Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Thoeosophy to the New AgeThis volume deals with the transformation of religious creativity in the late modern West. Its point of departure is a set of esoteric beliefs, from Theosophy to the New Age. It shows how these traditions have adapted to the cultural givens of each successive epoch. The claims of each movement have been buttressed by drawing on various structural characteristics of late modernity. The advance of science has resulted in attempts to claim scientific status for religious beliefs. Globalization has given rise to massive loans from other cultures, but also to various strategies to radically reinterpret foreign elements. Individualism has led to an increasing reliance on experience as a source of legitimacy. The analytical tools applied to understanding religious modernization shed light on changes that are fundamentally reshaping many religious traditions. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
SOME THEORETICAL PRELIMINARIES | 27 |
Three Discursive Strategies | 44 |
The Rise and Transformation of the New | 73 |
The Choice of Positions and Texts | 80 |
8888 | 118 |
Tibet | 130 |
Constructing a Tradition | 155 |
The Source of Wisdom | 379 |
The Nature of the Channeled Messages | 393 |
The Recipient of Wisdom | 401 |
Handling Contradiction | 412 |
The Explicit Epistemology of Rudolf Steiner | 419 |
Doityourself Channeling | 427 |
Experiencing What We Already Know | 434 |
Elements of the Self as Experience Cues | 440 |
The Perennial Philosophy | 170 |
Esoteric Exegesis of Myth | 176 |
Structurally Radical | 198 |
SCIENTISM AS A LANGUAGE OF FAITH | 201 |
Modes of Scientism | 236 |
NARRATIVES OF EXPERIENCE | 331 |
Experience | 343 |
Vicarious Experience | 351 |
Divination Narratives and the Construction | 360 |
REINCARNATION | 455 |
Reincarnation as a Modern Doctrine | 492 |
CODA | 495 |
List of Sources | 509 |
519 | |
535 | |
543 | |
Other editions - View all
Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age Olav Hammer Limited preview - 2003 |
Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age Olav Hammer Limited preview - 2003 |
Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age Olav Hammer Limited preview - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
Alice Bailey ancient anthroposophy archetypes astrology Atlantis attempts Aura-Soma basic belief Blavatsky Blavatsky's century chakras channeled chapter Chopra Christian claims concept constructed contemporary Course in Miracles cultic milieu culture discursive strategy discussion divine Edgar Cayce Egypt elements emic ence Enlightenment Esoteric positions Esoteric spokespersons esotericism etic evolution existence explain Hanegraaff healing Helena Blavatsky historiography human Indian individual interpretation ISBN 90 Jesus Jung Jungian karma knowledge Leadbeater legend literature mainstream Masters Mesmer messages metaphysical Miracles Modern Esoteric Tradition movement texts Myss mysticism myth narratives occult one's perennial philosophy philosophy post-theosophical present study prophetic published purported quantum metaphysics reader references Reiki reincarnation religion religious experience revealed rhetorical ritual role Rudolf Steiner scientific scientism scientistic Secret Doctrine sense skeptical specific spiritual Steiner Tao of Physics tarot teachings theory theosophical Theosophical Society tion Western wisdom worldview writers