An Approach to Medieval & Renaissance Esotericism.

Chthonios Books focuses on scholarly research in western esoteric traditions. You might want to go directly to our Homepage, where you can find out about the best books in this and other fields, as well as read some online research and translations. Or browse awhile below.…

This page gives some background material and explains Chthonios’ approach to Medieval & Renaissance Esotericism. Other pages look at Ancient Philosophy and Neoplatonism I Ancient Religion and Paganism I Theurgy I Early Christianity and Gnosticism I Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism I Hermetica and Alchemy I Magic I Esoteric Traditions.

Esotericism

Esotericism is often thought of as a ‘third force’ in western thought, in contrast to biblical faith and Greek philosophy (particularly that of Aristotle). Traditions in thought and religion can be defined as ‘esoteric’ in three ways :
I) In a general way they can be defined as special teachings or experiences reserved for an inner circle of initiates.
II) Another important perspective sees esoteric traditions as undercurrents in western thought and religion. Historically, the most important early streams here are the teachings of Pythagoras and Plato and their followers. Once dominant in Greco-Roman thought, they were pushed to the margins by the rise of Christian orthodoxy.
III) A third way of seeing western esotericism looks at the heterodox, unorthodox and heretical streams which flourished beneath the domination of Christian orthodoxy and normative Judaism.

Esotericism in the Medieval & Renaissance periods

This page is under construction....come back in a couple of weeks for an informative essay on Medieval & Renaissance Esotericism.

For more on ancient Neoplatonism, see now our online translations and commentaries on ancient texts.

Key concepts and people

Below is a list of some important terms and people (with variant forms) from Medieval & Renaissance Esotericism which Chthonios specialises in. See also in particular Early Christianity and Gnosticism I Ancient Religion and Paganism I Hermetica and Alchemy , as well as our other pages.

Medieval & Renaissance Esotericism — Druids, Templars, Freemasonry, Holy Grail, Cabala, anima mundi, soul of the world, harmonia mundi, prisca theologia, ancient theology, philosophia perennis, perennial philosophy, negative theology, via negativa, magus, magi, grimoires, Picatrix, occult, occultism, occult philosophy, De occulta philosophia, doctrine of sympathy, sympathetic magic, doctrine of signatures, correspondences, magia naturalis, natural magic, harmony of the spheres, Inquisition, Christian Kabbalah, Christian Mysticism, Dionysius the Areopagite, Macrobius, Albertus Magnus, Martianus Capella, Eriugena, Rosicrucians, Rosicrucianism, Christian Rosencreutz, Robert Fludd, J.V. Andreae, Michael Maier, Jacob Boehme, Pletho, Plethon, Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Cornelius Agrippa, Giordano Bruno, Knorr von Rosenroth, John Dee, Edward Kelley, Enochian, Cambridge Platonists.