NeoPlatonic Theurgy

What is Theurgy?

Theurgy (θεουργία, literally “divine work”) is best understood as a collaborative effort between human beings and the gods. The word was first used by the Chaldean Oracles in the second century CE and became fully elaborated in the ritual philosophy of the Neoplatonist Iamblichus (died c. 325 CE).

What is NeoPlatonism?

Unlike the earlier system of Plato which stressed the importance of contemplation to attain mystical union with the One, theurgic Neoplatonism also emphasizes ritual. Various ritual techniques serve to purify the vessel of the theurgist and enable his or her ascent to the divine source. Theurgic rituals utilize various divine sumbola (σύμβολα: symbols, tokens, passwords) and sunthemata (συνθήματα: tokens, signs, passwords, signatures), which consist of natural materials (stones, plants, incense, etc.), divine names, numerical constructs, and other ritual structures. A gradual process of ritual purification and ascent brings about the realization of the divinity within the individual. One way this can be understood is a shift in an individual’s perspective from the mortal to the divine. Therefore, the supposed body-soul “dualism” of Plato’s Phaedo and Phaedrus can be reconciled with the overall monistic system of the Timaeus (and of Neoplatonism in general). Matter is “connatural” with Soul, Soul with Intellect, and Intellect with the One. Theurgic ritual is the complementary moment of reversion to the demiurgic procession, understood to be a continuous cyclical movement. By coming to understand the hidden structures of the universe, the theurgist participates in its ongoing creation.

What works are included in this torrent?

On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians, also known as the Theurgia and under its abbreviated Latin title De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum (The Egyptian Mysteries) by Iamblichus

This is a work of Neoplatonic philosophy primarily concerned with ritual and theurgy and attributed to Iamblichus. Porphyry, one of the first popularizers of NeoPlatonism, is known to have had a disagreement with Iamblichus over the practice of theurgy, and the Mysteries consists mainly of Iamblichus' responses to the criticisms of his teacher.

Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus' Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy by Jeffrey S. Kupperman

This 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. "Philosophy is purifying, religion illuminating, but theurgy is uplifting." Introduction, Jeffrey Kupperman

Theurgy and the Soul by Gregory Shaw

This is a study of Iamblichus of Syria (ca. 240–325), whose teachings set the final form of pagan spirituality prior to the Christianization of the Roman Empire. Gregory Shaw focuses on the theory and practice of theurgy, the most controversial and significant aspect of Iamblichus's Platonism. Theurgy literally means "divine action."

Unlike previous Platonists who stressed the elevated status of the human soul, Iamblichus taught that the soul descended completely into the body and thereby required the performance of theurgic rites—revealed by the gods—to unite the soul with the One. Iamblichus was once considered one of the great philosophers whose views on the soul and the importance of ritual profoundly influenced subsequent Platonists such as Proclus and Damascius. The Emperor Julian followed Iamblichus's teachings to guide the restoration of traditional pagan cults in his campaign against Christianity. Although Julian was unsuccessful, Iamblichus's ideas persisted well into the Middle Ages and beyond.

His vision of a hierarchical cosmos united by divine ritual became the dominant world view for the entire medieval world and played an important role in the Renaissance Platonism of Marsilio Ficino. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that he expected a reading of Iamblichus to cause a "revival in the churches." But modern scholars have dismissed him, seeing theurgy as ritual magic or "manipulation of the gods." Shaw, however, shows that theurgy was a subtle and intellectually sophisticated attempt to apply Platonic and Pythagorean teachings to the full expression of human existence in the material world.