Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486-1535) is most famous for his Three Books on Occult Philosophy (1510/33) and his skeptical treatise On the Uncertainty and Vanity of the Arts and Sciences (1526/7). While not as well known, Agrippa also composed a number of other works, especially during his time in Italy from 1511-1518. This collection presents translations of some of those writings, including the surviving fragment of Agrippa's lecture at Pavia on the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus, and his most Hermetic essay, On the Threefold Way of Knowing God. These reveal Agrippa's deepening interest in combining Hermetic spirituality with Christian mysticism following his more (in)famous work on occult philosophy.
This compilation also includes a new translation of the epilogue material from the original 1533 printing of the Three Books on Occult Philosophy, which gives insight into Agrippa's mature position on the question of magic. Several of these texts appear here for the first time in contemporary English translation, each copiously annotated and accompanied by an extensive bibliography. The original Latin texts are presented alongside the English translations on facing pages, allowing readers to engage directly with Agrippa's own words. While many are already familiar with his skeptical and occult writings, these more mystically and Hermetically-oriented texts provide another window into the mind of this important Renaissance philosopher, making this volume indispensable for all scholars and students of the Western Esoteric tradition.
Dr. Dan Attrell is a Canadian intellectual historian, classicist, translator, and scholar of Medieval and Early Modern Latin texts in the Western Esoteric tradition. He is currently serving as a lecturer in Classics and Medieval Studies at the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Justin Sledge is an award-winning American lecturer on philosophy and religion. He is also the host of the popular YouTube channel Esoterica, which explores a wide variety of topics in Western Esotericism through a critical and academic lens.
