Between the text and experience: reflections on Pavel Nosachev’s “ ‘Rejected knowledge’: Research of marginal religiosity in the 20th and beginning of the 21st century”

Abstract

   The research literature on esoterism since the middle of the 20^th century has developed into an independent historiographical stream with various approaches to the study of this diverse phenomenon. There are no works in Russian that would present generalizing characteristics of these approaches and reveal the features of the concepts of individual authors who have made a significant contribution to the development of the problems associated with esoterism as a subject of scientific research. The article focuses on P. G. Nosachev’s historical approach to the analysis of foreign literature, and also evaluates his typology of approaches to the study of esoterism. Contrary to the widespread “discursive” approach to the study of “religion”, the article emphasizes the need for historians of religion to take into account the achievements of the psychology of religion. The article points out the eschatological character of some key conceptions of esotericism (M. Eliade, A. Fevre, V. Hanegraaff). P. G. Nosachev’s historical approach is recognized as the most adequate way of discussing the methodological diversity of esotericism studies. P. G. Nosachev’s research can be recognized as a significant contribution to the development of Russian religious studies of esoterism and grants its readers with a full-scale map of different approaches to its study.