CREATION IN ESOTERIC RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES

ABSTRACT The multifaceted interaction established with ancient religions, cultural heritages and philosophical traditions has played a decisive role in shaping the intellectual foundations of esoteric sects. Sects such as Ismailism, Nusayrism, Yazidism and Druzeism bear various traces of the belief systems that were dominant in the regions in which they emerged; this renders the understanding of their unique structures both more complex and more enriched. Therefore, a sound evaluation of the epistemological foundations of these sects is only possible by taking into account the cultural and intellectual context in which they arose. In this regard, the theme of creation plays a significant role. Accordingly, the introduction of this study outlines the concept of "esotericism" discusses when this line of thought emerged, and examines the concepts of Gnosticism and Hermeticism, which are closely related to esoteric thought. Subsequently, the foundations of esoteric epistemology are addressed, followed by an explanation of the concept of creation along with the related themes of cosmology and mythology. In the first chapter, the creation doctrines of ancient religions, cultures, and philosophical traditions that may have influenced esoteric sects are examined. In these traditions, creation is mostly conceptualized on the basis of a dualistic structure. In the second chapter, the understanding of creation in sects such as the Ghulat Shia, Ismailism, Nusayrism, Druzeism, Yazidism, the Bahaism Faith, and Alevism is analyzed. As a result, it is concluded that the esoteric interpretations of creation were reinterpreted within an Islamic framework under the influence of ancient dualistic ideas and philosophical approaches. Keywords: Esotericism, Creation, Dualism, Light-Darkness, Gnosticism, Theory of Emanation