Methodology & Scope

Historiographical Principles

Following the methodology established by Wouter J. Hanegraaff in the Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, this database maintains a strict terminological self-awareness. We differentiate between Actor Terms (words used by historical figures, e.g., prisca theologia) and Analyst Terms (retrospective scholarly categories, e.g., Hermeticism, Esotericism).

The "Reification" Problem

We explicitly reject the "reification" of magic and esotericism into coherent, bounded traditions. Instead, our biographical and conceptual entries embrace the multi-dimensionality and contradictions of historical actors. A figure like Marsilio Ficino is presented not just within a "tradition box," but as a complex actor embedded in theological, political, and medical contexts.

Pragmatic Scope

Our corpus centers on the transmission of the Greco-Egyptian Hermetica through the Islamic world into the Latin West. While we recognize the profound importance of overlapping traditions (like Kabbalah and indigenous Arabic magic), our primary focus remains tethered to the lineage of texts directly engaging with the figure of Hermes Trismegistus, largely aligned with Brian P. Copenhaver's translation of the Corpus Hermeticum.

Zero-Loss Provenance

Every claim in this database is strictly tied to a primary or secondary source, allowing scholars to trace the exact lineage of any assertion back to its original academic or historical text.