Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия
January 9, 2018
K. Antonov
1 citation
A discussion of William James's book "The Varieties of Religious Experience" helped shape Russian philosophy and psychology of religion in the early 20th century and among Russian emigrants. The author reviews Russian reception of James's ideas, focusing on debates in periodicals such as "Questions of Philosophy and Psychology," "Logos," "The Russian Thought," "Theological Review," and "Faith and Reason." Although the reception was largely philosophical, representatives of theological academies began developing a psychology of religion "in James's spirit." This framework fostered the growth of the psychology of religion as a distinct field and promoted psychologism—a cognitive interest in religion as psychological experience—which gradually became central to the psychological study of religion.
Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия
December 21, 2024
Pavel Nosachev
J. Strube deconstructs established ideas about Western esotericism by tracing its origins to early socialists rather than occult myths like Vril. He proposes a new program of global religious studies that moves beyond poststructuralism, postcolonialism, and cultural relativism. Through a systematic reconstruction of the Western reception of Tantrism, including the Theosophical Society in India and the 'Arthur Avalon project' connected to the Shivachandra tantric school, Strube argues that esoteric discourse was not a colonial appropriation of Indian doctrines but a global form of constructing ideologies and identities. Indians in the early 19th century used it to modernize ancient religious language, and later Bengalis employed it to legitimize Tantra. This program revives religious comparativism on a solid empirical foundation.
Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия
March 8, 2023
Pavel Nosachev
The article reviews how a younger generation of scholars (notably E. Asprem, Y. Strube, and L. Saif) has reshaped research on Western esotericism between 2010 and 2021. It first outlines the current state of the field, then examines younger scholars' critiques of classic works, especially those of W. Hanegraaff. Three key criticisms are analyzed: the constructed nature of categories such as Islamic esotericism, the artificiality of the esotericism–occultism divide, and the term 'Western esotericism' itself. The division between etic and emic categories is shown to be conditional, with modern conceptual foundations rooted in 19th-century esoteric teachings. The critique of esotericism as 'rejected knowledge' is also examined.
Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия
May 13, 2018
Nosachev Pavel
This paper traces the development of the sociology of the occult through the works of C. Campbell, E. Tiryakian, M. Truzzi, and J. Webb, culminating in C. Partridge's theory of occulture. Partridge merges earlier sociological insights with modern Western esotericism research to identify traces of esoteric traditions in popular culture. The theory is linked to W. Hanegraaff's work and is evaluated against four main approaches to studying Western esotericism. The paper demonstrates occulture's heuristic value by analyzing forms influenced by Eastern doctrines and Christian demonology.
Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия
September 2, 2017
Nosachev Pavel
The article applies the Birmingham school's methodology for studying cultural products to Western esotericism, focusing on the extreme right spectrum. It examines the myth of an esoteric or alien origin of the Third Reich, popularized after the 1950s by authors such as W. Landig and M. Serrano. From the 1960s, these ideas spread beyond esoteric circles into popular fiction, later becoming common in films and computer games. The author shows how a myth initially aimed at a narrow circle of adepts transformed into part of mainstream culture, illustrating the complex process of assimilation by popular culture of myths born in esoteric milieus.