In the face of this rise of the demonic which characterises late modernity, many are looking for solutions that will enable them to enjoy lives in union with God despite the diabolical influences on them, to which they’re exposed simply by being enmeshed in modern culture (or more accurately, anti-culture). Davis acknowledges that I hold the solution to such diabolical influences to be the mission of the Church, but he claims that I simultaneously argue that the Church must first be ‘saved by Hermetic magic’. Neither in that three-part essay nor in my book do I conclude that hermetic magic can save the Church. I posit the question, and in seeking to answer it, I highlight the limited ways by which certain authorities in Church history—especially invoking the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, Albert the Great, and Marsilio Ficino—have “stolen gold from the Egyptians” (as the Church Fathers Tertullian and Augustine put it). In so doing, I indicate how re-opening the dialogue with the Hermetic tradition, following the example of the doctors and holy people named above, among others—in a way not dissimilar to the Church’s dialogue with Hellenic wisdom, Roman law, and the traditions of nations (especially of Europe)—could plausibly help us to overcome certain challenges we face on account of widespread rationalism.
18 August 2025
Snuffing the Pyre: A Reply to Michael Warren Davis
From Peter Kwasniewski
In the face of this rise of the demonic which characterises late modernity, many are looking for solutions that will enable them to enjoy lives in union with God despite the diabolical influences on them, to which they’re exposed simply by being enmeshed in modern culture (or more accurately, anti-culture). Davis acknowledges that I hold the solution to such diabolical influences to be the mission of the Church, but he claims that I simultaneously argue that the Church must first be ‘saved by Hermetic magic’. Neither in that three-part essay nor in my book do I conclude that hermetic magic can save the Church. I posit the question, and in seeking to answer it, I highlight the limited ways by which certain authorities in Church history—especially invoking the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, Albert the Great, and Marsilio Ficino—have “stolen gold from the Egyptians” (as the Church Fathers Tertullian and Augustine put it). In so doing, I indicate how re-opening the dialogue with the Hermetic tradition, following the example of the doctors and holy people named above, among others—in a way not dissimilar to the Church’s dialogue with Hellenic wisdom, Roman law, and the traditions of nations (especially of Europe)—could plausibly help us to overcome certain challenges we face on account of widespread rationalism.
In the face of this rise of the demonic which characterises late modernity, many are looking for solutions that will enable them to enjoy lives in union with God despite the diabolical influences on them, to which they’re exposed simply by being enmeshed in modern culture (or more accurately, anti-culture). Davis acknowledges that I hold the solution to such diabolical influences to be the mission of the Church, but he claims that I simultaneously argue that the Church must first be ‘saved by Hermetic magic’. Neither in that three-part essay nor in my book do I conclude that hermetic magic can save the Church. I posit the question, and in seeking to answer it, I highlight the limited ways by which certain authorities in Church history—especially invoking the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, Albert the Great, and Marsilio Ficino—have “stolen gold from the Egyptians” (as the Church Fathers Tertullian and Augustine put it). In so doing, I indicate how re-opening the dialogue with the Hermetic tradition, following the example of the doctors and holy people named above, among others—in a way not dissimilar to the Church’s dialogue with Hellenic wisdom, Roman law, and the traditions of nations (especially of Europe)—could plausibly help us to overcome certain challenges we face on account of widespread rationalism.
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