Research areas: Modern (20th c.) Christian esotericism (initiatic and esoteric movements); perennialism (political and religious thought of the "traditional school": Guénon, Evola, Schuon); Political philosophy (reactionary thought). Doctoral Thesis Christian esotericism in practice (Belgium, 20th century) From precise criteria defining the scope of the theoretical concept of "christian esotericism", our research will study the practical and current practices of this "form of thought" within groups and fraternities. To count in the category of Christian esotericism, the practice of these groups or "esoteric experience" they offer, must be: - "Esoteric" : we retain the empirical definition of the "form of thought proposed by Antoine Faivre (1992), adapting certain criteria to our topic; - "Christian" : theological, ecclesial and social. This means that cultural products such esoteric currents (speeches, iconography, rituals, etc..) must be "Christocentric" and "ecclesiocentric" (Rousse-Lacordaire, 2007). The first step is to get a complete picture of Belgian (and some European) groups and organizations to effectively meet these criteria. We will avoid polemics and classifications of "sects" or "secret organizations." The second step is to question the "raison d'être" and the rationality of Christian esotericism, as well as the relative force of the latter, in the religious context of the contemporary West and secularization in General. Using a hermeneutic approach, we seek to understand and reconstruct discursive goals and objectives of these groups and the sense that players see in their approach. Website: http://www.ulb.ac.be/philo/cierl/santamaria.html You can send an e-mail to get into contact with Olivier Santamaria

Books by Olivier Santamaria

	Etude de l'ésotérisme - aspects méthodologiques Editors(s): DECHARNEUX B., NOBILIO, F. Publisher: Editions Modulaires Européennes (E.M.E.)
	Boris Mouravieff et l'esoterisme chretien Editors(s): dr. METZ, Eric, dr. WALCZAK-DELANOIS Dorota Publisher: Slavica Bruxellensia