Dr. James Justin Sledge was born and raised in a proud working-class Mississippi family. He learned the fundamental value of labor from his father who was a pipe-fitter and the crucial importance of un-waged labor from his mother.
A first generation college student, Dr. Sledge earned his undergraduate degree at Millsaps College then went for a DRS in religious studies (Western Esotericism and Related Currents) at the Universiteit van Amsterdam and a MA and PhD in philosophy at the University of Memphis.
He is currently a part-time professor of philosophy and religion at several institutions in the Metro-Detroit area and a popular local educator.
Youtube
@TheEsotericaChannel
Dr. Sledge's YouTube page, ESOTERICA, has undeniably transformed not only the modern occult milieu but pioneered online education in general. Providing free in-depth courses from topics such as Kabbalah to Heinrich Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophy (Three Books of Occult Philosophy).
Esoterica is an ongoing project of Dr. Sledge where he produces video content on Youtube to explore topics in Western Esotericism such as magic, mysticism, alchemy, kabbalah, hermetic philosophy, theosophy, and more.
Sadly, these topics are under and misrepresented in our education system and access to reliable, scholarly information in this field online is wanting. Dr. Sledge hopes to continue exploring these topics in rigorous through approachable videos on his channel.
He would deeply appreciate your support on Patreon in order to continue producing free content on relatively obscure and difficult to access material!
One of the most exciting aspects of Dr Sledge's work is his rare and antiquarian occult books shop. There are many occult bookshops online these days, but few such as his. Make sure you visit his site and peruse these beautiful tomes and monuments to the history of human thought and quest for knowledge and liberation.
Website: JustinSledge.com
From Drs Justin Sledge & Dan Attrell
Free Course & New Book
In addition to Dr Sledge's recent and extensive, free course on Agrippa; with Dr Dan Attrell -- a Canadian treasure whom we hope bring to Vancouver in the future -- they have produced a new translation of Agrippa's writings, Invisibilia Dei (which you can order from the jungles of Amazon).
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.
Recently released from Drs Sledge & Attrell
A Collection of Hermetic, Mystical, and Anti-Magical Works by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
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.
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