Reviews

During the 1960s, many Americans began seeking answers to their most pressing spiritual needs in various Asian religions, and this eastward focus has continued. Smoley and Kinney, editors of Gnosis magazine (a journal of mystical spirituality), argue persuasively that many of the faiths identified with the West offer mystical insights as rich as anything found in the East. The subtitle of this book is its best description. The topics covered include Jung's theories of the unconscious, Gurdjieffianism, gnosticism, the Jewish Kaballah, witchcraft and neopaganism, nativistic Shamanism, and the beliefs of Masons and Templars. This book does a particularly good job on "fringe" occult areas such as esoteric Christianity, astral light magic, and New Age theology. The authors take special care not to advocate one belief system over another and offer a highly readable account of Western spirituality and mysticism. An excellent place to start for anyone seeking avenues into Western "inner" religious wisdom; recommended for all libraries.ÄGlenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

For many years, spiritual seekers have turned East in search of the wisdom of Buddhism, Hinduism and other Eastern religious traditions. Smolley and Kinney, editors of Gnosis magazine, contend that the wisdom so eagerly sought from these Eastern traditions has been readily available in Western esoteric traditions. In their introduction, the authors note that "esoteric traditions are concerned with transcendence.... [E]sotericists say it may be possible not only to reach God in the next life, but to experience him in this one." These traditions emphasize self-awakening to inner wisdom. According to the authors, esoteric spirituality teaches that such an awakening brings great clarity and insight into the meanings of dreams, myths and symbols. The opening chapter explores how Jung's idea of the collective unconscious and his discussions of alchemy spurred new interest in Western esotericism. In subsequent chapters, Smolley and Kinney offer engaging and lively histories of esoteric movements, ranging from Kabbalism, magic, Wicca and neopaganism to shamanism, alchemy, hermeticism and Sufism. Each chapter provides a historical overview, an introduction to the major beliefs and practices of the movement and comments on the reasons spiritual seekers might find that particular esoteric tradition attractive, closing with an annotated bibliography. Smolley and Kinney's handbook provides a useful introduction to the many varieties of Western esotericism. (May)