Association for the Study of Esotericism

In May, 2002, the journal Esoterica hosted the First North American Symposium on the Study of Esotericism at Michigan State University. There, the invited participants created a new scholarly organization, the Association for the Study of Esotericism [ASE], along with a mission statement and a set of goals. This organization subsequently was incorporated in August, 2002, as a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The primary mission of this organization is to support excellence in scholarship and to foster communication among scholars who, though their work originates from a wide range of fields, find esotericism a common theme of their research.

THE SECOND VOLUME IN THE STUDIES IN ESOTERICISM BOOK SERIES IS NOW AVAILABLE. JOIN ASE AND RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF ESOTERICISM, RELIGION, AND NATURE (2010).
In this groundbreaking collection, leading scholars in this emerging field explore how nature can be understood in a wide range of esoteric religious contexts. Included here are articles on subjects ranging from alchemy and panpsychism to music, Appalachian folk magic, and new religions. Esotericism, Religion, and Nature illuminates the way that nature is understood by major esoteric figures and traditions. Taken together, these articles shed new light on the connections between humanity, nature, and religion. Authors include Joscelyn Godwin, Wouter Hanegraaff, Lee Irwin, Richard Smoley, Arthur Versluis, M. E. Warlick, and many others. The second in a series of volumes on Western esotericism, this book emerged from international academic conferences held by the Association for the Study of Esotericism.

Join ASE now, and your membership will include a complimentary copy of the second volume in the ASE book series, Esotericism, Religion, and Nature. The 2010 ASE conference has been cancelled because of budgetary constraints, but our book series and other activities will continue. You can send a check made out to the Association for the Study of Esotericism to the address listed on our contact page. But it’s much more efficient if you click on the link below to join ASE – there’s a dropdown menu with a number of choices.

Our third volume in the series Studies in Esotericism is now in process. Esotericism, Religion, and Politics will be published in 2011.

Please visit the website of our sister organization, the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE), for information about other academic events in this field.