these problematics and experiment with existing attempts at resolving it.
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Contested Knowledge (12EC)
Theories and Methods in the Study of Esotericism
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When: 1st semester, block 1-2
Instructor: J, Christian Greer, M. Pasi
Language of instruction: English
Course description:
In the last thirty years, the study of esotericism has emerged as an exciting new field of research
for scholars across disciplinary boundaries. The development of this field has been accompanied
by a lively debate about questions of method and theory. In this module we will investigate the
historical origins and intellectual backgrounds of esotericism research, while concentrating on the
theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches that have been advocated by its chief
representatives after the period of World War II. Instead of promoting any particular agenda, this
course will critically examine the academic modalities that have shaped scholarship in the past,
as well as the approaches that have superseded them.
As will become clear, the scientific study of esotericism was originally grounded in “religionist”
scholarship, which was based on implicit spiritual agendas. Against this pioneering approach,
there arose more skeptical “reductionist” types of research inspired by specific philosophical and
social scientific theories. In recent decades, a more historically-grounded brand of scholarship has
become dominant within the academy. Each of these approaches will be examined on their own
empirical merits, and then analyzed with respect to current debates about the disciplinary
boundaries of esotericism as a field of study. Special attention will be paid to the way in which
that this field of study problematizes conventional boundaries between religion, philosophy,
natural science, popular culture, and the arts.
Suggestions
On Tuesday mornings, 9.00-12.00, Christian Greer teaches a lecture course “Western Culture and Counter Culture” in the Bachelor program. Master students in the program Western Esotericism or the Research Master Study of Religion are very welcome to attend this course as auditors, as it will provide them with a useful historical overview from antiquity to the present.
While not mandatory, it is recommended to combine the module “Contested Knowledge” with the 6-point module “Religionism and Historicism” (First semester, block 3), which forms a natural extension of it (resulting total: 18 pts). If you plan to do so, you are advised to read the course book Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed (Bloomsbury: London 2013) already during blocks 1-2. This will help you contextualize the texts and lectures and understand their relevance to Western esotericism as a field of study.
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Renaissance Esotericism I & II (12EC)
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When: 1st semester, block 1-2
Instructors: Dr. Peter Forshaw
Language of instruction: English
Course description:
Renaissance Esotericism II: Occult Philosophies
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533) is the best-known Renaissance encyclopedia of magic. Its syncretic mixture of material drawn from medieval grimoires, from classical antiquity and from sources new to the Christian West, such as the Jewish tradition of Kabbalah, is an invaluable resource for our understanding of early modern occult philosophy and modern occultism. In this module we shall investigate Philosophia occulta, an important current of Western esotericism, considering the various kinds of knowledge and experience that participate in Renaissance and Early Modern ideas of magic. Ranging through the natural, celestial and divine realms we shall examine some of the sciences and philosophies and encounter some of the significant figures that contributed to its development. We shall seek to amplify Agrippa’s writings with material drawn from other influential contemporary sources and conclude the module with sessions on subsequent esoteric approaches that display affinities with his occult philosophy.
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Occult Trajectories I & II (12EC)
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When: 2nd semester, block 1-2
Instructor: Dr. Marco Pasi; Mriganka Mukhopadhyay, MA, MPhil
Language of instruction: English
Course description Occult Trajectories I :
In the last twenty years it has become customary for specialists to define esotericism as “Western.” However, recent debates in the field have raised the question whether the history of esotericism could be better understood in a “global” context. The purpose of this course is to focus on the relationship that esoteric currents and authors since the Enlightenment have had on the one hand with the idea of the “East” in general, and on the other with spiritual traditions coming from non-European lands that were perceived as belonging to the “East.” It will give particular attention to the formation, towards the end of the 19th century, of the concept of “Western esotericism” as distinct from, and even opposed to, eastern forms of esoteric tradition. This process will be contrasted with the development of the Theosophical Society, which became a “global player” from an early point on. Students are expected to deliver presentations based on the reading material, to participate actively in the discussions, and to write a final paper.
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