Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, Art, and Consciousness (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

Focusing 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. Cover......Page 1 Restoring Paradise......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction: Initiatory Transmission and the Imagination......Page 14 WHAT IS ESOTERIC?......Page 20 INITIATORY TRANSMISSION AND WESTERN ESOTERICISM......Page 21 THE ESOTERIC IMAGINATION......Page 25 ALCHEMY OF THE WORD......Page 30 THE FIELD OF THE IMAGINATION......Page 35 THE RED THREAD OF GNOSIS......Page 39 CONCLUSIONS......Page 44 DIVINE SERVICE: CHIVALRY AND THE TROUBADOURS......Page 48 BOOKS WITHIN BOOKS: JEWISH KABBALISM......Page 59 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF EARTH: ALCHEMICAL LITERATURE......Page 68 THE DIVINE SCIENCE: THEOSOPHIC, PANSOPHIC, ROSICRUCIAN, AND MASONIC LITERATURE......Page 80 PROSPERO’S WAND: MODERN ESOTERIC LITERATURE......Page 110 THE WESTERN ESOTERIC TRADITIONS AND CONSCIOUSNESS......Page 158 LITERATURE, ART, AND CONSCIOUSNESS......Page 170 INTRODUCTION......Page 182 CHAPTER TWO......Page 183 CHAPTER THREE......Page 186 D......Page 192 M......Page 193 T......Page 194 Z......Page 195 Focusing 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.--book Jacket. Introduction : Initiatory Transmission And The Imagination -- 1. Origins -- 2. Historical Currents -- 3. Modern Implications. Arthur Versluis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.