This is a one-volume edition of the two-volume reference published in 2005. European scholars (mostly) and some North American and Australian scholars survey historical currents and personalities that have flourished in Western culture and society over roughly 2,000 years. While providing a broad reference work to traditions that involve secret teachings, they also question certain ingrained assumptions about the history of Western religion and culture, and promote new agendas and analytic frameworks for research in these areas. The text is accessible to readers with no specialized background in religions and hermetic matters. Only people are indexed, but the cross-referencing is extensive. Bibliographies are provided for each entry. Published under the auspices of the Chair of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)