ARCANUM:
Journal of Esoteric Currents during the High Middle Ages
ARCANUM is an online, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that will focus on the enigmatic aspects of the literature of the High Middle Ages and attempt to relate them to contemporary esoteric currents.
Beginning in the middle of the twelfth century, the dominant Christian culture regained, through the work of translating schools, especially those located in Toledo, Spain, some of the lost learning of classical Greece and simultaneously won access to Arabic achievements in diverse fields of science. As the heir to ancient civilizations, Arabic culture also conveyed the fascination with esoteric theories in alchemy, astrology, and hermeticism.
The cultural confluence and agitation of the time was mirrored by widespread spiritual unrest which threatened to undermine the foundation of orthodox Christianity and became manifest in the dualistic heterodoxy of the Cathars and the yearning for mystical ascent in Jewish, Islamic, or Christian semblance.
ARCANUM will publish articles that explore the enigmatic aspects of literary works considered to be within the cultural mainstream. ARCANUM will also publish articles that explore contemporary esoteric currents and mystical beliefs. The intended cross-fertilization will lead to a more subtle comprehension of the zeitgeist of the High Middle Ages and encourage research to trace the path through which it may have entered the literature of the time.
The journal publishes individual papers on an article-by-article basis. Whenever a manuscript has completed its peer review process and the article galley has been approved by the author, it will be immediately published online in full-test version on the ARCANUM website.
If you are interested in submitting a manuscript for publication in ARCANUM, please see our Instructions for Authors.
ARCANUM online - journal content