| The word esoteric has many meanings. Some of them apply to spiritual traditions. Until recently, esoteric religious traditions were outside the pale of academic inquiry, and scholarship has dramatically increased in the past thirty years. What are we learning about esotericism? What are we failing to learn? Richard Smoley (A.B. Harvard, M.A. Oxford) is the author of eleven books, including Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition and Forbidden Faith: The Secret History of Gnosticism. He has lectured widely and currently serves as editor of Quest: Journal of the Theosophical Society in America. | 