Peter J Forshaw
I researched my doctorate in Early Modern Intellectual History on the complex hieroglyphic and theosophical figures and the interplay of alchemy, magic and cabala in the Amphitheatrum sapientiae aeternae (1595/1609) of Heinrich Khunrath of Leipzig (1560-1605), 'doctor of both medicines and faithful lover of Theosophy'.
Following my PhD, I was then awarded a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship for research into the History of Ritual Magic in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This period of research was then followed by fellowships at the universities of Strathclyde and Cambridge, where I worked on projects related to early modern alchemy and astrology.
In 2009 I was appointed Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer for History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period at the Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, University of Amsterdam.
I was Editor in Chief of Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism from 2010-2020 and continue to serve on the editorial board. For more information about the content of the issues, please visit the Aries Journal: Western Esotericism (2010-2020) link below.
I am also member of the editorial boards of Ambix, Journal for the Society of the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (ed. Bruce Moran), História Revista, Correspondences: Online Journal for the Academic Study of Western Esotericism (ed. Aren Roukema), Ashgate's new book series, Universal Reform: Studies in Intellectual History, 1550-1700 (eds. Howard Hotson and Vladimír Urbánek), Peter Lang's new series Apocalypticism: Cross-Disciplinary Explorations (ed. Carlos Segovia) and OUP's new Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism (ed. Henrik Bogdan).
From 2004-2011 I was elected council member and webmaster of the SRS (Society for Renaissance Studies). I served as webmaster and council member for ESSWE (European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism) from 2009-2017. I've been council member for SHAC (Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry) since 2007.
From 2018-2022 I worked part-time as Head of the Ritman Research Institute, Amsterdam, in The House with the Heads, once owned by a “Mercator Sapiens”; hence the heads of Mercury and Minerva above the door. I worked on the Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer (Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians), on a long-term project of 'Teaching by Images', and various other projects including plans for Alchemy and Hermetica rooms. This came to an abrupt and unexpected end in July 2022.
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Address: Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents,
University of Amsterdam,
Oost-Indisch Huis,
Kloveniersburgwal 48,
Room D1.08A
1012 CX Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
Following my PhD, I was then awarded a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship for research into the History of Ritual Magic in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This period of research was then followed by fellowships at the universities of Strathclyde and Cambridge, where I worked on projects related to early modern alchemy and astrology.
In 2009 I was appointed Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer for History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period at the Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, University of Amsterdam.
I was Editor in Chief of Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism from 2010-2020 and continue to serve on the editorial board. For more information about the content of the issues, please visit the Aries Journal: Western Esotericism (2010-2020) link below.
I am also member of the editorial boards of Ambix, Journal for the Society of the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (ed. Bruce Moran), História Revista, Correspondences: Online Journal for the Academic Study of Western Esotericism (ed. Aren Roukema), Ashgate's new book series, Universal Reform: Studies in Intellectual History, 1550-1700 (eds. Howard Hotson and Vladimír Urbánek), Peter Lang's new series Apocalypticism: Cross-Disciplinary Explorations (ed. Carlos Segovia) and OUP's new Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism (ed. Henrik Bogdan).
From 2004-2011 I was elected council member and webmaster of the SRS (Society for Renaissance Studies). I served as webmaster and council member for ESSWE (European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism) from 2009-2017. I've been council member for SHAC (Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry) since 2007.
From 2018-2022 I worked part-time as Head of the Ritman Research Institute, Amsterdam, in The House with the Heads, once owned by a “Mercator Sapiens”; hence the heads of Mercury and Minerva above the door. I worked on the Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer (Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians), on a long-term project of 'Teaching by Images', and various other projects including plans for Alchemy and Hermetica rooms. This came to an abrupt and unexpected end in July 2022.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address: Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents,
University of Amsterdam,
Oost-Indisch Huis,
Kloveniersburgwal 48,
Room D1.08A
1012 CX Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
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Papers by Peter J Forshaw
Der bekannteste Kupferstich aus dem Amphitheater ewiger Weisheit (1595/1609) des „Doktors der beiden Medizinen und treuen Liebhabers der Theosophie“, Heinrich Khunrath aus Leipzig (1560–1605), ist ohne Zweifel die runde „theosophische“ Figur des Oratorium-Laboratorium. Arbeit und Gebet, so wird hier deutlich, sind gleichermaßen von Bedeutung. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert die beiden Hauptachsen des Bildes und identifiziert einige Quellen der Inschriften. Zugleich werden aber auch der Vorder- und Hintergrund des Stichs in den Blick genommen, wodurch sich weitere Dimensionen in Khunraths okkulter Praktik eröffnen.
If you are interested in short descriptions and analyses of images from alchemy, magic, Kabbalah, and tarot, please take a look at my Instagram page @petrus.malus
Authors: Egil Asprem, Justine M. Bakker, Tessel M. Bauduin, Henrik Bogdan, Jean-Pierre Brach, Roelof van den Broek, Dylan M. Burns, Allison P. Coudert, Antoine Faivre, Claire Fanger, Christine Ferguson, Peter J. Forshaw, Joscelyn Godwin, Kennet Granholm, J. Christian Greer, Olav Hammer, Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Boaz Huss, Massimo Introvigne, Andreas B. Kilcher, Jeffrey J. Kripal, John MacMurphy, Mriganka Mukhopadhyay, Bernd-Christian Otto, Marco Pasi, Mark Sedgwick, Julian Strube, Gyorgy E. Szonyi, Elliot R. Wolfson, Mike A. Zuber.
In the introduction to Curiositez, Gaffarel justifies his choice of the book’s title by reminding his reader that the curiosities he is discussing, obscure even to their originators, the Jews, are indeed « unheard of » by most Christians, due to their ignorance of the Hebrew language. During the course of these discussions Gaffarel displays his personal knowledge of Hebrew and with it an interest in a doctrine that was a relative newcomer to the Christian West, the Jewish tradition of Kabbalah. This, too, is discussed under the assumption that it is in no way hostile to Christianity, indeed it is presented as a subject that can only serve to deepen a Christian’s knowledge of his own religion and guide him on the path to salvation. Further reading of Gaffarel’s publications reveals a protracted interest in the subject of « Oriental » Jewish Kabbalah and its more recent Occidental mutation, Christian Cabala, concerning which he has been recognised as one of the most prolific authors. This essay shall provide some evidence of the French scholar’s familiarity with the subject.