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Henrik Bogdan

University of Gothenburg, Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, Faculty Member

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Henrik Bogdan, Professor in Religious Studies at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, University of Gothenburg. His main areas of research are Western esotericism, New Religious Movements, and Freemasonry. He is the Secretary of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE), editor of Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism (Oxford University Press), and co-editor of Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities (Palgrave Macmillan)

Book Series Editor: Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism, published by Oxford University Press

Book Series Co-Editor, with James R. Lewis: Palgrave Studies in New and Alternative Spiritualities, published by Palgrave Macmillan

Associate Editor: The Pomegranate, The International Journal of Pagan Studies

Book Review Editor: Aries, Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism

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Books by Henrik Bogdan

Kenneth Grant: A Bibliography. London: Starfire Publishing, 2015. Second Revised Edition.

Kenneth Grant’s published work was substantial, reaching across six decades. The first edition of... more Kenneth Grant’s published work was substantial, reaching across six decades. The first edition of Henrik Bogdan’s Bibliography was published in 2003 by Academia Esoterica Press, Sweden. More original work by Kenneth Grant has been published since then, as well as further editions and translations of the Typhonian Trilogies. Now detailing all known publications up until the end of 2014, the present Bibliography has been restructured, revised and expanded for this second edition, and full bibliographical details have been supplied for all the major works. Included are details of not only the books – many translated into a number of languages – but also the essays and articles written for collections such as Man, Myth & Magic and Cult and Occult, as well as ephemera such as the informative, attractive and highly-collectible flyers issued when many of these books were first published.

The Bibliography is lavishly illustrated. A first section of colour plates consists essentially of plates selected from Kenneth Grant’s work over the decades; also included are some previously-unseen items. A second section of colour plates reproduces the front covers of some of these scarcer published works, as well as a selection of the flyers for the books issued at the time of publication.

With a substantial Introduction by Henrik Bogdan surveying the development of Grant’s published work, a Preface by Steffi Grant and a Foreword by Martin P. Starr, this book is sure to become the standard volume of reference for details of Grant’s work

Sexuality and New Religious Movements. Edited by Henrik Bogdan and James R. Lewis. New York, Palgrave MacMillan, 2014. "Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities. vi, 240 pp.

This anthology brings together leading scholars in the field of New Religious Movements to critic... more

Western Esotericism in Scandinavia. Edited by Henrik Bogdan and Olav Hammer. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2016. "Brill Esotericism Reference Library". xviii, 698 pp.

This is the first encyclopaedic work on Western esotericism in Scandinavia. Structured along the ... more This is the first encyclopaedic work on Western esotericism in Scandinavia. Structured along the lines of the Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericsm (2005), it contains over 80 articles written by 47 specialists. It consists of critical overviews of all the major esoteric currents in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, ranging from Alchemy, Anthroposophy, and Astrology, to Theosophy, Traditionalism, and UFO Movements. This ground-breaking work is of relevance not only for scholars and students of Western esotericism, but for all with an interest in alternative religious traditions and Scandinavian intellectual history.

Contributors are: Søren Bak-Jensen, Kristian Bjørkelo, Henrik Bogdan, Robert Carleson, Jenny-Ann Brodin Danell, Gina Dahl, Asbjørn Dyrendal, Carl-Michael Edenborg, Morten Fink-Jensen, Liselotte Frisk, Susanne Gieser, Ingvild Gilhus, Kennet Granholm, Fredrik Gregorius, Olav Hammer, Jan-Erik Ebbestad Hansen, Jan Bertil Heilund, Titus Hjelm, Nils G. Holm, Thomas Karlsson, Siv-Ellen Kraft, Jesper Kragh, Håkan Lejon, Kjell Lekeby, Fabian Linde, Kjersti Løken, Tomas Mansikka, Tonje Mehren, Kirstine Munk, Jaakko Närvä, René Dybdal Pedersen, Benjamin Weber Pedersen, Jonathan Peste, Einar Petander, Jesper Aagaard Petersen, Mikael Rothstein, Jacob Senholt, Jole Shackelford, Tom Sjöblom, Jussi Sohlberg, Sara Thejls, Søren Feldtfos Thomsen, Geir Uldal, Jane Williams-Hogan, Geir Winje, Susanna Åkerman, and Andreas Önnerfors.

Handbook of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry is the largest, oldest, and most influential secret society in the world. The Brill H... more Freemasonry is the largest, oldest, and most influential secret society in the world. The Brill Handbook of Freemasonry is a pioneering work that brings together, for the first time, leading scholars on Freemasonry. The first section covers historical perspectives, such as the origins and early history of Freemasonry. The second deals with the relationship between Freemasonry and specific religious traditions such as the Catholic Church, Judaism, and Islam. In the third section, organisational themes, such as the use of rituals, are explored, while the fourth section deals with issues related to society and politics - women, blacks, colonialism, nationalism, and war. The fifth and final section is devoted to Freemasonry and culture, including music, literature, modern art, architecture and material culture.

Occultism in a Global Perspective

DESCRIPTION: The study of the ideas and practices associated with occultism is a rapidly growing... more DESCRIPTION:
The study of the ideas and practices associated with occultism is a rapidly growing branch of contemporary scholarship. However, most research has focused on English and French speaking areas and has not addressed the wider spread and significance of occultism. Occultism in a Global Perspective presents a broad international overview. Essays range across the German magical order of the Fraternitas Saturni, esoteric Satanism in Denmark, sexual magic in Colombia and the reception of occultism in modern Turkey, India and the former Yugoslavia. As any other form of cultural practice, the occult is not isolated from its social, discursive, religious, and political environment. By studying occultism in its global context, the book offers insights into the reciprocal relationships that colour and shape regional occultism.

CONTENTS:
1. Introduction: Occultism in a Global Perspective, Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic
2. Locating the West: Problematizing the Western in Western Esotericism and Occultism, Kennet Granholm
3. The Magical Order of the Fraternitas Saturni, Hans Thomas Hakl
4. ‘In communication with the powers of darkness’: Satanism in turn-of-the-century Denmark, and its use as a legitimating device in present-day esotericism, Per Faxneld
5. Hidden Wisdom in the Ill-Ordered House: A Short Survey of Occultism in Former Yugoslavia, Gordan Djurdjevic
6. Occultism and Christianity in Twentieth Century Italy: Tommaso Palamidessi’s Christian Magic, Francesco Baroni
7. Savitri Devi, Miguel Serrano, and the Global Phenomenon of Esoteric Hitlerism, Arthur Versluis
8. Sexual Magic and Gnosis in Colombia: Tracing the Influence of G.I. Gurdjieff on Samael Aun Weor, PiereLuigi Zoccatelli
9. Occultism in an Islamic Context: The Case of Modern Turkey From the Nineteenth Century to the Present Time, Thierry Zarconne
10. Reception of Occultism in India: The Case of the Holy Order of Krishna, Henrik Bogdan
11. Transnational Necromancy: W. B. Yeats, Izumi Kyôka, and neo-nô as Occultic Stagecraft, Emily Somers
12. An Australian Original: Rosaleen Norton and her Magical Cosmology, Nevill Drury

Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism

Description This volume is the first comprehensive examination of one of the twentieth century's ... more Description
This volume is the first comprehensive examination of one of the twentieth century's most distinctive iconoclasts. Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was a study in contradictions. Born into a fundamentalist Christian family and educated at Cambridge, he was vilified as a traitor, drug addict, and debaucher, yet revered as perhaps the most influential thinker in contemporary esotericism. Moving beyond the influence of contemporary psychology and the modernist understanding of the occult, Crowley declared himself the revelator of a new age of individualism. Crowley's occult bricolage, Magick, was an eclectic combination of spiritual exercises drawn from Western European magical ceremonies and Indic sources for meditation and yoga. This journey of self-liberation culminated in harnessing sexual power as a magical discipline, a "sacrilization of the self" as practiced in Crowley's mixed masonic group, the Ordo Templi Orientis. The religion Crowley created, Thelema, legitimated his role as a charismatic revelator and herald of a new age of freedom. Aleister Crowley's lasting influence can be seen in the counter-culture movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s and in many forms of alternative spirituality and popular culture. The essays in this volume offer crucial insight into Crowley's foundational role in the study of Western esotericism, new religious movements, and sexuality.

Table of Contents
Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables

Foreword - Wouter J. Hanegraaff
1. Introduction - Henrik Bogdan and Martin P. Starr
2. The Sorcerer and His Apprentice: Aleister Crowley and the Magical Exploration of Edwardian Subjectivity - Alex Owen
3. Varieties of Magical Experience: Aleister Crowley's Views on Occult Practice - Marco Pasi
4. Envisioning the Birth of a New Aeon: Dispensationalism and Millenarianism in the Thelemic Tradition - Henrik Bogdan
5. The Great Beast as a Tantric hero: The Role of Yoga and Tantra in Aleister Crowley's Magick - Gordan Djurdjevic
6. Continuing Knowledge from Generation unto Generation: The Social and Literary Background of Aleister Crowley's Magick - Richard Kaczynski
7. Aleister Crowley and the Yezidis - Tobias Churton
8. The Frenzied Beast: The Phaedran Furores in the Rites and Writings of Aleister Crowley - Matthew D. Rogers
9. Aleister Crowley: Freemason! - Martin P. Starr
10. ''The One Thought that was not Untrue'': Aleister Crowley and A. E. Waite - Robert R. Gilbert
11. The Beast and the Prophet: Aleister Crowley's Fascination with Joseph Smith - Massimo Introvigne
12. Crowley and Wicca - Ronald Hutton
13. Through the Witch's Looking Glass: The Magick of Aleister Crowley and the Witchcraft of Rosaleen Norton - Keith Richmond
14. The Occult Roots of Scientology? L. Ron Hubbard, Aleister Crowley and the Origins of the World's Most Controversial New Religion - Hugh Urban
15. Satan and the Beast. The Influence of Aleister Crowley on Modern Satanism - Asbjørn Dyrendal

Index

Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley: A Correspondence.

In September 1944, a fifty-one year old Londoner named David Curwen wrote to Aleister Crowley, in... more In September 1944, a fifty-one year old Londoner named David Curwen wrote to Aleister Crowley, initiating a correspondence that would last several years. While Curwen approached Crowley with deference, the relationship that evolved between them was a complex one that defied the accepted parameters of the student-teacher nexus. For David Curwen was no newcomer to the study of the occult, and Crowley soon discovered that the flow of knowledge would not be simply one way. In particular Crowley was tantalized by the deep understanding of the principals of tantra that Curwen had acquired during the course of many years study under a mysterious guru. At Crowley's urging Curwen joined the O.T.O., but he remained skeptical of many of "the Beast's" claims, and the two ultimately parted company on strained terms. However, Curwen retained his interest in the occult, and in later life he devoted himself to the study of alchemy, publishing the results of his researches pseudonymously in the book In Pursuit of Gold, a work that many believe to be the most significant study ever published of practical alchemy. In addition to reproducing all of the surviving correspondence between the pair, Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley includes an important biographical Foreword by David Curwen’s grandson, Tony Matthews. The letters themselves have been edited and annotated by the scholar of Crowley and Western esotericism, Henrik Bogdan, who has also contributed an illuminating Introduction that gives context to the relationship between Crowley and Curwen, as well as exploring the history of their interest in sexual occultism and tantra, and the influence that they had in Kenneth Grant.

Ésotérisme Occidental et Rituels d'Initiation

Un volume broché cm 17x24 de 280 pages, illustrations. ISBN 978-88-7252-293-6 En sept chapitres H... more Un volume broché cm 17x24 de 280 pages, illustrations. ISBN 978-88-7252-293-6 En sept chapitres Henrik Bogdan examine les origines et la transmission de l'ésotérisme occidental depuis le Moyen Âge jusqu'au New Age, et ses rapports avec les divers rituels d'initiation (dont il analyse le contenu sémantique et la signification sociale et collective), en particulier ceux pratiqués dans les loges maçonniques. L'auteur se penche donc sur les rituels du XVIIIe siècle et passe ensuite à l'arrière-plan historique de l'ésotérisme. Évoquant les auteurs et les sources anciens, il permet de voir la complexité de la question, sa progression et son influence dans le monde intellectuel. Avec la Franc-Maçonnerie, on retrouve la notion de .philosophie pérenne. et les divers types d'ésotérisme, tant dans les grades bleus que dans les grades ultérieurs ou hauts grades chevaleresques et templiers, et dans des formations voisines et/ou parallèles : influences de l'alchimie, de la cabbale, etc. Les deux derniers chapitres sont consacrés à deux organisations plus récentes : l'une est l'Ordre Hermétique de l'Aube Dorée [Golden Dawn], fondée en 1888, liée à la compréhension de la Cabbale, que l'auteur analyse dans le détail. L'autre, plus surprenante, est la Sorcellerie païenne moderne ou Wicca, du milieu du XXe siècle, née en Angleterre, qui s'est répandue aux États-Unis, liée au nom d'Aleister Crowley. La connaissance tant des sources multiples que des rituels anciens et contemporains, fait de cette étude une précieuse source de renseignements et fournit une contribution majeure à l'Histoire des Idées.

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

Historical exploration of masonic rituals of initiation. For more than three hundred years the pr... more Historical exploration of masonic rituals of initiation. For more than three hundred years the practice of Masonic rituals of initiation has been part of Western culture, spreading far beyond the boundaries of traditional Freemasonry. Henrik Bogdan explores the historical development of these rituals and their relationship with Western esotericism. Beginning with the Craft degrees of Freemasonry—the blueprints, as it were, of all later Masonic rituals of initiation—Bogdan examines the development of the Masonic High Degrees, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—the most influential of all nineteenth-century occultist initiatory societies—and Gerald Gardner’s Witchcraft movement of the 1950s, one of the first large-scale Western esoteric New Religions Movements.

From Darkness to Light. Western Esoteric Rituals of Initiation

Kenneth Grant: A Bibliography – from 1948

Alströmersymposiet 2003: Föredragsdokumentation

Table of Contents Rune Axelsson: "Förord" Tom C. Bergroth: "Svenska Frimurare Ordens Arkiv och ... more Table of Contents
Rune Axelsson: "Förord"
Tom C. Bergroth: "Svenska Frimurare Ordens Arkiv och Bibliotek"
Henrik Bogdan: "Att forska om det hemliga: problem eller möjligheter?"
R. A. Gilbert: "The History of Quatuor Coronati Lodge and the Rise of the "Authentic" School of Masonic Research" J.A.M. Snoek: "Printing Masonic Secrets - Oral and Written Transmission of the Masonic Tradition"
Martin P. Starr: "Halls of Learning - American Masonic Research in Review"
Andreas Önnerfors: "Behovet av akademisk forskning om det svenska frimureriet"

Religionsvetenskap i Göteborg 25 år

Papers by Henrik Bogdan

Kabbalistic Influence on the Early Development of the Master Mason Degree of Freemasonry

Freemasonry and Religion: Many Faiths-One …, 2006

SwePub titelinformation: Kabbalistic Influence on the Early Development of the Master Mason Degre... more

Branding the Beast: Aleister Crowley as an Advertiser of the Occult

Religion and the Arts, 2024

This article discusses the British occultist Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) as an advertiser of the... more This article discusses the British occultist Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) as an advertiser of the occult. Relying on theories of advertising and branding, it is argued that Crowley's main branding strategy was the use of irony and humor in order to distance himself from other actors on the occult market. Furthermore, it is argued that this can be understood as a strategy of legitimization rooted in class consciousness, and more specifically in the elite intellectualism of turn-of-the-century Oxbridge. Crowley's brand identity as the Great Beast 666, the Prophet of a New Age or Aeon, is analyzed with a special focus on his branding strategies in advertising, divided into (1) advertisements in books, (2) prospectuses, (3) marketing campaigns, and (4) the marketing of Crowley as a spiritual teacher.

Introduction. Esotericism and Literature

What is the relationship between Western esotericism and literature? This seemingly straightforwa... more What is the relationship between Western esotericism and literature? This seemingly straightforward question formed the basis for a workshop held on May 4-5, 2017 at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, University of Gothenburg. Organised by Henrik Bogdan and Dag Hedman, the participants included Karolina Enqvist Kallgren (University of Gothenburg), Per Faxneld (Mid Sweden University), Christine Ferguson (University of Stirling), Christian Giudice (University of Gothenburg), Manon Hedenborg White (Uppsala University), Henrik Johnsson (Aarhus University), Sten Wistrand (Orebro University), and Andreas Onnerfors (University of Gothenburg). The question was approached from the perspectives of literature studies, history of religions, and history of ideas, and the examples discussed ranged from occultist authors such as Stanislaw Przybyszewski, Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Jack Parsons, Kenneth Grant, traditionalist authors such as Rene Guenon and 20th-centur...

Occultism in a Global Perspective

1. Introduction: Occultism in a Global Perspective, Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic 2. Locati... more 1. Introduction: Occultism in a Global Perspective, Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic 2. Locating the West: Problematizing the Western in Western Esotericism and Occultism, Kennet Granholm 3. The Magical Order of the Fraternitas Saturni, Hans Thomas Hakl 4. 'In communication with the powers of darkness': Satanism in turn-of-the-century Denmark, and its use as a legitimating device in present-day esotericism, Per Faxneld 5. Hidden Wisdom in the Ill-Ordered House: A Short Survey of Occultism in Former Yugoslavia, Gordan Djurdjevic 6. Occultism and Christianity in Twentieth Century Italy: Tommaso Palamidessi's Christian Magic, Francesco Baroni 7. Savitri Devi, Miguel Serrano, and the Global Phenomenon of Esoteric Hitlerism, Arthur Versluis 8. Sexual Magic and Gnosis in Colombia: Tracing the Influence of G.I. Gurdjieff on Samael Aun Weor, PiereLuigi Zoccatelli 9. Occultism in an Islamic Context: The Case of Modern Turkey From the Nineteenth Century to the Present Time, Thierry Zarconne 10. Reception of Occultism in India: The Case of the Holy Order of Krishna, Henrik Bogdan 11. Transnational Necromancy: W. B. Yeats, Izumi Kyoka, and neo-no as Occultic Stagecraft, Emily Somers 12. An Australian Original: Rosaleen Norton and her Magical Cosmology, Nevill Drury

Kenneth Grant and the Typhonian Tradition

Challenging the Morals of Western Society: The Use of Ritualized Sex in Contemporary Occultism

The Pomegranate, 2006

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

Aries, 2010

Kenneth Grant: A Bibliography. London: Starfire Publishing, 2015. Second Revised Edition.

Kenneth Grant’s published work was substantial, reaching across six decades. The first edition of... more Kenneth Grant’s published work was substantial, reaching across six decades. The first edition of Henrik Bogdan’s Bibliography was published in 2003 by Academia Esoterica Press, Sweden. More original work by Kenneth Grant has been published since then, as well as further editions and translations of the Typhonian Trilogies. Now detailing all known publications up until the end of 2014, the present Bibliography has been restructured, revised and expanded for this second edition, and full bibliographical details have been supplied for all the major works. Included are details of not only the books – many translated into a number of languages – but also the essays and articles written for collections such as Man, Myth & Magic and Cult and Occult, as well as ephemera such as the informative, attractive and highly-collectible flyers issued when many of these books were first published.

The Bibliography is lavishly illustrated. A first section of colour plates consists essentially of plates selected from Kenneth Grant’s work over the decades; also included are some previously-unseen items. A second section of colour plates reproduces the front covers of some of these scarcer published works, as well as a selection of the flyers for the books issued at the time of publication.

With a substantial Introduction by Henrik Bogdan surveying the development of Grant’s published work, a Preface by Steffi Grant and a Foreword by Martin P. Starr, this book is sure to become the standard volume of reference for details of Grant’s work

Sexuality and New Religious Movements. Edited by Henrik Bogdan and James R. Lewis. New York, Palgrave MacMillan, 2014. "Palgrave Studies in New Religions and Alternative Spiritualities. vi, 240 pp.

This anthology brings together leading scholars in the field of New Religious Movements to critic... more

Western Esotericism in Scandinavia. Edited by Henrik Bogdan and Olav Hammer. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2016. "Brill Esotericism Reference Library". xviii, 698 pp.

This is the first encyclopaedic work on Western esotericism in Scandinavia. Structured along the ... more This is the first encyclopaedic work on Western esotericism in Scandinavia. Structured along the lines of the Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericsm (2005), it contains over 80 articles written by 47 specialists. It consists of critical overviews of all the major esoteric currents in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, ranging from Alchemy, Anthroposophy, and Astrology, to Theosophy, Traditionalism, and UFO Movements. This ground-breaking work is of relevance not only for scholars and students of Western esotericism, but for all with an interest in alternative religious traditions and Scandinavian intellectual history.

Contributors are: Søren Bak-Jensen, Kristian Bjørkelo, Henrik Bogdan, Robert Carleson, Jenny-Ann Brodin Danell, Gina Dahl, Asbjørn Dyrendal, Carl-Michael Edenborg, Morten Fink-Jensen, Liselotte Frisk, Susanne Gieser, Ingvild Gilhus, Kennet Granholm, Fredrik Gregorius, Olav Hammer, Jan-Erik Ebbestad Hansen, Jan Bertil Heilund, Titus Hjelm, Nils G. Holm, Thomas Karlsson, Siv-Ellen Kraft, Jesper Kragh, Håkan Lejon, Kjell Lekeby, Fabian Linde, Kjersti Løken, Tomas Mansikka, Tonje Mehren, Kirstine Munk, Jaakko Närvä, René Dybdal Pedersen, Benjamin Weber Pedersen, Jonathan Peste, Einar Petander, Jesper Aagaard Petersen, Mikael Rothstein, Jacob Senholt, Jole Shackelford, Tom Sjöblom, Jussi Sohlberg, Sara Thejls, Søren Feldtfos Thomsen, Geir Uldal, Jane Williams-Hogan, Geir Winje, Susanna Åkerman, and Andreas Önnerfors.

Handbook of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry is the largest, oldest, and most influential secret society in the world. The Brill H... more Freemasonry is the largest, oldest, and most influential secret society in the world. The Brill Handbook of Freemasonry is a pioneering work that brings together, for the first time, leading scholars on Freemasonry. The first section covers historical perspectives, such as the origins and early history of Freemasonry. The second deals with the relationship between Freemasonry and specific religious traditions such as the Catholic Church, Judaism, and Islam. In the third section, organisational themes, such as the use of rituals, are explored, while the fourth section deals with issues related to society and politics - women, blacks, colonialism, nationalism, and war. The fifth and final section is devoted to Freemasonry and culture, including music, literature, modern art, architecture and material culture.

Occultism in a Global Perspective

DESCRIPTION: The study of the ideas and practices associated with occultism is a rapidly growing... more DESCRIPTION:
The study of the ideas and practices associated with occultism is a rapidly growing branch of contemporary scholarship. However, most research has focused on English and French speaking areas and has not addressed the wider spread and significance of occultism. Occultism in a Global Perspective presents a broad international overview. Essays range across the German magical order of the Fraternitas Saturni, esoteric Satanism in Denmark, sexual magic in Colombia and the reception of occultism in modern Turkey, India and the former Yugoslavia. As any other form of cultural practice, the occult is not isolated from its social, discursive, religious, and political environment. By studying occultism in its global context, the book offers insights into the reciprocal relationships that colour and shape regional occultism.

CONTENTS:
1. Introduction: Occultism in a Global Perspective, Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic
2. Locating the West: Problematizing the Western in Western Esotericism and Occultism, Kennet Granholm
3. The Magical Order of the Fraternitas Saturni, Hans Thomas Hakl
4. ‘In communication with the powers of darkness’: Satanism in turn-of-the-century Denmark, and its use as a legitimating device in present-day esotericism, Per Faxneld
5. Hidden Wisdom in the Ill-Ordered House: A Short Survey of Occultism in Former Yugoslavia, Gordan Djurdjevic
6. Occultism and Christianity in Twentieth Century Italy: Tommaso Palamidessi’s Christian Magic, Francesco Baroni
7. Savitri Devi, Miguel Serrano, and the Global Phenomenon of Esoteric Hitlerism, Arthur Versluis
8. Sexual Magic and Gnosis in Colombia: Tracing the Influence of G.I. Gurdjieff on Samael Aun Weor, PiereLuigi Zoccatelli
9. Occultism in an Islamic Context: The Case of Modern Turkey From the Nineteenth Century to the Present Time, Thierry Zarconne
10. Reception of Occultism in India: The Case of the Holy Order of Krishna, Henrik Bogdan
11. Transnational Necromancy: W. B. Yeats, Izumi Kyôka, and neo-nô as Occultic Stagecraft, Emily Somers
12. An Australian Original: Rosaleen Norton and her Magical Cosmology, Nevill Drury

Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism

Description This volume is the first comprehensive examination of one of the twentieth century's ... more Description
This volume is the first comprehensive examination of one of the twentieth century's most distinctive iconoclasts. Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was a study in contradictions. Born into a fundamentalist Christian family and educated at Cambridge, he was vilified as a traitor, drug addict, and debaucher, yet revered as perhaps the most influential thinker in contemporary esotericism. Moving beyond the influence of contemporary psychology and the modernist understanding of the occult, Crowley declared himself the revelator of a new age of individualism. Crowley's occult bricolage, Magick, was an eclectic combination of spiritual exercises drawn from Western European magical ceremonies and Indic sources for meditation and yoga. This journey of self-liberation culminated in harnessing sexual power as a magical discipline, a "sacrilization of the self" as practiced in Crowley's mixed masonic group, the Ordo Templi Orientis. The religion Crowley created, Thelema, legitimated his role as a charismatic revelator and herald of a new age of freedom. Aleister Crowley's lasting influence can be seen in the counter-culture movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s and in many forms of alternative spirituality and popular culture. The essays in this volume offer crucial insight into Crowley's foundational role in the study of Western esotericism, new religious movements, and sexuality.

Table of Contents
Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables

Foreword - Wouter J. Hanegraaff
1. Introduction - Henrik Bogdan and Martin P. Starr
2. The Sorcerer and His Apprentice: Aleister Crowley and the Magical Exploration of Edwardian Subjectivity - Alex Owen
3. Varieties of Magical Experience: Aleister Crowley's Views on Occult Practice - Marco Pasi
4. Envisioning the Birth of a New Aeon: Dispensationalism and Millenarianism in the Thelemic Tradition - Henrik Bogdan
5. The Great Beast as a Tantric hero: The Role of Yoga and Tantra in Aleister Crowley's Magick - Gordan Djurdjevic
6. Continuing Knowledge from Generation unto Generation: The Social and Literary Background of Aleister Crowley's Magick - Richard Kaczynski
7. Aleister Crowley and the Yezidis - Tobias Churton
8. The Frenzied Beast: The Phaedran Furores in the Rites and Writings of Aleister Crowley - Matthew D. Rogers
9. Aleister Crowley: Freemason! - Martin P. Starr
10. ''The One Thought that was not Untrue'': Aleister Crowley and A. E. Waite - Robert R. Gilbert
11. The Beast and the Prophet: Aleister Crowley's Fascination with Joseph Smith - Massimo Introvigne
12. Crowley and Wicca - Ronald Hutton
13. Through the Witch's Looking Glass: The Magick of Aleister Crowley and the Witchcraft of Rosaleen Norton - Keith Richmond
14. The Occult Roots of Scientology? L. Ron Hubbard, Aleister Crowley and the Origins of the World's Most Controversial New Religion - Hugh Urban
15. Satan and the Beast. The Influence of Aleister Crowley on Modern Satanism - Asbjørn Dyrendal

Index

Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley: A Correspondence.

In September 1944, a fifty-one year old Londoner named David Curwen wrote to Aleister Crowley, in... more In September 1944, a fifty-one year old Londoner named David Curwen wrote to Aleister Crowley, initiating a correspondence that would last several years. While Curwen approached Crowley with deference, the relationship that evolved between them was a complex one that defied the accepted parameters of the student-teacher nexus. For David Curwen was no newcomer to the study of the occult, and Crowley soon discovered that the flow of knowledge would not be simply one way. In particular Crowley was tantalized by the deep understanding of the principals of tantra that Curwen had acquired during the course of many years study under a mysterious guru. At Crowley's urging Curwen joined the O.T.O., but he remained skeptical of many of "the Beast's" claims, and the two ultimately parted company on strained terms. However, Curwen retained his interest in the occult, and in later life he devoted himself to the study of alchemy, publishing the results of his researches pseudonymously in the book In Pursuit of Gold, a work that many believe to be the most significant study ever published of practical alchemy. In addition to reproducing all of the surviving correspondence between the pair, Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley includes an important biographical Foreword by David Curwen’s grandson, Tony Matthews. The letters themselves have been edited and annotated by the scholar of Crowley and Western esotericism, Henrik Bogdan, who has also contributed an illuminating Introduction that gives context to the relationship between Crowley and Curwen, as well as exploring the history of their interest in sexual occultism and tantra, and the influence that they had in Kenneth Grant.

Ésotérisme Occidental et Rituels d'Initiation

Un volume broché cm 17x24 de 280 pages, illustrations. ISBN 978-88-7252-293-6 En sept chapitres H... more Un volume broché cm 17x24 de 280 pages, illustrations. ISBN 978-88-7252-293-6 En sept chapitres Henrik Bogdan examine les origines et la transmission de l'ésotérisme occidental depuis le Moyen Âge jusqu'au New Age, et ses rapports avec les divers rituels d'initiation (dont il analyse le contenu sémantique et la signification sociale et collective), en particulier ceux pratiqués dans les loges maçonniques. L'auteur se penche donc sur les rituels du XVIIIe siècle et passe ensuite à l'arrière-plan historique de l'ésotérisme. Évoquant les auteurs et les sources anciens, il permet de voir la complexité de la question, sa progression et son influence dans le monde intellectuel. Avec la Franc-Maçonnerie, on retrouve la notion de .philosophie pérenne. et les divers types d'ésotérisme, tant dans les grades bleus que dans les grades ultérieurs ou hauts grades chevaleresques et templiers, et dans des formations voisines et/ou parallèles : influences de l'alchimie, de la cabbale, etc. Les deux derniers chapitres sont consacrés à deux organisations plus récentes : l'une est l'Ordre Hermétique de l'Aube Dorée [Golden Dawn], fondée en 1888, liée à la compréhension de la Cabbale, que l'auteur analyse dans le détail. L'autre, plus surprenante, est la Sorcellerie païenne moderne ou Wicca, du milieu du XXe siècle, née en Angleterre, qui s'est répandue aux États-Unis, liée au nom d'Aleister Crowley. La connaissance tant des sources multiples que des rituels anciens et contemporains, fait de cette étude une précieuse source de renseignements et fournit une contribution majeure à l'Histoire des Idées.

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

Historical exploration of masonic rituals of initiation. For more than three hundred years the pr... more Historical exploration of masonic rituals of initiation. For more than three hundred years the practice of Masonic rituals of initiation has been part of Western culture, spreading far beyond the boundaries of traditional Freemasonry. Henrik Bogdan explores the historical development of these rituals and their relationship with Western esotericism. Beginning with the Craft degrees of Freemasonry—the blueprints, as it were, of all later Masonic rituals of initiation—Bogdan examines the development of the Masonic High Degrees, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—the most influential of all nineteenth-century occultist initiatory societies—and Gerald Gardner’s Witchcraft movement of the 1950s, one of the first large-scale Western esoteric New Religions Movements.

From Darkness to Light. Western Esoteric Rituals of Initiation

Kenneth Grant: A Bibliography – from 1948

Alströmersymposiet 2003: Föredragsdokumentation

Table of Contents Rune Axelsson: "Förord" Tom C. Bergroth: "Svenska Frimurare Ordens Arkiv och ... more Table of Contents
Rune Axelsson: "Förord"
Tom C. Bergroth: "Svenska Frimurare Ordens Arkiv och Bibliotek"
Henrik Bogdan: "Att forska om det hemliga: problem eller möjligheter?"
R. A. Gilbert: "The History of Quatuor Coronati Lodge and the Rise of the "Authentic" School of Masonic Research" J.A.M. Snoek: "Printing Masonic Secrets - Oral and Written Transmission of the Masonic Tradition"
Martin P. Starr: "Halls of Learning - American Masonic Research in Review"
Andreas Önnerfors: "Behovet av akademisk forskning om det svenska frimureriet"

Religionsvetenskap i Göteborg 25 år

Kabbalistic Influence on the Early Development of the Master Mason Degree of Freemasonry

Freemasonry and Religion: Many Faiths-One …, 2006

SwePub titelinformation: Kabbalistic Influence on the Early Development of the Master Mason Degre... more

Branding the Beast: Aleister Crowley as an Advertiser of the Occult

Religion and the Arts, 2024

This article discusses the British occultist Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) as an advertiser of the... more This article discusses the British occultist Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) as an advertiser of the occult. Relying on theories of advertising and branding, it is argued that Crowley's main branding strategy was the use of irony and humor in order to distance himself from other actors on the occult market. Furthermore, it is argued that this can be understood as a strategy of legitimization rooted in class consciousness, and more specifically in the elite intellectualism of turn-of-the-century Oxbridge. Crowley's brand identity as the Great Beast 666, the Prophet of a New Age or Aeon, is analyzed with a special focus on his branding strategies in advertising, divided into (1) advertisements in books, (2) prospectuses, (3) marketing campaigns, and (4) the marketing of Crowley as a spiritual teacher.

Introduction. Esotericism and Literature

What is the relationship between Western esotericism and literature? This seemingly straightforwa... more What is the relationship between Western esotericism and literature? This seemingly straightforward question formed the basis for a workshop held on May 4-5, 2017 at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, University of Gothenburg. Organised by Henrik Bogdan and Dag Hedman, the participants included Karolina Enqvist Kallgren (University of Gothenburg), Per Faxneld (Mid Sweden University), Christine Ferguson (University of Stirling), Christian Giudice (University of Gothenburg), Manon Hedenborg White (Uppsala University), Henrik Johnsson (Aarhus University), Sten Wistrand (Orebro University), and Andreas Onnerfors (University of Gothenburg). The question was approached from the perspectives of literature studies, history of religions, and history of ideas, and the examples discussed ranged from occultist authors such as Stanislaw Przybyszewski, Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Jack Parsons, Kenneth Grant, traditionalist authors such as Rene Guenon and 20th-centur...

Occultism in a Global Perspective

1. Introduction: Occultism in a Global Perspective, Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic 2. Locati... more 1. Introduction: Occultism in a Global Perspective, Henrik Bogdan and Gordan Djurdjevic 2. Locating the West: Problematizing the Western in Western Esotericism and Occultism, Kennet Granholm 3. The Magical Order of the Fraternitas Saturni, Hans Thomas Hakl 4. 'In communication with the powers of darkness': Satanism in turn-of-the-century Denmark, and its use as a legitimating device in present-day esotericism, Per Faxneld 5. Hidden Wisdom in the Ill-Ordered House: A Short Survey of Occultism in Former Yugoslavia, Gordan Djurdjevic 6. Occultism and Christianity in Twentieth Century Italy: Tommaso Palamidessi's Christian Magic, Francesco Baroni 7. Savitri Devi, Miguel Serrano, and the Global Phenomenon of Esoteric Hitlerism, Arthur Versluis 8. Sexual Magic and Gnosis in Colombia: Tracing the Influence of G.I. Gurdjieff on Samael Aun Weor, PiereLuigi Zoccatelli 9. Occultism in an Islamic Context: The Case of Modern Turkey From the Nineteenth Century to the Present Time, Thierry Zarconne 10. Reception of Occultism in India: The Case of the Holy Order of Krishna, Henrik Bogdan 11. Transnational Necromancy: W. B. Yeats, Izumi Kyoka, and neo-no as Occultic Stagecraft, Emily Somers 12. An Australian Original: Rosaleen Norton and her Magical Cosmology, Nevill Drury

Kenneth Grant and the Typhonian Tradition

Challenging the Morals of Western Society: The Use of Ritualized Sex in Contemporary Occultism

The Pomegranate, 2006

Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation

Aries, 2010

The Sociology Of The Construct Of Tradition And Import Of Legitimacy In Freemasonry

Constructing Tradition

Introduction: Sexuality and New Religious Movements

Sexuality and New Religious Movements, 2014

Sexuality goes beyond the mere ability to procreate and to have erotic experiences, feelings, and... more Sexuality goes beyond the mere ability to procreate and to have erotic experiences, feelings, and responses, or the various ways in which we are sexually attracted to one another. Sexuality is intimately connected to questions of identity: who we are as individuals and also our role in society. Human sexuality is thus inextricably linked to cultural, political, and philosophical aspects of life, which are regulated through legal systems based on morality and ethics. Morality and ethics, even in our secularized and late-modern society, are to a large extent based on traditional religious doctrines and teachings (which of course differ in time and place), and it is thus perhaps only natural that new forms of religion often challenge the moral codes and deeply rooted views on sexuality prevalent in the dominant forms of religion and, by extension, in society at large.

Nordic Satanism and Satanism Scares: The Dark Side of the Secular Welfare State

DOI: 10.1177/0037768609345972 © The Authors, 2009. Reprints and permissions: http://scp.sagepub.c... more

Research on Esotericism in Scandinavia

The title of this paper can be understood in two senses. In the sense of ‘research on esotericism... more

Handbook of Freemasonry

Handbook of Freemasonry / , Handbook of Freemasonry / , کتابخانه دیجیتال و فن آوری اطلاعات دانشگا... more

Ésotérisme Occidental et Rituels d'Initiation

Bogdan, Henrik, 1972-(författare) Göteborgs universitet, Institutionen för litteratur, idéhistori... more

Mystiskt brödraskap – mäktigt nätverk : studier i det svenska 1700-talsfrimureriet

The first acedemic volume on the history, ideology and social history of Swedish freemasonry. Con... more

Western Esotericism and New Religious Movements

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2016

The study of Western esotericism is a comparatively new field of research that covers a wide rang... more The study of Western esotericism is a comparatively new field of research that covers a wide range of currents, notions and practices from late antiquity to the present. Esotericism is often understood as the “rejected knowledge” of Western culture, which often centers on claims of absolute knowledge or gnosis. This chapter discusses four discourses that can be found in many esoteric NRMs, namely “secrecy and unveiling”, “initiation and progress”, “the higher self”, and “Secret Masters”. In the second part of the chapter four examples of esoteric NRMs are briefly discussed, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Thelema, and Wicca.

Western Esotericism in Scandinavia

Western Esotericism in Scandinavia, 2016

“It’s not about Religion, but about Manipulation”

Culture, Health, and Religion at the Millennium, 2014

One of the key discourses of the Swedish welfare state was, and to a certain extent still is, the... more One of the key discourses of the Swedish welfare state was, and to a certain extent still is, the tolerance of religious, cultural, and ethnic minorities, and the post– World War II public debate was indeed characterized by open-mindedness toward and acceptance of non-mainstream forms of religion. Although the welfare state was, on the surface, a secular and social-democratic construct, it was firmly built upon the Protestant ethics of the Swedish state church, as discussed in the Introduction to this volume. However, as the homogeneity of Swedish society began to crack and eventually fell apart, the limits of Swedish tolerance toward groups that challenged the image of a “normal” or accepted religion became apparent. Central questions related to the place of religion in “unparadised Sweden” thus came to the fore at an increasing speed: What is the role of religion in Sweden today? Are there forms of religion that are not acceptable? Can religion be dangerous? Questions like these are often raised when the issue of “cults” and “sects” is being discussed.

Initiations and Transitions

Oxford Handbooks Online

This chapter discusses initiations and transitions, two phenomena that can be found in all known ... more This chapter discusses initiations and transitions, two phenomena that can be found in all known cultures, both historically and geographically. Initiations and transitions are interlinked types of ritualized behavior, which share the basic common object of marking an event that leads to a new social and psychological state. Thus, when ritualized, they can be studied as rites of passage. Furthermore, the ritualized use of secrecy is frequently encountered in this type of ritual, especially in those that are connected to closed or secret societies, as shown in the case study of the chapter, the Entered Apprentice ritual of Freemasonry. Finally, the notion that the experience of undergoing a ritual of initiation is non-communicable, and how this is related to the use of secrecy, is discussed.

The New Age of Russia: Occult and Esoteric Dimensions, edited by Birgit Menzel, Michael Hagemeister, and Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal

Journal of Religion in Europe, 2016

Kabbalistic Influence on the Early Development of the Master Mason Degree of Freemasonry

Freemasonry and Religion Many Faiths One Brotherhood the Canonbury Papers Volume 3, 2006

SwePub titelinformation: Kabbalistic Influence on the Early Development of the Master Mason Degre... more

ESSWE Newletter Vol. 2. No 2 (Fall 2011)

by ESSWE European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism and Henrik Bogdan

ESSWE Newletter Vol. 3. No 2 (Fall 2012)

by ESSWE European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism and Henrik Bogdan