Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams

Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams PDF Author: Aren Roukema
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004369112
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
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.

Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams

Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams PDF Author: Aren Roukema
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004369112
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 330

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

The Victorian Supernatural

The Victorian Supernatural PDF Author: Nicola Bown
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521810159
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Publisher Description

Heresy and Borders in the Twentieth Century

Heresy and Borders in the Twentieth Century PDF Author: Karina Jakubowicz
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000359166
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
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.

Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration, and the Power of Imagination

Fictional Practice: Magic, Narration, and the Power of Imagination PDF Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004466002
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
To what extent were practitioners of magic inspired by fictional accounts of their art? In how far did the daunting narratives surrounding legendary magicians such as Theophilus of Adana, Cyprianus of Antioch, Johann Georg Faust or Agrippa of Nettesheim rely on real-world events or practices? Fourteen original case studies present material from late antiquity to the twenty-first century and explore these questions in a systematic manner. By coining the notion of ‘fictional practice’, the editors discuss the emergence of novel, imaginative types of magic from the nineteenth century onwards when fiction and practice came to be more and more intertwined or even fully amalgamated. This is the first comparative study that systematically relates fiction and practice in the history of magic.

Victorian Automata

Victorian Automata PDF Author: Suzy Anger
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009100270
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 361

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

Elmer Gantry

Elmer Gantry PDF Author: Sinclair Lewis
Publisher: Standard Ebooks
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 567

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Book Description
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.

Initiating the Millennium

Initiating the Millennium PDF Author: Robert Collis
Publisher:
ISBN: 0190903376
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 269

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Book Description
This is the first English-language work devoted to the Avignon Society, which ranks as one of the most remarkable and influential initiatic societies in Europe between 1779 and 1807. Influenced by the burgeoning strand of illuminist high-degree freemasonry, the Avignon Society, nevertheless, developed a unique culture that incorporated strands of Western esotericism within a millenarian framework.

Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality

Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality PDF Author: Jake Poller
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004406905
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality offers an incisive analysis of the full range of Huxley’s spiritual interests, spanning both mysticism (neo-Vedanta, Taoism, Mahayana and Zen Buddhism) and Western esotericism (mesmerism, spiritualism, the paranormal). Jake Poller examines how Huxley’s shifting spiritual convictions influenced his fiction, such as his depiction of the body and sex, and reveals how Huxley’s use of psychedelic substances affected his spiritual convictions, resulting in a Tantric turn in his work. Poller demonstrates how Huxley’s vision of a new alternative spirituality in Island, in which the Palanese select their beliefs from different religious traditions, anticipates the New Age spiritual supermarket and traces the profound influence of Huxley’s ideas on the spiritual seekers of the twentieth century and beyond.

Many Dimensions

Many Dimensions PDF Author: Charles Williams
Publisher: Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
"Many Dimensions" authored by Charles Williams is a captivating novel that delves into the realms of mysticism, science, and human nature. Set in the backdrop of World War II, the story follows an eclectic group of characters ranging from a brilliant scientist to an enigmatic businessman. Their lives intertwine when an ancient and powerful artifact with the ability to manipulate time and space becomes the center of their attention. As they embark on a perilous journey to unlock the artifact's secrets, they are confronted with ethical dilemmas, moral complexities, and the alluring prospect of ultimate power. Through a skillful blend of speculative fiction and philosophical exploration, Williams crafts a narrative that delves into the intricate interplay between knowledge, ambition, and the consequences of tampering with forces beyond human comprehension. "Many Dimensions," originally published in 1931, remains a thought-provoking exploration of the boundaries between science and spirituality, and the ethical implications of wielding extraordinary power.

The Forbidden Book

The Forbidden Book PDF Author: Joscelyn Godwin
Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser
ISBN: 193887501X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
An esoteric thriller full of sex, magic, and politics. This gripping page-turner has something for every fan of occult fiction: a murder mystery set against religious extremism with symbolism, alchemy, and magic fueling the action. The evocative setting of Venice and the Veneto region of Italy dominates the plot, along with vivid scences in Santiage de Compostela, Provence, Washington, and the Vatican.