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ENDRE ÁDÁM HAMVAS
4. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the term ‘spiritual mystery’ is a controversial concept because
on the basis of philological evidence, it is not easy to decide whether there
was any such real historical phenomenon, or whether it is only a later, modern
conceptual construction. This is why I prefer to use the term ‘spiritualization
of cultic performance’, suggested by Kurt Rudolph." It is true that there
are texts—for example the above-cited CH IV, CH I or Koré Kosmou—that
possibly give evidence supporting this supposition.
On the other hand, if we, drawing on the ideas of Burkert, accept
the definition of mysteries as forms of initiation, it can be shown that if there
was a Hermetic initiation—and I hope to have shown that there was—we can
understand its essence from the Greek mysteries and early Christian cultic
performances because of the structural and linguistic similarities delineated
above. I think there really was a Hermetic initiation the aim of which was to
transform the self of the initiate wholly by the appearance of the divine. This
revelation offered a divine knowledge about the universe and humankind and
as a consequence, this knowledge provided immortality.
This conclusion may harmonize with theories of other scholars who
accepted—with some reservations—that there were Hermetic communities
with a kind of religious practice. There have been scholars who supposed
that there could have been Hermetic circles or groups forming a special kind
of religious phenomenon.* For example, G. van Moorsel formulated the
supposition that these groups existed but had no dromena; their daily religious
practices consisted of singing hymns and saying prayers.* K. W. Trôger had
another interesting idea, as he also spoke about religious communities for
which prayer, the singing of hymns, and the instruction of new members
by the initiated were daily routine. Tréger speaks about esoteric Hermetic
circles where a small group of people gathered to gain knowledge and where
the members prayed and sang hymns. He also speaks about a kind of initiation
where the advanced brethren instructed the newcomers. Our Hermetic texts
have preserved some of these teachings, whereby we can cast a glance into
the life, religious practices, and initiation methods of these communities."
38 Rudolph, Gnosis, 220.
3° One of the first examples is Reitzenstein’s above-mentioned Poimandres. See note above.
10 Moorsel, The Mysteries, 129.
a Tréger, Mysterienglaube und Gnosis, 58: “Man wird sich die Hermetiker als Esoteriker
vorzustellen haben, die in kleinen Kreisen zusammenkamen, um sich in die Gnosis
einzuiiben und bei Gebet und Gesang miteinander Gemeinschaft zu halten. Dabei hielten
vielleicht fortgeschrittene Brüder Vorträge und Fragestunden fiir die Neulinge und führten
sie so in die religiösen Geheimnisse ein. Die hermetischen Traktate können auf diese Weise
als ‘vervielfältigte’ Referate entstanden und für gemeinsame oder private Religionsübungen
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