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Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy
Living Theurgy is a masterpiece combining scholarly excellence with lucid practicality. Theurgy (‘god-working’) is a combination of ritual mystical practices interwoven with philosophy and theology. It was developed by Iamblichus and other Neoplatonists inspired by the works of philosophers including Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras, and Julian the Chaldean.
Author and scholar Jeffrey Kupperman elucidates and makes accessible the core ideologies and practices of Theurgy, which evolved through more than 1000 years of Platonic philosophy and cultural transformations. Kupperman guides the reader through the contemplative and theurgical practices used by the Neoplatonists to create effective spiritual transformation in the practitioner.
Philosophia (Philosophy) as the foundation of Theurgy is explored through techniques such as lectio divina (‘divine reading’) contemplation and visualisation. It focuses on discussion of key concepts including virtue, wisdom, bravery, temperance, justice, evil, political philosophy, beauty and love.
Theologia (Theology) considers the One, also known as the Good, which is the source of all, through the spectrum of monotheism, polytheism and panentheism. It also explores different views regarding the nature and functions of the Demiurge, angels and daimons, and the human soul, and the practices of Theurgy, including the use of hymns and prayers.
Theourgia (Theurgy) focuses on the practices, from purification and the use of signs, symbols and tokens to talismancy and the ensouling of eikons (divine images). The work concludes with a complete guide to the Invocation of the Personal Daimon, an essential step in the theurgic process of purification and illumination in seeking the Divine.
Living Theurgy is a literary psychopomp for practitioners seeking effective methods of developing their knowledge and relationship with the divine through Neoplatonic praxis. It is essential reading for all those interested in traditional forms of magical, philosophical, and religious practice, and the history of the western mysteries.
Author and scholar Jeffrey Kupperman elucidates and makes accessible the core ideologies and practices of Theurgy, which evolved through more than 1000 years of Platonic philosophy and cultural transformations. Kupperman guides the reader through the contemplative and theurgical practices used by the Neoplatonists to create effective spiritual transformation in the practitioner.
Philosophia (Philosophy) as the foundation of Theurgy is explored through techniques such as lectio divina (‘divine reading’) contemplation and visualisation. It focuses on discussion of key concepts including virtue, wisdom, bravery, temperance, justice, evil, political philosophy, beauty and love.
Theologia (Theology) considers the One, also known as the Good, which is the source of all, through the spectrum of monotheism, polytheism and panentheism. It also explores different views regarding the nature and functions of the Demiurge, angels and daimons, and the human soul, and the practices of Theurgy, including the use of hymns and prayers.
Theourgia (Theurgy) focuses on the practices, from purification and the use of signs, symbols and tokens to talismancy and the ensouling of eikons (divine images). The work concludes with a complete guide to the Invocation of the Personal Daimon, an essential step in the theurgic process of purification and illumination in seeking the Divine.
Living Theurgy is a literary psychopomp for practitioners seeking effective methods of developing their knowledge and relationship with the divine through Neoplatonic praxis. It is essential reading for all those interested in traditional forms of magical, philosophical, and religious practice, and the history of the western mysteries.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 31, 2017
Theurgy presented in a manner that is neither intrinsically tied to Paganism nor to Abrahamic Neoplatonism - even tho one feels that Dr. Kupperman's personal preferences swing to the former. Rather, author shows how both the theory and the practice of Theurgy can be naturally and, ultimately, beneficially integrated with the widest variety of religious traditions. Theurgy, so presented, could be viewed as this veritable Yoga of the West.
While Dr. Kupperman tried to make his work as accessible to general reader as is humanly possible, trying to provide something of crash-course in Neoplatonic metaphysics, one should have good grounding in the classical philosophy if one one expects to get anything genuinely worthwhile out of this.
While Dr. Kupperman tried to make his work as accessible to general reader as is humanly possible, trying to provide something of crash-course in Neoplatonic metaphysics, one should have good grounding in the classical philosophy if one one expects to get anything genuinely worthwhile out of this.
December 23, 2021
De flesta som känner mig vet att jag använder "Platonist!" som ett skällsord. En av de värre sakerna man kan vara enligt undertecknad, endast överträffad av syltrygg. Den beskrivningen utsträcks kategoriskt inte till neoplatonister, vilka inkorporerat aristotelisk logik i sin spiritualism, till den punkt där de kan beskrivas som empiriska idealister. Det gör att de ofta kommer med märkliga idéer, men så gott som alltid idéer som är väl värda att både ta på allvar och utforska med egna övningar.
Denna bok är något så ovanligt som en handbok i neoplatonism skriven av en praktiserande neoplatonist. Den första 1/3 är den användbara - här beskrivs de filosofiska grundvalarna och övningarna som traditionen utvecklat. Nästa 1/3 är en grundbok i platonsk teologi, medan den sista är ett slags gudstjänsthandbok för neoplatoniker. Dessa delar är akademiskt spännande, men kanske inte anvädbara för de av oss som inte är lockade att konvertera.
Som helhet rekommenderar jag boken för intresserade av renässansfilosofi (där neoplatonismen får en av sina starkaste blomstringar, väl och praktiskt beskriven i denna bok) samt för de som tycker att idén om experimentell spiritualitet är intressant.
Denna bok är något så ovanligt som en handbok i neoplatonism skriven av en praktiserande neoplatonist. Den första 1/3 är den användbara - här beskrivs de filosofiska grundvalarna och övningarna som traditionen utvecklat. Nästa 1/3 är en grundbok i platonsk teologi, medan den sista är ett slags gudstjänsthandbok för neoplatoniker. Dessa delar är akademiskt spännande, men kanske inte anvädbara för de av oss som inte är lockade att konvertera.
Som helhet rekommenderar jag boken för intresserade av renässansfilosofi (där neoplatonismen får en av sina starkaste blomstringar, väl och praktiskt beskriven i denna bok) samt för de som tycker att idén om experimentell spiritualitet är intressant.
June 10, 2022
Excellent précis on Iamblicus and theurgy. Also comes with exercises for private meditations on the themes. I didn't do the latter: I've come to believe God doesn't want or need programmatic exercises.
July 4, 2017
Heathen Theurgia and Theoria: Or rites that once belonged to all. Well written, researched, practical, and beautifully conveyed. Apart from the "apologetic" Abrahamic parts (Christian-Jewish-Muslim) intermissions that murdered (sic!) these beautiful traditions, I find it a core reading for modern neo-platonic practicioners.
April 29, 2023
There are as many types and styles of Platonism as there are Platonists. New Academy or Old Academy? Middle Platonism or NeoPlatonism? They differ in emphasis and often in the degree of eclecticism with which they have absorbed principles from other philosophical schools.
Iamblichus is one of the leading lights of Neoplatonism, which was one of the final forms of Platonism flourishing alongside Christianity in the 2nd to 5th centuries. Including luminaries like Plotinus and Porphyry, Proclus and Pseudo Dionysius, this was the style of Platonism which featured strongly in the Renaissance revivals of figures like Marsilio Ficino.
Most histories of philosophy present philosophies as sets of ideas. That may be accurate as far as it goes, but we know that in the ancient world philosophies often functioned more like religions. So there is something missing in traditional histories of philosophy which reduce them to doctrines.
This book sets out to change that. It presents Neoplatonism as a set of ideas, but it goes beyond that by presenting the practices which enables a person to ‘do’ Neoplatonism, rather than merely learn about it. Does that create a dilemma for modern people who might already have their own religion? Possibly, but not necessarily. One of the things stressed by the book is the way that Neoplatonism found expressions in other religions like mystagogic Christianity, Judaism (Kabbalah) and Islam (Suffism). To be a Neoplatonist can be a stand-alone commitment, or it can be compatible with other faiths. That flexibility is an aspect of what made it so significant in the ancient world.
At its heart Neoplatonism is a theoria and theurgia. Theoria is the ideas of its worldview, and the philosopher engages with them through meditations. This book ends each chapter with guided meditations to help readers think about issues such as the nature of reality, God and spirits, the nature of themselves and their formulation and use of virtues, like courage, justice, etc.
The theurgia element is explained as ritual action, but the author notes that we have no records of authentic Neoplatonist theurgies, so this is the more speculative part of the book. Theurgia consists of 3 elements: dietary rules, sacrifice and hymody. We hear about ancient philosophical commitments to vegetarianism, as well as more idiosyncratic (albeit symbolic) abstinences from fruits like apples.
The theme of sacrifice found expression in animal sacrifice within historical expressions of (pagan) Neoplatonism. But the author notes that there were also sacrifices of incense and other things which devotees found valuable. One of the questions raised by sacrifice is what its point is. It cannot change or influence God, so why bother? Firstly sacrifice is appropriate for the creator, but secondly and more significantly, the commitment to sacrifice changes the sacrifice. Sacrifice is as important as Diet in transforming people, both physically and mentally.
The Hymnody theme shows the importance of collective community practices within Neoplatonism. The book also includes rituals for home practice, and some of the more esoteric practices associated with predictive and medical astrologies.
Overall this is a good summary of Neoplatonism, and an excellent attempt to present it in a more realistic way according to how it would have been experienced in the ancient world. The book combines exposition with clear explanation in straightforward language. It references its ideas to ancient literature and provides notes and references (10% of the book). But it is also careful to not allow technicalities to get in the way of a clear and simple portrayal of its ideas.
Iamblichus is one of the leading lights of Neoplatonism, which was one of the final forms of Platonism flourishing alongside Christianity in the 2nd to 5th centuries. Including luminaries like Plotinus and Porphyry, Proclus and Pseudo Dionysius, this was the style of Platonism which featured strongly in the Renaissance revivals of figures like Marsilio Ficino.
Most histories of philosophy present philosophies as sets of ideas. That may be accurate as far as it goes, but we know that in the ancient world philosophies often functioned more like religions. So there is something missing in traditional histories of philosophy which reduce them to doctrines.
This book sets out to change that. It presents Neoplatonism as a set of ideas, but it goes beyond that by presenting the practices which enables a person to ‘do’ Neoplatonism, rather than merely learn about it. Does that create a dilemma for modern people who might already have their own religion? Possibly, but not necessarily. One of the things stressed by the book is the way that Neoplatonism found expressions in other religions like mystagogic Christianity, Judaism (Kabbalah) and Islam (Suffism). To be a Neoplatonist can be a stand-alone commitment, or it can be compatible with other faiths. That flexibility is an aspect of what made it so significant in the ancient world.
At its heart Neoplatonism is a theoria and theurgia. Theoria is the ideas of its worldview, and the philosopher engages with them through meditations. This book ends each chapter with guided meditations to help readers think about issues such as the nature of reality, God and spirits, the nature of themselves and their formulation and use of virtues, like courage, justice, etc.
The theurgia element is explained as ritual action, but the author notes that we have no records of authentic Neoplatonist theurgies, so this is the more speculative part of the book. Theurgia consists of 3 elements: dietary rules, sacrifice and hymody. We hear about ancient philosophical commitments to vegetarianism, as well as more idiosyncratic (albeit symbolic) abstinences from fruits like apples.
The theme of sacrifice found expression in animal sacrifice within historical expressions of (pagan) Neoplatonism. But the author notes that there were also sacrifices of incense and other things which devotees found valuable. One of the questions raised by sacrifice is what its point is. It cannot change or influence God, so why bother? Firstly sacrifice is appropriate for the creator, but secondly and more significantly, the commitment to sacrifice changes the sacrifice. Sacrifice is as important as Diet in transforming people, both physically and mentally.
The Hymnody theme shows the importance of collective community practices within Neoplatonism. The book also includes rituals for home practice, and some of the more esoteric practices associated with predictive and medical astrologies.
Overall this is a good summary of Neoplatonism, and an excellent attempt to present it in a more realistic way according to how it would have been experienced in the ancient world. The book combines exposition with clear explanation in straightforward language. It references its ideas to ancient literature and provides notes and references (10% of the book). But it is also careful to not allow technicalities to get in the way of a clear and simple portrayal of its ideas.
November 18, 2024
This book went right along with my course of self studies. It offered a higher grade of discipline, having attained such knowledge what to do with it. I really like iamblichus' philosophy but here offered only but a treat of this subject, ill have to search for more of this subject.
February 3, 2019
Theurgy Put Into Practice
This is a good book for one who wants not only to understand theurgy, but to incorporate it into their daily life.
This is a good book for one who wants not only to understand theurgy, but to incorporate it into their daily life.
May 21, 2024
An excellent overview of theurgy and its links to classical philosophy. I plan to work through it when I can.
February 13, 2025
Absolutely fantastic book, everybody interested in mystic Neoplatonism should read it
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews