Association for the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism ‒ Center for the Study of Religion, Russian State University for the Humanities ‒ Art Deco Museum (Moscow):  

Second Call for Papers ‒ Ninth International Conference on Mystic and Esoteric Movements in Theory and Practice: Mysticism and Esotericism in Russia and Other Post-Soviet Countries. 9-11 November 2017, Moscow

For hundreds of years, a wide variety of mystic and esoteric movements has been active in the large region which is currently home to a plethora of countries that have over the course of their history been part of Rus, Russia, and the Soviet Union. Some of these movements were part of the wider tradition of Western esotericism, interpreted through a local lens, others had an indigenous character, and yet others were influenced by Eastern teachings. Moreover, Russia and other post-Soviet countries produced a number of charismatic personalities who became the founders of particular esoteric traditions, which deeply influenced the esoteric makeup of the region. Contemporary Russia and other post-Soviet countries are also home to a plethora of esoteric communities, schools, and influential persons. Even though this wide spectrum of mystic and esoteric movements has been under study for quite some time now, there are many blank areas remaining which await their scholar.

The conference invites scholars specializing in the study of esotericism, scholars of religion, philosophers, historians, scholars of culture, psychologists, sociologists, and all other interested scholars to discuss the following range of topics:

• methodological and terminological problems of the scholarly study of esotericism in the region;
  
• conceptual foundations of mystic and esoteric movements in the region;
  
• languages of self-description used by mystic and esoteric movements in Russia and other countries in the region;
  
• main periods of the history of esotericism in Russia and other post-Soviet countries;
  
• mysticism and esotericism in literature and art of the region;
  
• Soviet esotericism;
  
• characteristic aspects of esotericism in Russia and other contemporary post-Soviet countries;
  
• mystic aspects of philosophy in countries of the region;
  
• the Western context of Russian esotericism in countries of the region;
  
• Eastern influence on esotericism and mysticism in post-Soviet countries.
  

The organizational fee will be used to cover the costs of organizing the conference as well as the publication of conference papers, which is planned after the conference takes place. The conference fee is paid at the time of registration.

The organizational fee does not include transportation, lodging, food or possible additional services (tours, museums, and so on). The organizing committee does not provide lodging for conference participants; however, it will provide information on local options at the request of an accepted participant.

Attending the conference without giving a paper is free for ASEM members, as well as the professors and students of the host university. All others must pay an organizational fee, the size of which will be announced later.

The organizing committee is open to propositions of material and informational support from interested physical and legal persons.

Organizing committee chairs:

Sergey V. Pakhomov, Nikolai V. Shaburov

Organizing committee:

Evgeny L. Kuzmishin, Birgit Menzel, Stanislav A. Panin, Vladislav S. Razdyakonov, Yury F. Rodichenkov, Ludmila G. Zhukova.

Conference address:

Moscow, 6 Miusskaya Square (RSUH)

E-mail: esoterra.asem@gmail.com