Versluis' research focuses on
western esotericism and
magic, with a special interest in the influence of
Platonism on western mysticism and American
Transcendentalism.
Transcendentalism and American esotericism Versluis has published a "trilogy" on American Transcendentalism and the development of western esotericism, namely
American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions (1993),
The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance (2001), and
American Gurus: From Transcendentalism to New Age Religion (2014). In these publications, he describes the development of American Transcendentalism and its influence on western esotericism, including the contemporary phenomenon of "immediatist gurus", who promise instant enlightenment. In
American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions, Versluis describes the influence of Asian religions on European Romanticism and on American Transcendentalism. In the early 19th century, these Asian religions were introduced to the western culture, and texts like the
Bhagavad Gita and the
Upanishads had a great impact on the Transcendental movement, and influential members like
Emerson and
Thoreau. But Transcendentalism was also influenced by
western esotericism, a topic which until recently received little attention in the academia. In
The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance Versluis investigates the influence of western esotericism on the mid-19th
American Renaissance. Versluis regards his
The Esoteric Origins as a pioneering study in this discipline. In
American Gurus: From Transcendentalism to New Age Religion, Versluis describes the emergence of immediatist gurus: gurus who are not connected to any of the traditional religions, and promise instant enlightenment and liberation. These include
Eckhart Tolle,
Ram Dass,
Adi Da, and
Andrew Cohen. "Immediatism" refers to "a religious assertion of spontaneous, direct, unmediated spiritual insight into reality (typically with little or no prior training), which some term 'enlightenment'." According to Versluis, immediatism is typical for Americans, who want "the fruit of religion, but not its obligations." Although immediatism has its roots in European culture and history as far back as
Platonism, and also includes
perennialism, Versluis points to
Ralph Waldo Emerson as its key ancestor, who "emphasized the possibility of immediate, direct spiritual knowledge and power."
Christian Theosophy Another "trilogy" deals with
Christian theosophy, and includes
Theosophia (1994),
Wisdom’s Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition (1999), and
Wisdom’s Book: The Sophia Anthology (2000). ==Journals and associations==