It's nearly 30 years since historian Dame Frances Yates published her groundbreaking study
The Rosicrucian Enlightement, and so brought academic rigour back to a subject which had for too long been almost the sole province of occultists who often confused fact and fancy. Yates placed the three main Rosicrucian manifestos, which first appeared in 1614-1616, in the context of their time and place--the marriage of Elizabeth, dauthter of James VI & I, to Fredrick, Elector Palatine, head of the German Protestant princes--and identified many of the key players in 17th-century hermetic thought.
The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited is a collection of papers given in Yates's honour at two conferences in the Czech Republic in 1995 and 1997, at which some of today's leading writers and academics in this field presented their latest research findings.
For readers new to the subject and not already conversant with Rosicrucian history, editor Ralph White's Introduction and Christopher McIntosh's very straightforward chapter "The Rosicrucian Legacy" will prove the most accessible. But for anyone with an interest (historical or spiritual) in the hermetic philosophers, alchemy or other religion or literature--there is some fascinating material in this collection. Paul Bembridge's paper on the likelihood of the metaphysical poet Andrew Marvell being a Rosicrucian is probably the most controversial. The book also, very usefully, includes the full text of the first two Rosicrucian manifestos, the Fama Fraternitas and the Confessio Fraternitas. --David V Barrett
July 1, 1999
A gathering of well-informed scholars provides a sober, sensible, and fascinating overview of the history of the Rosicrucian movement, still one of the most controversial and least understood byways of European philosophy and thought. The volume includes four of the foundational documents of the original Rosicrucians from the early 17th century and carries the Rosicrucians' influence down to the later 19th century. Highly recommended for collections strong in esoterica or the history of religions.
"A gathering of well-informed scholars provides a sober, sensible, and fascinating overview of the history of the Rosicrucian movement, still one of the most controversial and least understood byways of European philosophy and thought. The volume includes four of the foundational documents of the original Rosicrucians from the early 17th century and carries the Rosicrucians' influence down to the later 19th century. Highly recommended for collections strong in esoterica or the history of religions."-- (07/01/1999)
Synopsis
It's nearly 30 years since historian Dame Frances Yates published her groundbreaking study The Rosicrucian Enlightement, and so brought academic rigour back to a subject which had for too long been almost the sole province of occultists who often confused fact and fancy. Yates placed the three main Rosicrucian manifestos, which first appeared in 1614-1616, in the context of their time and place--the marriage of Elizabeth, dauthter of James VI & I, to Fredrick, Elector Palatine, head of the German Protestant princes--and identified many of the key players in 17th-century hermetic thought. The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited is a collection of papers given in Yates's honour at two conferences in the Czech Republic in 1995 and 1997, at which some of today's leading writers and academics in this field presented their latest research findings.
About the Author
Ralph White is co-founder of the New York Open Center, where he serves as Senior Fellow and Conference Director. Since the Open Center's inception in 1984 he has created hundreds of programs across the spectrum of holistic learning. In particular, he directs the Esoteric Quest conferences in Europe and the Art of Dying conferences, which address the emergence of a more holistic understanding of death in contemporary America. From 1995 to 2001, he edited Lapis Magazine, winner of the Utne Reader Alternative Press Award in 2000. He has also been a seminal presence in the development of the global network of holistic centers. A writer and speaker, he is also the author of the memoir, The Jeweled Highway: On the Quest for a Life of Meaning.