Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams
Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams

Author: Aren Roukema

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2018-05-29

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 9004369112

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams situates the life and fiction of the Inkling Charles Williams in the network of modern occultism, with special focus on his initiatory experiences in A.E. Waite’s Fellowship of the Rosy Cross. Aren Roukema evaluates fictional projections of magic, kabbalah, alchemy and ritual experience in Williams’s seven novels of supernatural fantasy. From this specific analysis, he develops more broadly applicable approaches to the serious expression of religious experience in fiction. Roukema shows that esoteric knowledge has frequently been blurred into fiction because of its inherent narrativity and adaptability, particularly by authors already attracted to the syncretism, multivalence and lived fantasy of the modern occult experience.

Heresy and Borders in the Twentieth Century
Heresy and Borders in the Twentieth Century

Author: Karina Jakubowicz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-03-10

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 1000359166

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book explores the shifting and negotiated boundaries of religion, spirituality, and secular thinking in Britain and North America during the twentieth century. It contributes to a growing scholarship that problematises secularization theory, arguing that religion and spirituality increasingly took diverse new forms and identities, rather than simply being replaced by a monolithic secularity. The volume examines the way that thinkers, writers, and artists manipulated and reimagined orthodox belief systems in their work, using the notion of heresy to delineate the borders of what was considered socially and ethically acceptable. It includes topics such as psychospiritual approaches in medicine, countercultures and religious experience, and the function of blasphemy within supposedly secular politics. The book argues that heresy and heretical identities established fluid borderlands. These borderlands not only blur simple demarcations of the religious and secular in the twentieth century, but also infer new forms of heterodoxy through an exchange of ideas. This collection of essays offers a nuanced take on a topic that pervades the study of religion. It will be of great use to scholars of Heresy Studies, Religious Studies and Comparative Religion, Social Anthropology, History, Literature, Philosophy, and Cultural Studies.

Victorian Automata
Victorian Automata

Author: Suzy Anger

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2024-03-31

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 1009100270

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Bringing together a multidisciplinary group of scholars, this collection examines the Victorians' profound fascination with automata.

Initiating the Millennium
Initiating the Millennium

Author: Robert Collis

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2020-01-13

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 0190903376

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In Initiating the Millennium, Robert Collis and Natalie Bayer fill a substantial lacuna in the study of an initiatic society--known variously as the Illumin�s d'Avignon, the Avignon Society, the New Israel Society, and the Union--that flourished across Europe between 1779 and 1807. Based on hitherto neglected archival material, this study provides a wealth of fresh insights into a group that included members of various Christian confessions from countries spanning the length and breadth of the Continent. The founding members of this society forged a unique group that incorporated distinct strands of Western esotericism (particularly alchemy and arithmancy) within an all-pervading millenarian worldview. Collis and Bayer demonstrate that the doctrine of premillennialism--belief in the imminent advent of Christ's reign on Earth--soon came to constitute the raison d'�tre of the society. Using a chronological approach, the authors chart the machinations of the leading figures of the society (most notably the Polish gentleman Tadeusz Grabianka). They also examine the way in which the group reacted to and was impacted by the tumultuous events that rocked Europe during its twenty-eight years of existence. The result is a new understanding of the vital role played by the so-called Union within the wider millenarian and illuministic milieu at the close of the eighteenth century and beginning of the nineteenth century.

Western Esotericism
Western Esotericism

Author: Nicholas Goodricke-Clarke

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-05

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1351537156

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Esotericism is the search for an absolute but hidden knowledge accessed through mystical vision, the mediation of higher beings, or personal experience. In Western cultural history esoteric approaches to religion have often been in conflict with - and suffered at the hands of - more established forms of religious belief and practice. 'Western Esotericism' presents a very broad and engaging history of the people and ideas which have shaped occult history from antiquity to today. Throughout the history of esotericism the dynamic of concealment and revelation has characterized the search for secret knowledge. Pursued both publically and privately, esotericism has come to influence more mainstream religious practice and culture and has significantly shaped our understanding of modernity. Today, esotericism continues to be practised by a range of both established and new religious movements. 'Western Esotericism' presents the essential guide to one of the most fascinating, provocative, and sustained of religious traditions.

Many Dimensions
Many Dimensions

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: Read Books Ltd

Published: 2019-05-01

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1528786742

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Many Dimensions” is a 1930 novel by Charles W. S. Williams. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 – 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the “The Inklings”, a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: “The Greater Trumps” (1932), “War in Heaven” (1930), and “The Place of the Lion” (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

The Forbidden Book
The Forbidden Book

Author: Joscelyn Godwin

Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser

Published: 2012-04-01

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 1934708836

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Watch out Dan Brown and Umberto Eco! Here's a real esoteric thriller written by some real Illuminati who know the real thing and aren't afraid to let the secret out. Sex, magic, politics, and mystery. The Forbidden Book is a gripping, exciting, and illuminating read.” -Gary Lachman, author of Turn Off Your Mind "This is a really excellent book--gripping, thought-provoking, mysterious, deep and resonant with esoteric knowledge. It keeps you turning the pages in a most compelling way. I couldn't put it down." -Graham Hancock, author of the international bestsellers The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, and Heaven's Mirror This gripping page-turner has something for every fan of occult fiction: a murder mystery set against the conflicts of Islam and the West with symbolism, alchemy, and magic fueling the action. The evocative setting of Venice and the Veneto dominates the plot, along with vivid scenes in Santiago de Compostela, Provence, Washington, and the Vatican. The Forbidden Book delves deep into esoteric knowledge and practice, thanks to Guido Mina di Sospiro's extensive knowledge of Catholicism and Joscelyn Godwin's authoritative studies of the western esoteric tradition. Underlying the fast-paced action, the reader will find a profound treatment of moral and political dilemmas, the conflict of religions, and the frightening possibilities of the occult.

Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry

Author: Sinclair Lewis

Publisher: Standard Ebooks

Published: 2023-01-01T20:36:53Z

Total Pages: 567

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Elmer Gantry isn’t suited to be a lawyer, so he becomes a preacher instead. Although he experiences a variety of failures, and even more successes, Gantry ultimately finds this new career path suits him very well indeed—despite his drinking and womanizing. Throughout his time as a preacher Gantry progresses through the hierarchies of the Baptist and Methodist churches, dabbles in revivalism and “New Thought,” and even experiments with politics, all the while emerging from scandals relatively unscathed and ready to move onward and upward once again. Sinclair Lewis published the satirical Elmer Gantry in 1927 much to the dismay of the religious community. It was denounced from the pulpit, banned by many, and even engendered threats of violence. Despite this—or perhaps because of it—it went on to become a massive success and the best selling novel of that year. One of the most savage satirical assaults against institutionalized religion and its hypocrisy in American literature, Elmer Gantry continues to be a window into a particularly important aspect of American history. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.