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Margaret Gouin, PhD (Bristol)
Honorary Research Fellow
School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
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From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Noah Gardiner [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 24 April 2012 02:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Walking the Boundaries
I have my complaints about Hanegraaff and the mantle of 'Western esotericism' of which he's become the leading spokesperson, particularly with regard to questions like, 'Why is Christian Kabbalah Western-esoteric but Jewish Kabbalah isn't?', 'Why are medieval magical traditions (European and otherwise) excluded from the Western-esoteric?', etc. I have to say, however, that, as of about halfway through, I'm really impressed by his newest book, _Esotericism and the Academy_. In fact it's quite pertinent to the academic/practitioner kerfuffles that always erupt on this list, insofar as he's looking at the history of ways that 'respectable' modern Western knowledge has been constructed in contradistinction to 'esoteric' knowledge. Also pertinent to the most recent kerfuffle, I think it's a great example of modern academia's occasional ability to self-deconstruct in fruitful ways. I'm curious if anyone else has had a chance to look at it.
- Noah
Noah Gardiner
Doctoral candidate, Dept. of Near Eastern Studies
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
On 4/23/2012 7:56 PM, Sue/Shya wrote:
I am always interested in academic writing that walks the boundaries between the academic and practitioner worlds, at the same time playing by the rules of both. Susan Greenwood's book The Anthropology of Magic has been mentioned. To this I would add Sabina Magliocco's Witching Culture, and Emma Wilby's The Visions of Isobel Gowdie. I found the latter a brilliant combination of scholarship and speculation based on sound academic scholarship, always acknowledging when speculation oversteps the bounds of evidence - but using it to drive the question of "why of the witch trials" - a breath of fresh air in a very well researched topic.
I have not read Singing to the Plants, and have just added it to my "to read' list. Sounds fascinating.
I am always puzzled by the bad press Wouter Hanegraaff' receives for his insistence on playing by the rules of the scholarly game. I don't think he is at all closed to different approaches, only approaches that are not founded in some type of scholarly rigour. Isn't that academia's contribution to knowledge?
I would reference in particular "Altered States of Knowledge: The Attainment of Gnosis in the Hermetica" published in the International Journal of the Platonic Tradition, 2008 Vol 2, pp 126-163
Shya Young
MA in Religious Studies and lecturer at the University of Alberta ;)
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"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."
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