Hidden Intercourse

Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism

By: Jeffrey J. Kripal, Wouter J. Hanegraaff

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 April 2011

At a Glance

Paperback
568 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.5 x 16 x 3.5

Paperback

$70.40

or 4 interest-free payments of $17.60 with

Ships in 7 to 10 business days

From rumors about gnostic orgies in antiquity to the explicit erotic symbolism of alchemical texts, from the subtly coded eroticism of medieval kabbalah to the sexual magic practiced by contemporary occultists and countercultural translations of Asian Tantra, the history of Western esotericism is rich in references to the domains of eros and sexuality. This volume, which brings together an impressive array of top-level specialists, is the first to analyze the eroticism of the esoteric without sensationalism or cheap generalizations, but on the basis of expert scholarship and attention to textual and historical detail. While there are few domains where the imagination may so easily run wild, the various contributions seek to distinguish fact from fiction-only to find that historical realities are sometimes even stranger than the fantasies. In doing so, they reveal the outlines of a largely unknown history spanning more than twenty centuries.

Industry Reviews

"A collection of essays addressing a doubly fascinating topic, namely, the intersection of the erotic and the esoteric in western culture from ancient Greece to contemporary California--where "west" meets "east," as the American counterculture supplements its already eclectic garb with the mantle of a refashioned Asian Tantra." -- -Virginia Burrus Drew University "Hidden Intercourse is a book that turns people's heads around, so that they can never think of sex the same way again." -- -Joscelyn Godwin Colgate University "A thoughtful, well-written, and extremely wide-ranging text that examines the crucial role of eros/sexuality in the western esoteric tradition." -- -G. William Barnard Southern Methodist University

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Religion & Beliefs Alternative Belief Systems Occult Studies Mind, Body, Spirit Mysticism, Magic & Occult Interests Religion History of Religion Eclectic & Esoteric Religions & Belief Systems History Specific Events & Topics in History Social & Cultural History

Thought and Practice Philosophy of Religion Society & Culture Social Groups Gender Studies

Introduction: Things We Do Not Talk About	p. ix
Sexuality and Sexual Symbolism in Hermetic and Gnostic Thought and Practice (Second-Fourth Centuries)	p. 1
Conceiving Spirits: The Mystery of Valentinian Sex	p. 23
Sexual Intercourse Between Humans and Demons in the Islamic Tradition	p. 49
Murmuring Secrets: Eroticism and Esotericism in Medieval Kabbalah	p. 65
Ta'anug: Erotic Delights from Kabbalah to Hasidism	p. 111
Complications of Eros: The Song of Songs in John of Morigny's Liber florum celestis Doctrine	p. 153
Under the Mantle of Love: The Mystical Eroticisms of Marsilio Ficino and Giordano Bruno	p. 175
Revealing Analogies: The Descriptive and Deceptive Roles of Sexuality and Gender in Latin Alchemy	p. 209
Probing Women and Penetrating Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe	p. 231
Sensuous Relation with Sophia in Christian Theosophy	p. 281
Deadly Dates: Bodies and Sex in Spiritualist Heavens	p. 309
Sexual Mysticisms in Nineteenth Century America: John Humphrey Noyes, Thomas Lake Harris, and Alice Bunker Stockham	p. 333
Paschal Beverly Randolph and Sexual Magic	p. 335
The Knight of Spermatophagy: Penetrating the Mysteries of Georges Le Clément de Saint-Marcq	p. 369
The Yoga of Sex: Tantra, Orientalism, and Sex Magic in the Ordo Templi Orientis	p. 401
The Theory and Practice of Sexual Magic, Exemplified by Four Magical Groups in the Early Twentieth Century	p. 445
The Roar of Awakening: The Eros of Esalen and the Western Transmission of Tantra	p. 479
List of Contributors	p. 521
Index of Persons	p. 529
Index of Subjects	p. 540
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Hidden Intercourse

Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Religion & Beliefs

The Devotional Qur'an

Beloved Surahs and Verses

NLT Holy Bible

New Living Translation, British Text Version in Green Soft-tone Flexiback Binding

The Ramadan Kitchen

Nourishing Recipes from Fast to Feast

Think Like A Monk

The Secret of How to Harness the Power of Positivity and be Happy Now

Wise Women

Myths and stories for midlife and beyond - 'Extra ordinary . . . beautifully and vividly retold stories' TLS

Convent Wisdom

How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First-Century Life

Coven

Where Witches Gather

The Magdalene Revolution

The Return of the Sacred Feminine and the Birth of Radical Equality

How Christians Can Succeed Today

Reclaiming the genius of the early church

Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500

4th Edition

Celtic Elemental Tarot

78-Card Deck and Book

2026 Lunar and Seasonal Diary

Southern Hemisphere

NKJV Study Bible Full-Color Red Letter Edition

The Complete Resource for Studying Godâs Word

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

How to be Calm in a Busy World

The Jesus Bible [NIV Edition, Pink]

NIV Edition [Pink]

NIV Gift And Award Bible Red Letter Edition : Black

The Case For Christ

A Journalist's Personal Investigation Of The Evidence For Jesus

Radical Acceptance

Awakening the Love that Heals Fear and Shame

Protection & Reversal Magick (Revised and Updated Edition)

A Witch's Defense Manual

How to Be an Adult in Relationships

The Five Keys to Mindful Loving

Forgiving What You Can't Forget

Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That's Beautiful Again

Divine Wounds

Finding Healing by Working with Goddesses and Archetypes

Francis of Assisi

The Life of a Restless Saint

A Different Country

This product is categorised by