Dr. Wouter Hanegraaff

Biography

Wouter J. Hanegraaff (1961) studied classical guitar at the Municipal Conservatory of Zwolle from 1982 to 1987, followed by Cultural History at the University of Utrecht from 1986 to 1990, focusing on alternative religious movements of the 20th century. He served as a research assistant in the Study of Religions department at the University of Utrecht from 1992 to 1996, defending his dissertation on the topic of New Age Religion in Western Culture: Esotericism as a Mirror of Secular Thought in 1995 with honors. His academic journey progressed as he received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Dutch Association for Scientific Research from 1996 to 2000 during which he spent a significant period in Paris. In 1999, he was appointed as a full professor at the University of Amsterdam in the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents. Hanegraaff has notably led several academic organizations, including the Dutch Society for the Study of Religion and the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, and has been recognized as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His extensive editorial contributions and scholarly publications focus on the intersections of esotericism, cultural history, and religious studies, establishing him as a central figure in the academic study of Western esotericism.

Research Interests

Experience