Hidden presence: race and/in the history, construct, and study of western esotericism
Religion July 29, 2019 J. Bakker
Race has been largely overlooked in the study of Western esotericism, despite a few studies linking esoteric ideas to white supremacy. This article argues that race has operated as a 'hidden presence' shaping both the historical formation of the field and the concept of Western esotericism itself, serving as a subtext for its dominant narrative. The author calls for continued investigation into the entanglements of 'Western' and whiteness, even as scholars move beyond the West.