im nearly done with Hanegraaf's guide to the perplexed on western esotericism and it is an excellent primer in a remarkably short time, definitely a recommendation for me if you want a strong fundamental overview of the topic to build on further (and the recommendations for further reading are v good)
that said, i do have some important provisos:
- he says this himself, but it's important to recognize that when he says western esotericism he, for the most part, really means Christian esotericism and pagan esotericism in relation to Christian history
- he does not spend NEARLY enough time talking about how load-bearing antisemitism is to western esotericism. again, stream Ezra Rose FYMA
- similarly, he does not spend enough time talking about how important orientalism is to these structures, from the long history of western spirituality defining itself in relation to and against muslim spirituality (particularly Sufism) to the modern influence of Taoism and the Indian dharmic religions on theosophy, Jung, etc.
- (note also how combining the above two points it becomes p clear how to chart a lot of the shittier streams of western esotericism, which takes a culmination in the absolute horrificness of esoteric nazism and which Hanegraaf doesn't really discuss)
- i don't necessarily expect this from a mainstream academic book, but as a transgender autist i also don't think he considers even a little bit the way in which the relation between the church and "heresy" has a lot to do with policing of bodies, biopolitics, intellectual surveillance, etc. where's all da gender my man.
- he's at times kind of annoyingly sarcastic, about both other academia and particularly about contemporary new age and neo-paganism