From the very birth of sociology in the mid-nineteenth century, the eventual demise of religion was seen as inevitable. In recent times, however, increasing numbers of sociologists, social commentators and social theorists have come to describe the current state of Europe as “post-secular”. What is suggested is not a straightforward “return of religion”, but rather an awareness of the continued relevance of religion in secular societies, as well as changing perceptions of what actually counts as religion, what functions it may have and where it can be located. Quite naturally, the post-secular should be conceived of as having relevance for the esoteric as well. In fact, if looking at new arenas of religion (and I am thinking in particular of popular culture), we might even be witnessing a popularization of the esoteric that is unprecedented in Western religious history.

In this chapter I will be looking at secularization theory, and link it to recent discussions on the post-secular. I will then address, somewhat briefly and introductorily, potential transformations and further effects on the esoteric from both secularism and post-secularism. Finally, I will provide a few examples of the intersection of the secular, the post-secular and the esoteric on a particular genre of popular culture: science fiction film and television.