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Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus
Theurgy and the Soul is a study of Iamblichus of Syria (ca. 240 325), whose teachings set the final form of pagan spirituality prior to the Christianization of the Roman Empire. Gregory Shaw focuses on the theory and practice of theurgy, the most controversial and significant aspect of Iamblichus's Platonism. Theurgy literally means "divine action."
Unlike previous Platonists who stressed the elevated status of the human soul, Iamblichus taught that the soul descended completely into the body and thereby required the performance of theurgic rites revealed by the gods to unite the soul with the One. Iamblichus was once considered one of the great philosophers whose views on the soul and the importance of ritual profoundly influenced subsequent Platonists such as Proclus and Damascius. The Emperor Julian followed Iamblichus's teachings to guide the restoration of traditional pagan cults in his campaign against Christianity. Although Julian was unsuccessful, Iamblichus's ideas persisted well into the Middle Ages and beyond.
His vision of a hierarchical cosmos united by divine ritual became the dominant world view for the entire medieval world and played an important role in the Renaissance Platonism of Marsilio Ficino. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that he expected a reading of Iamblichus to cause a "revival in the churches." But modern scholars have dismissed him, seeing theurgy as ritual magic or "manipulation of the gods." Shaw, however, shows that theurgy was a subtle and intellectually sophisticated attempt to apply Platonic and Pythagorean teachings to the full expression of human existence in the material world."
Unlike previous Platonists who stressed the elevated status of the human soul, Iamblichus taught that the soul descended completely into the body and thereby required the performance of theurgic rites revealed by the gods to unite the soul with the One. Iamblichus was once considered one of the great philosophers whose views on the soul and the importance of ritual profoundly influenced subsequent Platonists such as Proclus and Damascius. The Emperor Julian followed Iamblichus's teachings to guide the restoration of traditional pagan cults in his campaign against Christianity. Although Julian was unsuccessful, Iamblichus's ideas persisted well into the Middle Ages and beyond.
His vision of a hierarchical cosmos united by divine ritual became the dominant world view for the entire medieval world and played an important role in the Renaissance Platonism of Marsilio Ficino. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that he expected a reading of Iamblichus to cause a "revival in the churches." But modern scholars have dismissed him, seeing theurgy as ritual magic or "manipulation of the gods." Shaw, however, shows that theurgy was a subtle and intellectually sophisticated attempt to apply Platonic and Pythagorean teachings to the full expression of human existence in the material world."
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 14, 2018
Gregory Shaw is one of those academics that are really a mystic in disguise. His work on Iamblichus is a fundamental part of the modern rediscovering of the so-called "irrational Platonists". This book is the best introduction you can have on Iamblichus, and honestly, I regret having read De Mysteriis before reading this. Iamblichean philosophy is beautiful and compelling, however, it rests on too many assumptions of platonic philosophy as a whole, and having read Iamblichus before I read Plato or a proper introduction made me miss some of his most interesting points.
At this point, Iamblichus is somewhat my spiritual master. The way he gives a Pythagorean and Platonic transcendent framework to theurgical practices in late antiquity is a work of genius and could have changed the world of religion if they had come at a more appropriate time. Not only does Iamblichean philosophy have every appeal Christianity had at the time, Iamblichus is the only philosopher I know that was able to create a theory of pagan transcendence that not only can compete with Christianity, it can actually solve many of its problems. We should not fool ourselves, while we have been giving all the fame to the more theological schools of Neoplatonism, I am convinced the theurgical school would have been the one that could convincingly argue against St. Augustine critique of paganism.
I find it fascinating the way Iamblichus divides souls and attributes certain types of worship to each one. I believe the mystical approach to mathematics and the soul would solve the modern hatred most kids have for math, and the only thing I really pity is the way we have lost all the information on actual Iamblichean practices (although we can reconstruct some with the PGM).
Shaw is and inspiring academic and writes amazingly. His explanations of the rather hard platonism of late antiquity are clear to the layest person in the world willing to make the effort to follow some pretty dense lines of thought.
Amazing.
At this point, Iamblichus is somewhat my spiritual master. The way he gives a Pythagorean and Platonic transcendent framework to theurgical practices in late antiquity is a work of genius and could have changed the world of religion if they had come at a more appropriate time. Not only does Iamblichean philosophy have every appeal Christianity had at the time, Iamblichus is the only philosopher I know that was able to create a theory of pagan transcendence that not only can compete with Christianity, it can actually solve many of its problems. We should not fool ourselves, while we have been giving all the fame to the more theological schools of Neoplatonism, I am convinced the theurgical school would have been the one that could convincingly argue against St. Augustine critique of paganism.
I find it fascinating the way Iamblichus divides souls and attributes certain types of worship to each one. I believe the mystical approach to mathematics and the soul would solve the modern hatred most kids have for math, and the only thing I really pity is the way we have lost all the information on actual Iamblichean practices (although we can reconstruct some with the PGM).
Shaw is and inspiring academic and writes amazingly. His explanations of the rather hard platonism of late antiquity are clear to the layest person in the world willing to make the effort to follow some pretty dense lines of thought.
Amazing.
May 21, 2022
Shaw's work refracts the divine light of Iamblichus' system to allow it to shine again in an era when such wavelengths have become invisible. In so doing, he convincingly explains the esteem in which Iamblichus was held for a millennium (second only to Plato).
That reputation was built upon a unified cosmic vision that both (a) provides an active role for all people, not just a contemplative elite, and (b) avoids the gnosticizing pitfalls of some Platonic worldviews which denigrate the material cosmos or set the individual soul against the created order. In Shaw's telling, theurgy is the practical application of a doctrine of a participatory and interrelated universe where synthemata link various herbs, animals, stones, planets, etc. to certain gods in an imbricated hierarchy stretching all the way up to the One. Because of those connections, there is a theurgical practice for every soul's station: material sacrifices elevate the common man's soul, while noetic sacrifices do the same for the philosopher. Shaw convincingly links Iamblichus' program to Pythagorean number mysticism but democratized to allow a role for even the neophyte.
It's easy to understand the appeal of this approach in late antiquity since it rescues pagan cultic practice and a venerable philosophical tradition, while competing with popular religions of individualized salvation like Mithraism and Christianity. Shaw's account really elucidates the stakes in the debate between Plotinus/Porphyry and Iamblichus on the undescended soul while also defending Iamblichus from charges of irrationalism or fetishism. He also notes briefly how the Catholic Church became a repository of much of the Iamblichean cosmic vision, although I would welcome a deeper exploration of that topic. I'm less familiar with Iamblichus than many other Platonists but this volume was a wonderful introduction and a highly sympathetic reading. Shaw is a clear writer and his enthusiasm for the subject shines through the text. Highly recommended.
That reputation was built upon a unified cosmic vision that both (a) provides an active role for all people, not just a contemplative elite, and (b) avoids the gnosticizing pitfalls of some Platonic worldviews which denigrate the material cosmos or set the individual soul against the created order. In Shaw's telling, theurgy is the practical application of a doctrine of a participatory and interrelated universe where synthemata link various herbs, animals, stones, planets, etc. to certain gods in an imbricated hierarchy stretching all the way up to the One. Because of those connections, there is a theurgical practice for every soul's station: material sacrifices elevate the common man's soul, while noetic sacrifices do the same for the philosopher. Shaw convincingly links Iamblichus' program to Pythagorean number mysticism but democratized to allow a role for even the neophyte.
It's easy to understand the appeal of this approach in late antiquity since it rescues pagan cultic practice and a venerable philosophical tradition, while competing with popular religions of individualized salvation like Mithraism and Christianity. Shaw's account really elucidates the stakes in the debate between Plotinus/Porphyry and Iamblichus on the undescended soul while also defending Iamblichus from charges of irrationalism or fetishism. He also notes briefly how the Catholic Church became a repository of much of the Iamblichean cosmic vision, although I would welcome a deeper exploration of that topic. I'm less familiar with Iamblichus than many other Platonists but this volume was a wonderful introduction and a highly sympathetic reading. Shaw is a clear writer and his enthusiasm for the subject shines through the text. Highly recommended.
November 23, 2019
Very useful book, especially the chapter on mathematics because Shaw uses diagrams to outline what Iamblichus is talking about. I liked the unpacking of terminology and the synthesis of things from across Iamblichus' writings about embodiment, matter, theurgy, and the soul's purification. I'm familiar with some of Shaw's other work and have heard him in a few interviews, so I was expecting him to do a compare/contrast with yoga based on his personal background. The results of that were very thought-provoking.
The parts of the book I liked less were the Foreword and the last paragraph of the book — I think it's a bit creepy for people to be talking about Christianity being the culmination of a belief system that it sounds like they tried to destroy and recycle for parts.
The parts of the book I liked less were the Foreword and the last paragraph of the book — I think it's a bit creepy for people to be talking about Christianity being the culmination of a belief system that it sounds like they tried to destroy and recycle for parts.
December 10, 2009
Very helpful analysis of Iamblichean Theurgy. It is difficult one to believe that theurgy was equivalent to Christian liturgy, because of course the later prevailed completely over the former. Shaw's observations are sometimes very illuminating, as of course are some of his comparisons of neoplatonic rites with other traditions, e.g. yoga. Analysis is highlighted by the use of diagrams in an original way. Highly recommented.
July 21, 2025
Shaw does an admirable job synthesizing complex metaphysical and ritual traditions into a coherent narrative, drawing on both primary sources and modern scholarship to illuminate a subject that is often neglected or misunderstood.
As someone relatively new to the subject of theurgy and not deeply versed in philosophy, I found the material occasionally dense and conceptually challenging. This is not a light or introductory read, it assumes a certain level of familiarity with Platonic and Neoplatonic thought, and readers without that background may find themselves rereading sections to fully grasp the arguments. That said, the book is worth the effort.
Overall, I appreciated Shaw’s scholarly approach and the clarity he brings to a very esoteric topic. It serves as an excellent summary of the core ideas surrounding theurgy as a spiritual and philosophical practice, and I would recommend it to anyone serious about exploring late antique spirituality, even if it demands a bit of patience.
As someone relatively new to the subject of theurgy and not deeply versed in philosophy, I found the material occasionally dense and conceptually challenging. This is not a light or introductory read, it assumes a certain level of familiarity with Platonic and Neoplatonic thought, and readers without that background may find themselves rereading sections to fully grasp the arguments. That said, the book is worth the effort.
Overall, I appreciated Shaw’s scholarly approach and the clarity he brings to a very esoteric topic. It serves as an excellent summary of the core ideas surrounding theurgy as a spiritual and philosophical practice, and I would recommend it to anyone serious about exploring late antique spirituality, even if it demands a bit of patience.
December 29, 2019
I ended this book with as little idea of what Iamblichus was about as when I had started. I couldn't help but wonder if Shaw himself had any idea of what Iamblichus was about. If so, he certainly didn't manage to convey it to the reader in any way, shape or form. There is page after page of seemingly meaningless verbiage. The central claim that Shaw is advancing is interesting enough, namely that Iamblichus changed the Platonist view of the soul from having an other-worldly status to belonging here in this physical incarnation. I bought this book entirely on the promise of having this claim explained, but I felt that nothing was ever made clear.
January 2, 2021
imperative.
June 4, 2024
Goog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2025
Such a great synopsis of Iamblichean theurgy. Im very excited to delve further into the theurgic practice and will be reading more from Shaw.
Read
January 26, 2026promises to be better understood in the future
December 14, 2019
Shaw does very well at laying out a foundation for further reading into neoplatonism, though Iamblichus is much more than that.
A mystical Plotinus with an eye upon the world and it's undercurrent, constantly swaying in defense of both matter and it's essense. Much of neoplatonism sways towards a duality between profane materia and the framework of internal Mind, Iamblichus guards against this.
The end of the book culminates into a crashing auspice by only the best of augurs. Many "pagans" would find this work refreshing for it's defense of "barbaric" worship and ritual. Iamblichus is very careful to delineate between ritual practice of sorcerers and that of theurgy. Which he defines and protects very well by staying the difference between influencing the gods, and by opening up to the gods who are eagerly waiting.
Towards the end much is said that will ring bells for those readers of "tradition". Of that ancient thought so sunken and choked in our days, such as mention of the body of light, hints at the Muse of Eros (think Dante's Beatrice), and even the runes.
I find Iamblichus to be refreshing and to also be a scholar of mystic approach. Iamblichus would have found much to trample and shun among the beats and hippies who still shrill today.
A mystical Plotinus with an eye upon the world and it's undercurrent, constantly swaying in defense of both matter and it's essense. Much of neoplatonism sways towards a duality between profane materia and the framework of internal Mind, Iamblichus guards against this.
The end of the book culminates into a crashing auspice by only the best of augurs. Many "pagans" would find this work refreshing for it's defense of "barbaric" worship and ritual. Iamblichus is very careful to delineate between ritual practice of sorcerers and that of theurgy. Which he defines and protects very well by staying the difference between influencing the gods, and by opening up to the gods who are eagerly waiting.
Towards the end much is said that will ring bells for those readers of "tradition". Of that ancient thought so sunken and choked in our days, such as mention of the body of light, hints at the Muse of Eros (think Dante's Beatrice), and even the runes.
I find Iamblichus to be refreshing and to also be a scholar of mystic approach. Iamblichus would have found much to trample and shun among the beats and hippies who still shrill today.
June 12, 2012
A very readable explication of a rather obscure stream in classical philosophy.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews