Esoteric
Esoteric means "hidden", "for the few", or "for the elite" or inner circle, the extraordinary or special, reserved; as distinct from exoteric meaning "open, exposed", "for the many", or "for the common people", the masses or the mob, the crowds, the ordinary.
The word is sometimes used as a synonym for "complicated", "complex", "highly technical", "advanced knowledge", "unnecessarily confusing", "difficult or impossible to understand", "generally obscure", "incomprehensible" and "mystical".
Esotericism, the belief in and study of esoteric spiritual matters, is often mistakenly confused with Occultism.
Esoteric Christianity is a generic term for a multitude of heresies rejected by exoteric orthodox catholic Christianity from the 1st through the 20th centuries which generally embody Gnostic and New Age teachings, such as Marcionism, Catharism and Theosophy (proposed by H. P. Blavatsky, originally a baptized member of the Russian Orthodox Church).
See also
- Esoteric subjects most people find incomprehensible
Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)
External links
- The Free Dictionary. esoteric (thefreedictionary.com)
- New World Encyclopedia. Esotericism (newworldencyclopedia.org)
- The Great Heresies a list of heresies committed by Catholics
- Catholics United for the Faith. The New Age Movement (cuf.org) evaluation of incompatibility of Theosophical Society teachings
- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky: Early years (theosophy.wiki)
Helena Blavatsky: Childhood 1831-49 (wikipedia.org)
