Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (15 January 195329 August 2012) was a British

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

and

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

Western esotericism Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...

at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

, best known for his authorship of several scholarly books on the history of Germany between the World Wars,

esoteric Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...

and

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

traditions.

Early life and education

Goodrick-Clarke was born in Lincoln, UK, on 15 January 1953, and was an Open Exhibitioner at

Lancing College Lancing College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. ...

. He studied

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

, and

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, and gained a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

with distinction. Moving to St. Edmund Hall,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, Goodrick-Clarke took a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

with a dissertation on the modern Occult Revival and

Theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

at the end of the twentieth century.

Career

Goodrick-Clarke's Ph.D. dissertation was the basis for his most celebrated work, ''

The Occult Roots of Nazism ''The Occult Roots of Nazism: The Ariosophists of Austria and Germany, 1890–1935'' is a book about Nazi occultism and Ariosophy by historian Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, who traces some of its roots back to Esotericism in Germany and Austria betwe ...

''. This book has been continually in print since its first publication in 1985, and has been translated into twelve languages. Later notable works include his well-regarded ''Paracelsus: Essential Readings'', published in 1990, and '' Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity'', published in 2001. In his varied career, Goodrick-Clarke worked as a schoolmaster, banker, and a successful fundraiser for The Campaign for Oxford. In 2002, he was appointed a Research Fellow in

Western Esotericism Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...

at the University of Lampeter, and then in 2005 he was appointed to a personal chair in the Department of History at

Exeter University , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

. As Professor of Western Esotericism and Director of the Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO), he developed a successful distance-learning

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in Western Esotericism and successfully supervised a number of doctoral students. While at Exeter he wrote ''The Western Esoteric Traditions: A Historical Introduction'', published in 2008. In 1983, Goodrick-Clarke was one of the founder members of "The Society", an informal London-based association of professional and amateur scholars of

esotericism Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas ...

, including

Ellic Howe Ellic Paul Howe (20 September 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a British author who wrote extensively on occultism and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as well as on typography and military history. During World War II he worked for Britain's ...

, the publisher Michael Cox, John Hamill, and the scholar of

Rosicrucianism Rosicrucianism is a spiritual and cultural movement that arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order to the world and made seeking its ...

, Christopher McIntosh. He was a founding member of both the

European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism The European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism (ESSWE) is Europe's only scholarly society for the study of Western esotericism. Founded in 2002, the society promotes academic study of the various manifestations of Western esotericism f ...

and the Association for the Study of Esotericism (ASE), in America. He was a faculty member of the New York Open Center from 1995.

Later life and death

Goodrick-Clarke was the Director of the Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO) within the College of Humanities at Exeter until his death on 29 August 2012. John Morgan of the

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other Race (human classification), races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and polit ...

blog

Counter-Currents Gregory Johnson (born 1971) is an American white nationalist and advocate for a white ethnostate. He is known for his role as editor-in-chief of the white nationalist imprint Counter-Currents Publishing, which he founded in 2010 with Michael Po ...

published an obituary.John Morgan
"Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, R.I.P.,"

, September 4, 2012. He was survived by his wife Clare, whom he married in 1985.

Bibliography

* ''

: The Ariosophists of Austria and Germany, 1890–1935'', 1985 – * ''Enchanted City –

Arthur Machen Arthur Machen (; 3 March 1863 – 15 December 1947) was the pen-name of Arthur Llewellyn Jones, a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His ...

and Locality: Scenes from His Early London Years, 1880–85'', 1987 – * ''The Western Esoteric Traditions: A Historical Introduction'', 1988 – * '' Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth and Neo-Nazism'', 1998–2000 – * ''Unknown Sources: National Socialism and the Occult'', co-authored with Hans Thomas Hakl – * '' Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity'', 2002 – * ''

Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 187 ...

'', edited and introduced by Goodrick-Clarke, 2004 –
''G.R.S. Mead and the Gnostic Quest''
by G. R. S. Mead, edited and introduced by Clare Goodrick-Clarke and Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, 2005 –

Contributed

* '' Handbook of the Theosophical Current'', 2013 * ''Constructing Tradition: Means and Myths of Transmission in Western Esotericism'', 2010 * ''

Emanuel Swedenborg Emanuel Swedenborg (, ; born Emanuel Swedberg; 29 March 1772) was a Swedish pluralistic-Christian theologian, scientist, philosopher and mystic. He became best known for his book on the afterlife, ''Heaven and Hell'' (1758). Swedenborg had ...

: Visionary Savant in the Age of Reason'' by Ernst Benz, translated and introduced by Goodrick-Clarke – . * '' Paracelsus: Essential Readings'', edited by Goodrick-Clarke – . * ''Swedenborg and New Paradigm Science'' by Ursula Groll, translated by Goodrick-Clarke – . * ''The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited'', 1999 – * ''Decadence and Innovation: Austro-Hungarian Life and Art at the Turn of the Century'', 1989 * ''Dreamer of the Day:

Francis Parker Yockey Francis Parker Yockey (September 18, 1917 – June 16, 1960) was an American fascist and pan-Europeanist ideologue. A lawyer, he is known for his neo- Spenglerian book '' Imperium: The Philosophy of History and Politics'', published in 1948 u ...

and the Postwar Fascist International'' by Kevin Coogan, foreword by Goodrick-Clarke,

Autonomedia Autonomedia is a nonprofit publisher based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn known for publishing works of criticism. Staffed by volunteers, they have published over 200 books, usually with 3,000 of each run. Its most renowned book is Hakim Bey's essays o ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, NY 1998 – . * ''Rudolf Steiner'' by

Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century as ...

(Author), Richard Seddon (Editor), Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (Preface) Publisher: North Atlantic Books

References

External links

EXESESO (Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas 1953 births 2012 deaths Academics of the University of Exeter Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford Alumni of the University of Bristol British historians Helena Blavatsky biographers Historians of fascism Historians of Nazism People educated at Lancing College Western esotericism scholars People from Lincoln, England