According to critics, Steiner's work reveal his acquaintance with scholarly methodology and philosophy, but these are overtaken by unverifiable claims based on "direct spiritual perception" and "occult research":
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Strube 2016a; Strube 2016b. Strube, Julian (2016a). Sozialismus, Katholizismus und Okkultismus im Frankreich des 19. Jahrhunderts: Die Genealogie der Schriften von Eliphas Lévi. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter. ISBN978-3-11-047810-5. Strube, Julian (2016b). "Socialist Religion and the Emergence of Occultism: A Genealogical Approach to Socialism and Secularization in 19th-Century France". Religion. 46 (3): 359–388. doi:10.1080/0048721X.2016.1146926. S2CID147626697.
Faivre 1994, p. 10; Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 4; Bergunder 2010, p. 14; Hanegraaff 2013a, p. 3. Faivre, Antoine (1994). Access to Western Esotericism. New York: SUNY Press. ISBN978-0-7914-2178-9. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882. Hanegraaff, Wouter (2013a). Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Guides for the Perplexed. London: Bloomsbury Press. ISBN978-1-4411-3646-6.
Bergunder 2010, p. 18. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Hroncek, Susan (2017). "From Egyptian Science to Victorian Magic: On the Origins of Chemistry in Victorian Histories of Science". Victorian Review. 43 (2): 213–228. doi:10.1353/vcr.2017.0032. ISSN1923-3280. S2CID166044943.
Faivre 1994, p. ix; Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 3; Von Stuckrad 2005b, p. 81; Bergunder 2010, p. 11. Faivre, Antoine (1994). Access to Western Esotericism. New York: SUNY Press. ISBN978-0-7914-2178-9. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005b). "Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation". Religion. 35 (2): 78–97. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002. S2CID219595283. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Faivre 1994, p. x; Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 3; Von Stuckrad 2005b, p. 81; Bergunder 2010, p. 12. Faivre, Antoine (1994). Access to Western Esotericism. New York: SUNY Press. ISBN978-0-7914-2178-9. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005b). "Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation". Religion. 35 (2): 78–97. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002. S2CID219595283. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 3; Von Stuckrad 2005b, p. 81; Bergunder 2010, p. 12–13. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005b). "Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation". Religion. 35 (2): 78–97. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002. S2CID219595283. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Bergunder 2010, p. 9. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Strube 2016a; Strube 2016b. Strube, Julian (2016a). Sozialismus, Katholizismus und Okkultismus im Frankreich des 19. Jahrhunderts: Die Genealogie der Schriften von Eliphas Lévi. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter. ISBN978-3-11-047810-5. Strube, Julian (2016b). "Socialist Religion and the Emergence of Occultism: A Genealogical Approach to Socialism and Secularization in 19th-Century France". Religion. 46 (3): 359–388. doi:10.1080/0048721X.2016.1146926. S2CID147626697.
Hroncek, Susan (2017). "From Egyptian Science to Victorian Magic: On the Origins of Chemistry in Victorian Histories of Science". Victorian Review. 43 (2): 213–228. doi:10.1353/vcr.2017.0032. ISSN1923-3280. S2CID166044943.
Faivre 1994, p. ix; Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 3; Von Stuckrad 2005b, p. 81; Bergunder 2010, p. 11. Faivre, Antoine (1994). Access to Western Esotericism. New York: SUNY Press. ISBN978-0-7914-2178-9. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005b). "Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation". Religion. 35 (2): 78–97. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002. S2CID219595283. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Faivre 1994, p. x; Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 3; Von Stuckrad 2005b, p. 81; Bergunder 2010, p. 12. Faivre, Antoine (1994). Access to Western Esotericism. New York: SUNY Press. ISBN978-0-7914-2178-9. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005b). "Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation". Religion. 35 (2): 78–97. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002. S2CID219595283. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Von Stuckrad 2005a, p. 3; Von Stuckrad 2005b, p. 81; Bergunder 2010, p. 12–13. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005a). Western Esotericism: A Brief History of Secret Knowledge. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (translator). Durham: Acumen. ISBN978-1-84553-033-4. Von Stuckrad, Kocku (2005b). "Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation". Religion. 35 (2): 78–97. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002. S2CID219595283. Bergunder, Michael (2010). "What is Esotericism? Cultural Studies Approaches and the Problems of Definition in Religious Studies". Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. 22. Kenneth Fleming (translator): 9–36. doi:10.1163/094330510X12604383550882.
Hroncek, Susan (2017). "From Egyptian Science to Victorian Magic: On the Origins of Chemistry in Victorian Histories of Science". Victorian Review. 43 (2): 213–228. doi:10.1353/vcr.2017.0032. ISSN1923-3280. S2CID166044943.