Gnosticism in Antiquity and Later - Seminar

This exciting lecture / seminar is dedicated to Gnosticism, which is frequently misunderstood  and mislabelled. A potent movement in the late Antiquity -- around Graeco-Roman Egypt, it had a powerful impact on esoteric thought down the following centuries. In fact, together with neoplatonism and hermeticism, it is a pillar of Western Esotericism. Gnosticism went on to have many different forms as  it interacted with other esoteric currents over the passage of time. Dr Sasha Chaitow unpack's Gnosticism's original philosophical and religious content in its historical context, then explains the key issues in the scholarly understanding. Finally, she traces some of its most important effects on, and survivals within, later esoteric movements.

How it works. Before the seminar date (15 February) you will listen to Dr Sasha Chaitow's pre-recorded lecture and read through some source texts, both of which will be emailed to you in the preceding week. When  you join the online 2.5-hour seminar, you will be discussing in small groups in Zoom 'breakout rooms' and also sharing with the whole group. The discussions are based off the lecture and readings, so please allow time to look at these in the preceding week. Sasha hosts Q&A the start and end.

About the Instructor Dr Sasha Chaitow earned her PhD in Cultural History/Western Esotericism at the University of Essex. She holds an MA in the History of Western Esotericism (University of Exeter, 2008), and an MA in Literature (University of Indianapolis, 2004). She has published two books based on her research, is working on two more, and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals as well as magazines. She is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and has 20 years experience in adult education. She frequently presents her research at conferences and has organised numerous academic symposia. In her parallel career as a visual artist, she has produced 13 solo art exhibitions in the UK, Greece, and Sweden and  participates in curated group exhibitions. Current (2022) research interests include the history of science and its intersection with wider culture between the 18th-21st centuries, and interdisciplinary approaches in the health sciences. Full CV: www.sashachaitow.co.uk/about-2

Forthcoming Seminars in Western Esotericism

5. · 15th Mar The Renaissance and the birth of the “Western Esoteric Traditions”

6. · 12th Apr Alchemy: The Art of the Philosophers

7. · 17th May Kabbalah: Healing the World

8. · 14th Jun Pansophia, Theosophia, and the Philosophia Sacra

9 · 12th Jul The Scientific Revolution and the Counter-Enlightenment

10 · 9th Aug Initiation and Esoteric Fraternities

11 · 13th Sep The Occult Revival and Modernism

12. · 11th Oct 21st Century Occulture