Arthur Versluis (born 1959) is a professor and Department Chair of Religious Studies in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University.Michigan State University, Religious Studues Faculty
/ref>arthurversluis.com, ''About''
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Academic career

Versluis did his Ph.D research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His thesis ''Ex oriente lux: American Transcendentalism and the Orient'' (1990)Arthur Versluis, ''Ex oriente lux''
/ref> was published in 1993 as ''American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions''.Michigan State University, ''Arthus Versluis''
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Research topics

Versluis' research focuses on

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 ...

and magic, with a special interest in the influence of

Platonism Platonism is the philosophy of Plato and philosophical systems closely derived from it, though contemporary platonists do not necessarily accept all of the doctrines of Plato. Platonism had a profound effect on Western thought. Platonism at l ...

on western mysticism and American

Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in New England. "Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Wald ...

.''American Gurus: Seven Questions for Arthur Versluis''

Transcendentalism and American esotericism

Versluis has published a "trilogy" on American Transcendentalism and the development of western esotericism, namely ''American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions'' (1993), ''The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance'' (2001), and ''American Gurus: From Transcendentalism to New Age Religion'' (2014). In these publications, he describes the development of American Transcendentalism and its influence on western esotericism, including the contemporary phenomenon of "immediatist gurus", who promise instant enlightenment. In ''American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions'', Versluis describes the influence of Asian religions on European Romanticism and on American Transcendentalism. In the early 19th century, these Asian religions were introduced to the western culture, and texts like the

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' ( ...

and the

Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

had a great impact on the Transcendental movement, and influential members like Emerson and

Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and hi ...

. But Transcendentalism was also influenced by

, a topic which until recently received little attention in the academia. In ''The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance'' Versluis investigates the influence of western esotericism on the mid-19th

American Renaissance The American Renaissance was a period of American architecture and the arts from 1876 to 1917, characterized by renewed national self-confidence and a feeling that the United States was the heir to Greek democracy, Roman law, and Renaissance ...

. Versluis regards his ''The Esoteric Origins'' as a pioneering study in this discipline. In ''American Gurus: From Transcendentalism to New Age Religion'', Versluis describes the emergence of immediatist gurus: gurus who are not connected to any of the traditional religions, and promise instant enlightenment and liberation. These include Eckhart Tolle,

Ram Dass Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and author. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been ...

Adi Da Adi Da Samraj, born Franklin Albert Jones (November 3, 1939 – November 27, 2008) was an American-born spiritual teacher, writer and artist. He was the founder of a new religious movement known as Adidam. Adi Da initially became known in the ...

, and Andrew Cohen. "Immediatism" refers to "a religious assertion of spontaneous, direct, unmediated spiritual insight into reality (typically with little or no prior training), which some term "enlightenment"." According to Versluis, immediatism is typical for Americans, who want "the fruit of religion, but not its obligations." Although immediatism has its roots in European culture and history as far back as

, and also includes

Perennialism The perennial philosophy ( la, philosophia perennis), also referred to as perennialism and perennial wisdom, is a perspective in philosophy and spirituality that views all of the world's religious traditions as sharing a single, metaphysical trut ...

, Versluis points to

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a cham ...

as its key ancestor, who "emphasized the possibility of immediate, direct spiritual knowledge and power."

Christian Theosophy

Another "trilogy" deals with

Christian theosophy Christian theosophy, also known as Boehmian theosophy and theosophy, refers to a range of positions within Christianity that focus on the attainment of direct, unmediated knowledge of the nature of divinity and the origin and purpose of the unive ...

, and includes ''Theosophia'' (1994), ''Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition'' (1999), and ''Wisdom’s Book: The Sophia Anthology'' (2000).

Journals and associations

Versluis is an editor of the ''Journal for the Study of Radicalism'', and founding editor of ''Esoterica'', which started as a journal, and is now a biannual print book series, ''Studies in Esotericism''. Versluis is also the founding president of the ''Association for the Study of Esotericism''.

Works

Books

* 2017:
Platonic Mysticism: Contemplative Science, Philosophy, Literature, and Art
' (SUNY) * 2015:
Perennial Philosophy
' (New Cultures Press) * 2014:
American Gurus: From Transcendentalism to New Age Religion
' (Oxford University Press) * 2011: ''The Mystical State: Politics, Gnosis, and Emergent Cultures'' (New Cultures Press) * 2008: ''The Secret History of Western Sexual Mysticism'' (Inner Traditions) * 2007: ''Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esotericism'' (Rowman Littlefield) * 2006: ''The New Inquisitions: Heretic-hunting and the Origins of Modern Totalitarianism'' (Oxford UP) * 2004: ''Restoring Paradise: Western Esotericism, Literature, and Consciousness'' (SUNY) * 2004: ''Awakening the Contemplative Spirit'' (St. Paul: New Grail) * 2001: ''The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance'' (Oxford University Press) * 2000: ''Island Farm'' (MSU Press) * 1999: ''Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition'' (SUNY) * 1996: ''Gnosis and Literature'' (St. Paul: Grail) * 1995: ''The Mysteries of Love'' (St. Paul: Grail) * 1994: ''Theosophia: Hidden Dimensions of Christianity'' (Lindisfarne Press) * 1994/1995: ''Native American Traditions'' (Element) * 1993: ''American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions'' (Oxford University Press) * 1993: ''The Elements of Native American Traditions'' (Element) * 1992: ''Sacred Earth: The Spiritual Landscape of Native America'' (Inner Traditions) * 1991: ''Song of the Cosmos: an Introduction to Traditional Cosmology'' (Prism/Unity) * 1989: ''Pollen and Fragments: Poetry and Prose of Novalis'' (Phanes) * 1988: ''The Egyptian Mysteries'' (Routledge, Kegan Paul) * 1987: ''Telos: A Novel'' (Routledge, Kegan Paul) * 1986: ''The Philosophy of Magic'' Routledge, Kegan Paul)

Editor

* 2010: ''Esotericism, Religion, and Nature'' (co-editor) (North American Academic Press / MSU Press) * 2008: ''Esotericism, Art, and Imagination'' (co-editor) (MSU Press) * 2003: ''The Wisdom of Meister Eckhart, The Wisdom of Jacob Böhme, The Wisdom of John Pordage (Great Works of Christian Spirituality)'' (editor) (New Grail: St. Paul) * 2000: ''Wisdom’s Book: The Sophia Anthology'' (editor) (Paragon House) * 1997: ''The Hermetic Book of Nature'' (editor) (St. Paul: Grail)

Notes

References

Sources

Published sources

* *

Web-sources

External links

Selected Book Chapters, Articles, and Papers

Association for the Study of Esotericism

Professor ratings, ''Arthur Versluis''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Versluis, Arthur Transcendentalism Living people Religion academics Western esotericism scholars 1959 births University of Michigan alumni University of Michigan faculty Mysticism scholars