New Books in Indian Religions Karl-Stéphan Bouthillette, "Metaphysics As Therapy: List-Making and Renunciation in Gnostic Yogas" (Springer, 2025)
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May 1, 2025 Karl-Stéphan Bouthillette is the author of "Metaphysics As Therapy: List-Making and Renunciation in Gnostic Yogas," focusing on spiritual transformation in South Asian traditions. He reveals how metaphysical list-making serves as a pivotal tool in Gnostic Yogas, encouraging personal growth and healing. The conversation explores the philosophy behind Gnostic Yoga, contrasting ancient practices with modern interpretations. Bouthillette advocates for a diverse approach to spiritual methodologies, blending Eastern and Western philosophies for a holistic understanding.
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List-Making in Gnostic Yogas
- Gnostic yogas emphasize metaphysical list-making as a dialectical spiritual exercise for transformation.
- They focus on taxonomy to cultivate knowledge leading to renunciation and liberation.
Gnostic Yoga as Therapeutic Knowledge
- Yoga in this book means a discipline aiming at therapeutic renunciation towards liberation.
- Gnostic yogas define spiritual practice as cultivating knowledge to transcend and realize liberation.
Dual Nature of Knowledge in Yoga
- Knowledge in Gnostic yoga is both a means and an end, moving from conceptual to immediate, experiential realization.
- Textual knowledge leads to transcendence through dialectical practice negating conceptual categories.
