Возможен ли конфессиональный подход в исследовании западного эзотеризма?

Aliter. 2012. № 2. С. 3–15.

Nosachev P.

 

The article attempts to validate the possibility of a confessional approach to  the study of Western Esotericism. The article begins with an examination of the  work of W. Hanegraaff, which describes the genesis of the idea of esotericism in  the «polemical discourse» that formed with the birth of Christianity. Next, two  confessional approaches are tentatively identified as «the modernist theory» and  «the theory of the Tree of Knowledge». «The modernist theory» sees  the entirety of Western Esotericism as incompatible with scientific data and the philosophy of rationalism, as a hopeless path leading the human being away into the  darkness of ignorance and irrationality. «The theory of the Tree of Knowledge»  conversely views esotericism an alternative to the Christian way of life, the serpent‟s gift in order to lead humanity from God (Genesis 3:5). Esotericism can be  summed up as the idea of being God without God. Neither approach meets the  current level of academic research in the field of Western Esotericism. The author thus proposes a possible third approach – a theory of congeniality, the consonance of worldviews of the confessional researcher and the adept of Western Esotericism who is being studied. The congeniality of confessional researchers  would allow a fresh view on existing issues, finding hitherto unnoticed aspects,  which is always fruitful for the development of any academic study.

Keywords: западный эзотеризм

Publication based on the results of: Западный опыт исследования "маргинальной" религиозности: история, проблемы, перспективы (2013)