Dr. Philine Lewek: ‘Esotericism’ and ‘Christianity’ within the New Right in Germany and Austria

In public discourse in Germany and Austria, “esotericism” is repeatedly linked with neo-Nazism, right-wing extremism, and hostility toward democracy. In several instances, reports from the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution warn of “brown esotericism” and describe a milieu that has increasingly acted in anti-democratic ways since the coronavirus pandemic. In academic discourse, recent publications have criticized the collaboration between research on “Western Esotericism” and New Right circles, arguing that such cooperation forms part of a New Right strategy to rebrand far-right thinkers like Julius Evola as merely “conservative,” without critically engaging with his fascist positions and political activities. This lecture will take a closer look at these ongoing debates. Drawing on my own research into the publication networks of the New Right in Germany and Austria, I will argue that the reception of “Traditionalism” and “Neo-Paganism” within these networks serves both ideological formation and mutual self-assurance. This runs alongside a more recent “claim to Christianity” in New Right publications, in which the political category of a “strong Christianity” emerges—marking New Right political positions as “Christian” in order to enhance their public acceptance.