Tim Rudbøg

Tim Rudbøg

Associate Professor - Promotion Programme

Tim Rudbøg is a professional historian of religions who has taught many courses and published widely on an array of topics within the field. Rudbøg has a particular interest in the study of esotericism, Helena P. Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society and directs the Copenhagen Centre for the Study of Theosophy and Esotericism. Rudbøg was elected into the UCPH-Forward talent programme 2020 and has been accepted into the full professor promotion programme at the University of Copenhagen. Currently, Rudbøg is the head of education for the Study of Religions and and the study board representative for the Study of Religions at the University of Copenhagen.

More recent books include the educational handbook The Academic Study of Western Esotericism: Foundational Theories and Methods (H.E.R.M.E.S.' Academic Press, 2022) and the co-edited volumes Imagining the East: The Early Theosophical Society (Oxford University Press, 2020) and Innovation in Esotericism from the Renaissance to the Present (Palgrave, 2021), Esotericism and Deviance (Brill, 2023).

Educational background:

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History (Western esotericism) from the University of Exeter, UK (Thesis on H. P. Blavatsky's Theosophy in Context: The Construction of Meaning in Modern Esotericism supervised by Prof. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke and Richard Noakes)
  • University teacher training (adjunktpedagogikum)
  • Research Master of Arts (MA) in The History of Religions with Philosophy from the University of Copenhagen (Thesis:  Constructing Kabbalah: From Jewish Mysticism to Western Esotericism, supervised by Prof. Catharina Raudvere)
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA) in The Science of Religion with Philosophy from the University of Copenhagen (project being a comparison between Hegel and Blavatsky's understandings of religion)

Research Focus Areas - Supervision

  • (1) The history of esotericism (mysticism, magic and occultism)
  • (2) H. P. Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society
  • (3) Modern religions
  • (4) Theory and Method in the Study of Religions
  • (5) The History of Ideas
  • (6) The relation between Religion, Science and Philosophy
  • (7) Indian religions and the global exchange/change of ideas and practices

Editorships

Occasional Papers (Theosophical History)

Theosophical History Journal (new editor from 2023)

Pan-Sophia: a student journal

Den Store Danske (øvrig tro) Danish National Encyclopedia

Current research

H.P. Blavatsky's Theosophy, The Secret Doctrine, Evolution, knowledge boundaries (five year project 2017-2022)

Ph.d.- supervision (2020-2023)

  • Bjarke Stanley Nielsen (Theosophy and Global History)
  • Samanta Viziale (Theosophy and Art) (co-supervised with prof. Massimo Leone, University of Torino)
Memberships and network

Teaching:

 Teaching 2023:

  • Religion, Culture and Society (with Morten Warmind)
  • Philosophy of Science (religion with Simon Stjernholm)
  • Nature, Humanity, and Global Perspectives in Modern Spirituality and Esotericism (with Kocku von Stuckrad and Bjarke S. Nielsen)
 Teaching 2022:
  • Esoteric traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history
  • Philosophy of Science (religion)
  • Nature, Humanity, and Global Perspectives in Modern Spirituality and Esotericism (with Kocku von Stuckrad and Sierra Humbert)

 Teaching 2021:

  • Esoteric traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history
  • Philosophy of Science (religion)
  • Nature, Humanity, and Global Perspectives in Modern Spirituality and Esotericism (with Kocku von Stuckrad and Bjarke Stanley Nielsen)

 Teaching 2020:

  • Esoteric traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history
  • Philosophy of Science (religion)

Teaching 2019: 

  • Esoteric traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history
  • Philosophy of Science (religion)
  • Methods in the Study of Religions (with Brian Arly Jacobsen)

Teaching 2018:

  • Philosophy of Science (religion)
  • Western Esoteric Traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history

Teaching 2017:

  • Philosophy of Science (religion)
  • Western Esoteric Traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history
  • The New Spirituality and Modern Religious Crises: H. P. Blavatsky’s synthesis of ancient traditions and modern science 
  • History of Religions (Indian and Esoteric traditions)

Teaching 2016:

  • Philosophy of Science (religion)
  • Western Esoteric Traditions: across religion, science and philosophy in European history
  • History of Religions (Antiquity)

Teaching 2015:

  • Research History 
  • Intellectual and Religious Traditionalism
  • History of Religions (BA elective)
  • History of Religions 1 (antiquity)
  • Academic writing

Teaching 2014:

  • The Theosophical Movement: its history and significance
  • History of Religions I
  •  New Religions and their historical roots
  • Text and Method (with Catharina Raudvere)
  • Academic writing
 

ID: 97572067