Africana Esoteric Studies and Western Intellectual Hegemony: A Continuing Conversation with Western Esotericism
Historia religionum February 1, 2021 S. Finley, B. Gray, H. R. Page
This essay argues that Africana esoteric studies (AES) should not be constrained by the frameworks of Western esoteric studies, which are part of a colonial project that marginalizes Africana peoples and epistemologies. AES focuses on how the global Africana community uses secrecy, concealment, and selective disclosure for survival and flourishing. The authors respond to Wouter Hanegraaff's critique, asserting that AES's distinctive concerns must remain independent of Western taxonomies and hermeneutics.