The Esoteric in Religious and Spiritual Traditions : A Comparative Study

This book offers a comparative examination of the esoteric dimension across diverse religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. It seeks to answer the question of whether the concept of the esoteric can be applied across traditions and explores intersections, convergences, and differences in its use and presence therein. The book provides new avenues for research by moving beyond the study of Western esotericism and examining how the category of the esoteric can be applied in the contexts of Abrahamic faiths and Asian traditions. The book is organized into six centers of reflection, including the esoteric dialectics of hiding and revealing, the claim of esoteric traditions to restore wholeness and provide a comprehensive understanding of reality, the character of immediacy and directness, the intrinsic esoteric distinction between two truths, and the non-dualistic leanings of esoteric schools in terms of the unity of reality and the subjective immanence of an all-embracing Divine Selfhood. Overall, the book provides a comprehensive phenomenology of the esoteric in religions. It will be of interest to researchers and students of theology and religious studies.