Constructing tradition : means and myths of transmission in Western esotericism / / edited by Andreas B. Kilcher.

• TeilnehmendeR: Kilcher, Andreas B., 1963-
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, 2010.
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Aries Book Series 11.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (476 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

The question of constructing tradition, concepts of origin, and memory as well as techniques and practices of knowledge transmission, are central for cultures in general. In esotericism, however, such questions and techniques play an outstanding role and are widely reflected upon, in its literature. Esoteric paradigms not only understand themselves in elaborated mytho-poetical narratives as bearers of “older”, “hidden”, “higher” knowledge. They also claim their knowledge to be of a particular origin. And they claim this knowledge has been transmitted by particular (esoteric) means, media and groups. Consequently, esotericism not only involves the construction of its own tradition; it can even be understood as a specific form of tradition and transmission. The various studies of the present voume, which contains the papers of a conference held in Tübingen in July 2007, provide an overview of the most important concepts and ways of constructing tradition in esotericism.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / A. Kilcher -- Das Verspätete Wissen. Zur Epigonalen Disposition der Esoterischen Tradition / Andreas B. Kilcher -- Note sur la Transmission des Traditions dans le Contexte des Courants Ésotériques Occidentaux Modernes / Antoine Faivre -- Gewachsene Traditionen. Zur Formierung hermetischer Überlieferungen im Mittelalter / Matthias Heiduk -- Die Überlieferung der Zukunft. Esoterische Traditionsbildung als Mantische Textfunktion / Philipp Theisohn -- Western Esotericism In Enlightenment Historiography: The Importance Of Jacob Brucker / Wouter J. Hanegraaff -- The Coming Of The Masters: The Evolutionary Reformulation Of Spiritual Intermediaries In Modern Theosophy / Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke -- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s Esoteric Tradition / Tim Rudbøg -- Tradition in Zwei Gestalten? Wissenschaftlicher Traditionsbegriff und Esoterische Traditionslinien in der Deutschen Geschichtsschreibung des 19. Jahrhunderts / Monika Neugebauer-Wölk -- The Sociology Of The Construct Of Tradition And Import Of Legitimacy In Freemasonry / Henrik Bogdan -- Secrecy As Social Capital / Kocku Von Stuckrad -- Revelation And The ‘Crisis Of Tradition’ In Kabbalah: 1475–1575 / Moshe Idel -- Giovanni Pico And The Ideal Of Concordia Discors: Disharmony As A Way To Esoteric Wisdom / Giulio Busi -- Spiritual Authority And The Transmission Of Knowledge In Christian Kabbalah: The Case Of Guillaume Postel (1510–81) / Jean-Pierre Brach -- The Kabbalah As Primordial Tradition In Russian Secret Societies / Konstantin Burmistrov -- Traditionskonkurrenzen. Eine Kreditgeschichte Offenbarter Ursprungsgeschichten / Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann -- Ägypten und der Ursprung der Esoterik. zur Geschichte und Genese eines Mythos / Jan Assmann -- Ex oriente lux. Zur Funktion Indiens in der Konstruktion der abendländischen esoterischen Tradition im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert / Christine Maillard -- Sufis As Mythic Bearers Of Esoteric Tradition / Mark Sedgwick -- Athanasius Kircher’s Construction Of The Hieroglyphic Tradition / Joscelyn Godwin -- Vom dämonischen Archetyp zur Konstruktion einer Urtradition. Die Kontroverse über das Geschlecht der Giganten an den Barocken Universitäten / Bernd Roling -- Index Of Persons / A. Kilcher.