Kocku von Stuckrad (born 6 April 1966) is a German scholar of religious studies.
He specialises in the European history of religion and the academic study of Western esotericism.
[2] Stuckrad's approach to the academic study of Western esotericism focuses on claims of perfect or higher knowledge, rather than particular esoteric movements, and he has argued that secrecy should be regarded as one of the defining characteristics of the field.
[3] He has criticised the academic field of Western esotericism for having failed to produce sufficient critical examination of its key concepts from historical, sociological, and cultural perspectives.
[2] As an alternative, he argues for a discourse analysis approach to the history of Western esotericism.