Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Culture

Record summary

Wouter J. Hanegraaff’s study examines how Hermeticism, magic, alchemy, and related currents were classified as rejected or illegitimate knowledge in European intellectual history. It is useful for comparing claims of hidden wisdom or transformative knowledge with changing academic standards, especially from the Renaissance through modern occult revival. The book is historical and sociological rather than evidence for alchemical transmutation. Its account of what counts as “esotericism,” and its treatment of continuity between older traditions and modern movements, remain interpretive and should be checked against reviews and primary sources.