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| author | Thomas Franklin Millary |
| title | American Hermetic: An Account of Human Purpose |
| abstract | Hermetic spirituality combines a reverence for nature with an unapologetic anthropocentricism, which sees human consciousness as
containing infinite divine potential. Since its origins in Alexandria of late antiquity, it has become a largely obscure tradition, excluding the intense focus that
it received during the Italian Renaissance. However, the trajectory of American philosophy that began with the transcendentalism of Ralph Waldo Emerson constitutes a
renewal of the core ideas the drove the Hermetic project. Reading Hermeticism alongside the American schools of transcendentalism, pragmatism, and ecstatic naturalism
can strengthen the insights of both traditions. The magical spiritual vision of Hermeticism can embolden the American philosophical view of humanity while the American
commitment to naturalism can add greater metaphysical integrity to the Hermetic worldview. An Americanized Hermeticism is able to account for the dark and tragic
qualities of nature while still retaining a sense of humanity's divine destiny. |
| school | The Theological School, Drew University |
| degree | M.A. (2017) |
| advisor | Catherine Keller |
| committee | Robert Corrington, Chris Boesel |
| full text | TFMillary.pdf |
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