About the author
Wouter Jacobus Hanegraaff (born 10 April 1961) is professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Science (KNAW) and an honorary member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE), having served as its first president from 2005 to 2013. == Early life == Hanegraaff was raised as the son of a theologian. He originally studied classical guitar at the Municipal Conservatory in Zwolle from 1982 to 1987, then cultural history ("Algemene Letteren") at the University of Utrecht from 1986 to 1990. From 1992 to 1996 he was a PhD Research Fellow at the department for the Study of Religions at the University of Utrecht, and from 1996 to 1999 held a postdoctoral fellowship from the Dutch Research Council (NWO), during which time he spent a period working in Paris. == Career == In 1999 he was appointed professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam.
📖 Where to start with Wouter J Hanegraaff
💬 What our editors say about Wouter J Hanegraaff's books
“Hanegraaff’s dictionary is a monumental achievement in academic rigor, offering a comprehensive map of Western esotericism through the lens of over 180 experts. It excels in providing authoritative definitions and historical…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism - Ingram Academic Hanegraaff, Wouter J
“Hanegraaff presents a rigorous academic argument that successfully redefines esotericism as foundational rather than fringe. The text is intellectually stimulating for those willing to engage with dense theoretical frameworks…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Esotericism in Western Culture: Counter-Normativity and Rejected Knowledge
“Hanegraaff provides a robust defense of esoteric studies against historical dismissal, offering a detailed account of suppressed pagan wisdom. However, readers expecting accessible mysticism or practical occult guidance will be…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Culture
📋 Editions by Wouter J Hanegraaff in the catalog
| Edition | Year | Publisher | Pages | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism - Ingram Academic Han | 2027 | Brill | 1230 | 9789004774940 |
| Esotericism in Western Culture: Counter-Normativity and Rejected | 2025 | Bloomsbury Academic | 344 | 9781350459694 |
| Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Cultu | — | Cambridge University Press | 480 | 9781107680975 |
| Esotericism in Western Culture: Counter-Normativity and Rejected | 2025 | Bloomsbury Academic | 346 | 9781350459687 |
| Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western | 2011 | Fordham University Press | 568 | 9780823233410 |
| Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western | 2008 | Brill | 544 | 9789004168732 |
| Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism | 2012 | Oxford University Press | 432 | 9780199863099 |
| Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Cultu | 2012 | Cambridge University Press | 480 | 9780521196215 |
| Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination | — | Cambridge University Press | 456 | 9781009123068 |
