Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and ConsciousnessFocusing on how spiritual initiation takes place in Western esoteric religious, literary, and artistic traditions from antiquity to the present, Restoring Paradise provides an introduction to Western esotericism, including early modern esoteric movements like alchemy, Christian theosophy, and Rosicrucianism. The author argues that European and American literature and art often entail a written transmission of spiritual knowledge in which writing itself works to transmute consciousness, to generate, provoke, or convey spiritual awakening. He focuses on several important figures whose work has not received the attention it deserves, including American writer and Imagist poet H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) and British painter Cecil Collins, among others. While Arthur Versluis presents a new way of understanding Western esotericism in a contemporary light, above all he has crafted a book about knowing, and about how we come to know, and what "knowing" by way of literature and language actually means. |
Other editions - View all
Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness Arthur Versluis No preview available - 2012 |
Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness Arthur Versluis No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
alchemist alchemy angels antiquity archetypal realm artist awakening become beginning Book of Revelation C. S. Lewis called Cecil Collins century certainly chivalric Christian theosophy Collins Confessio consciousness corresponds cosmos course discussing divine emerges enter esoteric currents esotericism existence experience fact Faivre Fama fiction figures Fludd Freemasonry fundamental gnosis gnostic Grail Hermetic Hermeticism hidden Hideous Strength Hilda holy human Ibid images imagination influence initiation initiatory lineages inner instance Jacob Böhme Jewish John Pordage Kabbalah Kabbalism Kabbalistic kind knowledge koan language letters light literary literature magical Mamalie Masonic means metaphysical Milosz modern Moravian mysteries nature novel numbers objectified origin pansophic paradisal Parzival poem poet poetry primary reader reading references religion religious represents Rosicrucian secret seen Sophia spiritual symbolism teric themes theosophic things tion transcendent transmission transmutation treatises troubadour true understanding University Versluis vision visionary Western esoteric traditions worldview writing written word
Popular passages
Page 23 - AFTER this I looked,, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven : and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Page 23 - And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.