What is Contemporary Esotericism? Reflections on Teaching and Supervising Post-Graduate Students in a Course on Contemporary Esotericism

By Prof. Henrik Bogdan (Universität Göteborg)

The study of esotericism primarily revolves around its historical aspects, but it’s worth noting that esotericism still plays a crucial role in the modern religious landscape. Some scholars argue that it has become so pervasive in contemporary popular culture that it has led to what is now referred to as an “occulture.” This occulture encompasses various esoteric concepts and symbols related to phenomena such as magic, alchemy, and astrology, which manifest in different forms of media, including television shows, movies, music, art, literature, computer games, and notably, on social media platforms. Concurrently, traditional forms of esotericism, such as secret societies and the practice of magic and alchemy, continue to maintain relevance within modern esoteric practices. In this lecture, I will draw on some insights from teaching a post-graduate course in Religious Studies on Contemporary Esotericism at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, which in many ways has challenged my understanding of how to approach the study of esotericism. The course focuses on identifying, discussing, and analyzing the lived experiences of contemporary esotericism, with a particular emphasis on how esoteric practices are carried out and expressed in today’s context. A key-aspect of the course is that the students are expected to explore a specific aspect of contemporary esotericism through an individual research paper. As will be discussed in the lecture, these research papers can help us problematize and reevaluate our understanding of the study of esotericism.

Link for virtual attendance: https://fau.zoom.us/j/63672581746