If you're concerned about Crowley, sex, and magic, you might want to seek out Hugh Urban's recent book Magia Sexualis (U Cal Press, 2006), which deals with all three topics in a scholarly manner. Urban has also published other articles on similar topics that might provide references of interest.
Given the climate in your department, you might seek in an early chapter to discuss the ties of the EGC to the concept of apostolic succession, perhaps followed with a discussion of the usages of the term "Gnostic." Explaining how one gets from orthodox Catholic doctrine to werespiders ingesting kalas is probably the most intriguing question that you could potentially answer, and you can likely pull in some academic sources there.
I wish you the best of luck, and you might consider looking at some of the broader literature on magic in antiquity and medieval times. Sadly, seeking academic sources on magic in modern times often involves looking at vastly different times. I tend to think of the joke of the man looking for his car keys under a streetlamp because the light is better there. Still, it has its uses.
Sincerely,
Dan Harms
Instructional Services Librarian and Bibliographer
SUNY Cortland Memorial Library
(607) 753-4042
-----Original Message-----
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Robertson
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
Thanks again, everyone, this has moved from a piece I thought I migh
struggle with, to something I'm actively looking forward to.
"Academic"/"scholarly" is a concern. I'm working under the auspices of the
Divinity department of the Edinburgh University, which has a very good
Religious Studies department, but it's origins lie with the Church of
Scotland, and we're outnumbered 5 to 1 by Theologians and trainee Ministers.
My research has ruffled a few feathers already, so when I get into areas
like this involving Crowley (gasp!), sex (blush) and magic (shudder), I have
to make sure I include some respected academic sources to cover my back. In
the Religious Studies field in the UK, theologians study Christianity,
Religious Studies people study other religions, and religion as a broader
phenomenon is studied by sociologists. Things like the ESSWE are still
regarded with suspicion by a large number of scholars, something which is
slowly changing but needs to change faster. I would like to think that this
is an example of scholars of magic and scholars of religion being able to
cooperate, and produce work that informs both disciplines.
David
--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Melissa Harrington" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
> That's great David. I think the problem is again the word "academic", a
> good book on the EGC and GM was an issue of the Red Flame, a thelemic
> periodical, (each issue is usually dedicated to a subject,) produced in
> the mid 90's which was devoted to that subject, scholarly but not
> strictly academic.There may be more but I dropped off the OTO scene and
> radar in the late 90s. I think the OTO may recieve more interest in the
> future, but its new ground "academically". Now the ESSWE exists, with
> Wouter Hannegraaff et al in Amsterdam, and the likes of John Crow
> producing scholary study, also Jasper, Egil, Caroline and Dave who I
> think are on this list, but its all down to funding and unis running
> stuitable courses. I have noticed some senior OTO members on this and
> the Pagan Studies forum, but they don't say much, in an OTO or EGC
> environment you may hear a lot more from them as experinced practitioners
> with a lot of insight.
>
> Wishing you an interesting research process!
>
> regards
>
> Melissa.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Robertson" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
>
>
>> Thanks a lot, Mandrake and Melissa. I hope I can return the favour
>> sometime. I managed to get in touch with the UK arm of the EGC, who
>> invited me to the Gnostic Mass in York this weekend - I can forward the
>> details if anyone's interested. Still, I'm surprised how little academic
>> attention the OTO has received.
>>
>> Cheers, David
>>
>>
>> --
>> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
>> Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Melissa Harrington" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 9:20 PM
>> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
>>
>>
>>> lashtal.com is very good on Thelema, you could ask the same question
>>> there.
>>> Melissa.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "mandrake" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 9:09 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica
>>>
>>>
>>>> mandrake wrote:
>>>>
>>>> http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/church.htm
>>>>> mandrake wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> could be this:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/
>>>>>> D Robertson wrote:
>>>>>>> Can anyone here recommend solid academic writing on the Ecclesia
>>>>>>> Gnostica Catholica or the OTO more generally? I'm preparing a paper,
>>>>>>> but finding secondary sources thin on the ground. At the moment, I
>>>>>>> have Jo Pearson's "Wicca & the Christian Heritage", plus Crowley
>>>>>>> material.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cheers, David Robertson
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'd say one of the best on early history is:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Unknown God: W. T. Smith and the Thelemites (Hardcover)
>>>>>> by Martin P. Starr
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Or
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The History of British Magick After Crowley: Dave Evans: Hidden
>>>>>> Publishing: 2007
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Or extensive material by P R Koenig - on a website somewhere - OTO
>>>>>> Phenomenon etc -
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Also Naughty Nun / Black Flag has done various CDs with useful
>>>>>> sources difficult to obtain -
>>>>>> not too much analysis but the material is handy - ie Francis King's
>>>>>> OTO Sex Magick or whaever its called ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> BB/93
>>>>>>
>>>>>> mogg
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Mandrake.uk.net
>>>>>> Publishers
>>>>>> PO Box 250, Oxford, OX1 1AP
>>>>>> +44 1865 243671
>>>>>> homepages:
>>>>>> http://www.mandrake.uk.net
>>>>>> http://www.ombos.co.uk
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
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